Impact
Bold experiments.
Lasting results.
DC Ed Fund backs cutting-edge initiatives with the potential to generate systemic change. Our investments have transformed DCPS into the fastest-improving urban school district in the last decade.
Our founding
The DC Public Education Fund was founded in 2007 to help DC Public Schools address its most pressing challenges through organized philanthropy.
Pursuing excellence
Our first investment fund raised $65M to support IMPACTplus, the nation’s first performance and compensation system to attract, evaluate, and incentivize the highest performing educators.
Student experience
We expanded our efforts to address what students were learning in their classrooms. The Cornerstones initiative introduced the city’s first curriculum strategy stacked with powerful lessons and experiences, all in pursuit of closing the opportunity gap.
Expanding our vision
Since the beginning, we have raised over $200M in seed capital to launch a series of new start-up initiatives that continue to raise the bar for what’s possible in public education.
Proof of concept
Today, DCPS still holds the title of being the nation’s fastest-improving urban school district, much of it accelerated by DC Ed Fund-supported investments.
Targeted investments to achieve DCPS’ most ambitious goals.
Standing Ovation
Standing Ovation was designed as a way to honor the achievements of DCPS’ top teachers, leaders, and school communities. For more than ten years, this unique DC tradition has played a critical role in elevating the teaching profession and celebrating what’s working in urban education.
IMPACT and IMPACTplus
IMPACT was the very first investment: a rigorous teacher accountability system that sparked a student-performance minded culture across DCPS. Over the years, its evolved into IMPACTplus, which added results-driven compensation and career paths which set new records for teacher and school leader retention across the district.
Check it outRetention of highly effective teachers
Retention of the best teachers in high-poverty schools
Retention of highly effective principals