Photo by bayasaa on Flickr.

DCPS celebrates test gains compared to other cities: Officials exulted in recent results showing DCPS as the only large city school district to make major gains across the board on tests given nationwide to 4th and 8th graders. But DC’s ranking is still below the urban average, and its achievement gap is the largest of any big city. (Post)

But graduation rates only inched up: With much less fanfare, officials released figures showing that DC’s overall on-time graduation rate this year was 64%, 3 points higher than last year. For DCPS alone, the rate was 58%, while for the charter sector it was 79%. (Post)

Troubled school for special needs kids will be shut down: Over the objections of some parents who say the school helped their kids, the Public Charter School Board voted to begin the process of closing Options PCS. The board said that given the evidence of financial mismanagement, it had no choice but to close the school, probably at the end of this school year. (Post)

Did the school defraud Medicaid?: The Post reports that federal investigators are looking into whether former leaders of Options exaggerated the needs of its disabled students and inflated the number of kids riding school buses to boost its Medicaid reimbursements to $2 million in 2012-13.

Did TV personality benefit from school’s alleged self-dealing?: DC charges that J.C. Hayward, Options board chair, owned part of a company that benefited from the school’s diversion of millions in funds. (Post)

Math teacher at charter is DC’s teacher of the year: Bill Day of Two Rivers PCS in Northeast DC engages his students by giving them real-life problems to solve. (Post)

DC schools will implement new science standards: The DC State Board of Education joined 8 states in adopting new K-12 standards intended to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. (Post)

Lease of former DCPS building is on hold: Mayor Vincent Gray is delaying the long-term lease of the former Hardy School on Foxhall Rd. until after a review of school boundaries is completed. The private Lab School sought to renew its lease, but some objected because nearby DCPS schools are overcrowded. (NW Current)

One Ward 3 school plans to get bigger: Only 3 years after a major expansion project, Janney Elementary School in Tenleytown will get a $4.85 million addition to accommodate its increasing enrollment. (NW Current)

Prince George’s school board gets a new member: County Executive Rushern Baker appointed a parent with one child in private school and one in public to a seat that has been vacant since September. (Post)

Arlington County teachers may have a leaner Christmas next year: In an effort to tamp down on favoritism, the school board is limiting the amount parents can spend on teachers’ gifts to $100 a year. (NBC 4)

Foundation donates millions to promote vouchers: The Walton Family Foundation is spending $6 million on a nationwide effort to increase the number of students using public funds to attend private and parochial schools. The DC voucher program uses federal funds and has given vouchers to about 5,000 students here since 2004. (Post)

Upcoming events:

The DC Public Education Festival will be held on January 11 at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, from 10 am to 5 pm. The event will feature exhibits by individuals schools, an area devoted to the new school lottery, student performances, and group workshops on topics such as choosing schools and healthy living.