Introducing the Capital Math Collective: Empowering DC Students Through the Power of Numbers

Washington, D.C. is proving that when a city unites behind its students, remarkable things happen. The Capital Math Collective, a $20 million public-private partnership spearheaded by the DC Public Education Fund, is the latest chapter in the city’s bold story of educational innovation and progress.

This initiative brings together DC Public Schools, EmpowerK12, the DC Math Hub, and CitySchools Collaborative to expand access to high-quality training, tutoring, and family engagement. Working side by side, these partners are strengthening math instruction, giving educators deeper coaching support, and helping families nurture confident, curious learners.

Today, D.C. is the nation’s fastest-improving urban school district, ranking first in the nation for post-pandemic academic recovery among all 50 states. That growth reflects the unwavering dedication of D.C.’s students, families, and educators — and the city’s commitment to investing in solutions that accelerate achievement.

Yet opportunity gaps persist and overall proficiency remains low. DC is committed to our children’s futures amid an increasingly complex workforce, and addressing math achievement is one of our top priorities in the city. The partner organizations of the Capital Math Collective are no strangers to tackling big challenges facing our schools. The Capital Math Collective is a shining example of what can happen when a city unites together — when public and private partners refuse to accept that where a student lives determines what they can achieve.

Through partnerships with DC Public Schools, public charter schools, nonprofits, city leaders, and families, the Collective aims to transform recent math gains into sustained, systemwide progress. And it sets for itself a bold goal: To make D.C. the first urban school district where every student outperforms the national average in math by 2030. 

Three core strategies power the collective:

• World-Class Math Teaching: The Collective will equip more than 2,000 math teachers with training on innovative math practices and support over 700 educators in earning graduate-level credentials to deepen their expertise. Two new DCPS Math Centers will serve as hubs for professional learning, coaching, and student tutoring.

• High-Impact Tutoring, at Scale: Tutoring has already proven its value for DC students. The Collective will provide more than 6,000 additional students with personalized, high-impact tutoring. Using real-time student data, the program will ensure that the students who need the most support receive it quickly, helping them build skills, confidence, and a sense of success in math.

• Citywide Innovation and Family Partnership: The Collective will expand opportunities for families to engage with math learning, including citywide Math Nights that make math accessible and enjoyable, and the DC Math and STEM Fair, which celebrates student achievement and creativity.

The investments that made the Capital Math Collective possible today establish an important foundation for this work at a critical moment for our city’s students. But in order to realize success, all stakeholders, including funders, educators and civic leaders, must continue investing and building upon it so that every student in DC can experience what happens when math becomes a source of power and joy.

Because when students see themselves as problem-solvers, when teachers have the support they need to help them thrive, and when communities rally behind their success — the impact multiplies.

The result is more than higher test scores. It’s a stronger city, built by a generation of young people prepared to reason, lead, and shape the future — one problem, one solution, one breakthrough at a time.