Posts by Natalie Wexler — Contributor
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A new plan to narrow DC’s achievement gap
For several years, DC Public Schools has been at the forefront of a movement to give students a coherent body of knowledge starting in kindergarten. It’s a commendable effort but still a work in progress. Keep reading…
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Can DCPS stem the middle school exodus?
Students have been leaving DC Public Schools in droves after the elementary grades because of a dearth of appealing middle school options. A series of graphs from DC’s Office of Revenue Analysis shows what’s been happening and suggests that things could change in the future. Keep reading…
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New data could help poor kids gain access to nearby charters
A new report showing where students at each DC charter school live could breathe new life into an old idea: changing the law to allow charters to give an admissions preference to neighborhood residents. The new data could help officials pinpoint situations where a neighborhood preference would help rather than harm low-income students. In the past, some have objected that… Keep reading…
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Get ready for a serious drop in test scores
Students in DC have been far more likely to score in the proficient category on local standardized tests than on tougher national assessments. This year, as schools switch to a local test that’s more like the one given nationwide, proficiency rates here will probably drop by 30 points or more. For years, DC students have taken a set of standardized tests called the DC CAS… Keep reading…
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A new charter school for foster kids aims to provide stability
Monument Academy, an innovative charter boarding school designed to serve children in foster care, opens in DC in August. The school will try to provide the stable family environment kids in the foster system often lack. The school will open with 40 fifth-graders, divided into two classes. It will add one grade a year through eighth grade and eventually serve 160 students, with… Keep reading…
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Many schools that need renovations may not be getting them
The Bowser administration wants to postpone or eliminate funding for needed improvements at dozens of schools. At the same time, the budget for renovating the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Georgetown has ballooned to $178 million. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget for capital improvements would delay or abandon promised renovations at 20 or possibly more… Keep reading…
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DC schools may be too quick to expel and suspend students
School leaders in DC generally agree that suspensions and expulsions should be used as a last resort when disciplining students. Still, many schools are too quick to invoke those measures, according to a recent report. During the 2012-13 school year, 13% of DC students—about 10,000—were suspended at least once. African-American students were almost six times… Keep reading…
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What’s behind the budget cuts at Wilson High School
DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson has defended her plan to cut Wilson High School’s budget by over 10% per student next year, citing a DC law that requires DCPS to redirect funds to at-risk students. But most of the cut isn’t required by that law. DCPS plans to spend $8,300 on each student at Wilson, the lowest amount it has allocated to any school on a per-pupil… Keep reading…
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More families are waitlisted at neighborhood preschools
In some parts of DC, it’s getting harder to snare a seat at your neighborhood preschool. The map below shows how the number of preschool applicants at many DC Public Schools has been increasing in recent years. Keep reading…
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School waitlist data can tell us what families want
Charter and traditional public schools with the longest waitlists for the coming school year are clustered west of the Anacostia River, with bilingual programs generally leading the pack. But there’s also a marked difference in demand for some schools that have similar test scores. Earlier this month the District announced the results of the lottery that determines… Keep reading…