Friends and Supporters,
The new school year is underway, and we began it with genuine news. On the 2025–26 DC CAPE assessments, DCPS students gained ground in both subjects: math proficiency rose 2.7 percentage points to 33.3% — pushing DCPS above its pre-pandemic mark for the first time — and reading rose to 44.0%, the highest level in a decade. This is the fourth straight year of math gains, and the growth was broad: 83 of 106 schools improved in math, every tested grade from 3 through 8 moved forward, and third graders led the way with an 8.1-point jump.
Progress like this comes from people. It reflects teachers who protected time for small-group instruction and tutoring, school leaders who made that possible, and the counselors, aides, and staff who make a school a place where children can learn. We are grateful to every one of them. We also know how much work remains: about 55% of students are now on track in math while 33% are fully proficient, which tells us how many young people are close to the bar and within reach.
That is the work ahead. This year we are focused on carrying the elementary momentum into the middle grades and high school, extending literacy gains beyond the early years, and helping students who are approaching proficiency cross into it — alongside Interim Chancellor Dr. Kim Jackson during a year of transition in city and school leadership. Thank you for standing with DCPS students. The snapshot that follows shows what your support made possible.
Jim Kline
Executive Director & President
Summer Highlights
Welcome back to school, DC students!
More than 51,000 DC Public Schools students returned to classrooms, kicking off the new school year with the energy the District does best — cheers, bubble machines, and families lining the sidewalks to send their kids off right. Thank you to the staff, families, and community members who helped clap our students back to school. Your encouragement and energy help remind our young people that an entire city is behind them.
DCPS CAPE Scores Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels
DC CAPE results are in, and they confirm a district on a real, sustained upward trajectory: ELA and math proficiency rose for the fourth year in a row, rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. This is genuine progress — and it comes with a clear-eyed understanding that there’s still significant work ahead to get every student where they need to be.
One number stands out above the rest: 1,500 fewer students scored at Level 1 in math this year — a 13% single-year drop, the largest of the PARCC and CAPE era. It’s strong evidence that DCPS teachers and schools are doing the hard, deliberate work of moving our most struggling students out of the lowest performance bands.
via EmpowerK12
- ELA: 44% of students proficient (up 1.5 points), with 64 schools improving — including four with double-digit gains. Subgroups across the district made progress, with the strongest movement among historically underserved student groups.
- Math: 33.3% of students proficient (up 2.7 points), with 86 schools improving — including five with double-digit gains. 3rd grade jumped from 40% to 48% and 4th grade from 37% to 43% in a single year. Citywide, 6 in 10 students now meet the career-ready reading standard, and 51% do in math.
- Equity is shifting too. School poverty explained nearly three-quarters of the variation in school proficiency rates back in 2022 — this year, just 53%. Achievement gaps at the career-ready benchmark narrowed across student groups, a sign that where a student lives and their family’s income are predicting less about their outcomes than ever before.
- Targeted investments are paying off. Students who reached high-impact tutoring dosage gained the equivalent of 59 additional instructional days in math. And Capital Math Collective grantee schools grew 3.6 points this year, compared to 1.2 points for non-grantee schools — a clear signal that this investment model works.
This momentum reflects sustained investments like the Capital Math Collective, the DCPS Reading Clinic, science-of-reading training, high-impact tutoring, and strong instructional materials — plus the dedication of DCPS educators, families, and partners. It also builds on research this spring naming DCPS the fastest-improving urban school district in the country post-pandemic.
To every DCPS teacher and school leader: thank you. These gains don’t happen without you. At the DC Public Education Fund, we’re proud to invest alongside you, and we’re excited to keep working with our school and system leaders to keep our eyes on the ball — driving outcomes further for all of our students.
DCPS Students Dive into AI
This summer, 23 DCPS students from 8 high schools participated in the six-week Artificial Intelligence Summer Dual Enrollment and Internship Program hosted at Marymount University, funded by the
Greater Washington Partnership. Students completed an introductory college course in artificial intelligence, exploring topics such as AI career pathways, ethics and trust in AI, prompt engineering and generative AI, natural language processing, computer vision, robotics, and real -world applications of AI across industries. Through mentorship from industry professionals, students worked in teams to develop solutions to real-world challenges and presented their AI-powered recommendations.
The program culminated in an August 7th showcase featuring student-developed projects, including tools focused on healthcare, financial planning, music recognition, and academic success. This experience empowered students to build critical workforce skills, expand their understanding of emerging technologies, and envision future careers in technology-driven fields. We are proud of all they accomplished this summer!
New Grant Announcements
New Grant to Strengthen Civic Education
With support from Carnegie Corporation of New York, the DC Public Education Fund is deepening civic education for students across DC Public Schools. The grant will support civic learning for grades 6-12 across DCPS through four core strands:
- Equitable access – funding transportation connecting students, prioritizing Wards 5, 7, and 8, to DC’s civic institutions
- Curriculum development – completing a full 6-12 civics sequence, with Spanish translation for multilingual learners
- Action Civics expansion – deepening the mandatory 8th grade course centered on year-long community action projects
- Student-facing programming – growing signature experiences like the Model UN Cornerstone and Student Action Civics Showcase
New Grant to Strengthen Early Math Instruction
With support from Oak Foundation, the DC Public Education Fund is strengthening math instruction for students with learning differences. The grant will support K-2 math instruction across DCPS through three core practices:
- Co-planning between educators – building accessible math lessons from the start, not retrofitting them later
- Structured routines and modeling – making problem-solving steps visible for students who may struggle to spot them independently
- Multiple representations – connecting manipulatives, visuals, and symbols to open more entry points into content
What We’re Learning: DCPS Reading Clinic
What happens when you invest in teachers and students at the same time?
Through the DCPS Reading Clinic, DC Public Schools has built a model that pairs evidence-based literacy training and coaching with hands-on student practice. The results are powerful: among participating at-risk students, the share reading below grade level fell from 70% to 33% in a single school year.
In the latest installment of What We’re Learning, we explore what nearly eight years of investment in the DCPS Reading Clinic can teach us about strengthening instruction, improving student outcomes, and building capacity that lasts. Visit our Insights Center!
Celebrating DCPS’ Top Ranked High Schools
Four DCPS high schools landed in the Top 5 in DC in this years released U.S. News & World Report rankings:
#1 School Without Walls — #5 nationally
#3 Benjamin Banneker Academic High School — #213 nationally
#4 McKinley Technology High School
#5 Jackson-Reed High School
Huge congratulations to the students, educators, and families behind this achievement. At the DC Public Education Fund, we’re proud to support DCPS excellence.
We’re Looking Forward to Standing Ovation!
Standing Ovation returns January 28, 2027 at the National Portrait Gallery & Smithsonian American Art Museum, honoring DC Public Schools’ top teachers, leaders, and school communities. For over 15 years, this signature event has celebrated the educators behind DC’s academic gains — now recognized as the fastest-improving urban school district in the nation.
Standing Ovation is made possible by partners like you. Interested in sponsoring this year’s celebration? Reach out to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and how your support powers educational excellence across DC.
