Friends and Supporters,
There’s so much underway across DC’s math community this spring—and we’re excited to share early signs of progress from the Capital Math Collective and its partner organizations: DC Public Education Fund, DC Public Schools, EmpowerK12, and CitySchools Collaborative.
As a citywide effort spanning DC Public Schools and public charter schools, the Capital Math Collective is working to accelerate math outcomes for students in grades 3–8 by investing in high-quality instruction, targeted supports, and stronger connections across schools and systems. Midyear assessments show that an additional 1,100 students at partner schools are on track to achieving math proficiency this spring, including 700 more economically disadvantaged Black and Brown students.
Together, this work is part of a broader, ambitious goal: to make Washington, D.C. the first urban school district to outperform the national average in math by 2030.
In Case You Missed It: CMC in the News
Anonymous donor gives D.C. $20 million to boost math scores: The donation, from an anonymous national foundation, will support what leaders have dubbed the “Capital Math Collective,” a citywide effort to boost math scores and make D.C. the first urban school district to outperform the national average by 2030, officials said. Read more
Solving for success: DC’s citywide effort to boost math achievement: DC’s citywide push to improve math achievement is showing encouraging gains through stronger instruction, teacher investment, and data-driven strategies—though significant work remains to close persistent gaps and sustain progress. Read more
Trinity’s Math for Educators Program Featured in Launch of Capital Math Collective: Trinity’s Math for Educators program, launched with DCPS in 2024, is expanding citywide through the Capital Math Collective to support up to 1,000 teachers and coaches in strengthening math instruction. Read more
By the Numbers: Early Impact – 6 Months In!
Across the District, students and educators are engaging deeply in math—and the scale of this work is growing:
- 4,346 students have participated in high-impact tutoring—totaling 53,000+ hours across 84 schools
- 60% of students are meeting their midyear growth targets in math (compared to ~50% nationally)
- 760+ educators have participated in DC Math Hub events and professional learning to date
These early indicators point to a system gaining traction—where more students are getting the support they need, and more educators are equipped to deliver strong math instruction.
A Citywide Effort
One of the most powerful aspects of this work is the collaboration happening across sectors.
- More than 100 educators and leaders have participated in cross-sector Learning Walks
- The recent DC Learning Acceleration Summit brought together over 280 attendees—including teachers, school leaders, funders, and policymakers—to focus on what drives meaningful math learning
- We’re reaching about 100 schools across DCPS and Charter that through our Communities of Practice, Design Sprints, and Technical Assistance
This kind of shared learning is helping to spread what’s working—and accelerate progress across the city.
Math In Action: DCPS Math Center
This month, DCPS hosted a Math Night at Kimball Elementary School to celebrate Pi Day and welcome a new group of students into tutoring at the DCPS Math Center. Families, students, and educators came together to experience math as collaborative, hands-on, and joyful.
Moments like these matter—because building confidence and excitement around math is just as important as building skills.
At the DCPS Math Center, students and families are provided structured, high-impact tutoring through focused cycles designed to build both skills and confidence in mathematics.
Now in Cycle 2, the center is supporting 32 students at Kimball Elementary with individualized tutoring twice a week, alongside ongoing family engagement events that strengthen connections between home and school.
In Cycle 1, 39 students from Simon, Patterson, and Garfield Elementary received one-on-one tutoring three days a week from certified teachers and trained high school tutors.
Bright Spot: Friendship Public Charter Schools
At Friendship Public Charter Schools, more than 2,000 students across eight campuses are on track to increase math proficiency by 7 percentage points this year. What’s driving this progress?
Teachers and school leaders are doubling down on:
- Strong instructional coaching
- A focus on deep conceptual understanding
- Weekly math skills data evaluation to target small group supports and interventions
Through initiatives like Math Goal Getters, supported by EmpowerK12’s Math Acceleration Grant, educators use weekly assessments and structured data cycles to pinpoint student needs and adjust instruction in real time. Instructional coaching further strengthens this work, with Math Specialists partnering closely with teachers to turn insights into action—ensuring every student receives targeted, effective support.
In practice, this looks like classrooms where teachers are constantly adjusting instruction based on what students know—ensuring no student falls through the cracks.
Investing in Educators
Improving student outcomes starts with investing boldly in the educators shaping math learning every day—and this spring, DC is doing just that through a groundbreaking partnership with Trinity Washington University to expand content-based learning and strengthen the city’s math teaching pipeline.
This spring, 8 Bright Spots Math Fellows from DCPS and public charter LEAs have been selected to form the inaugural cohort of a citywide network focused on sharing best practices and strengthening instruction across schools.
Together, these efforts are building a more connected, content-driven math community—equipping educators with the knowledge, tools, and collaboration needed to accelerate student learning across DC.
Thank you to our Capital Math Collective partner EmpowerK12 for launching the inaugural Bright Spots Math Fellows cohort. Meet the Fellows below:
What’s Next?
There’s more ahead this year as we continue building momentum across DC. We’re excited to share a few ways you can see—and be part of—what’s next:
Capital Math Classic at Nationals Park on May 14
→ We’re currently seeking volunteers and judges to help bring this citywide math competition to life and create an unforgettable experience for students. Send an email to Dr. Asia Franks (afranks@empowerk12.org) to get on the exclusive list today!
New gains and bright spots in student math progress
→ Early signals are showing encouraging progress in how students are learning and engaging with math across DC
Continued opportunities to get involved
→ Educators, families, and partners will be able to engage in hands-on learning, events, and initiatives that are building a stronger math community citywide
At the heart of this work is an ambitious goal: ensuring that every student in DC has access to high-quality math learning—and that our city becomes a national leader in math outcomes.
The early signs are promising, and together, we’re building the conditions to sustain and accelerate this progress. This work is only possible because of the collective effort across our city.
Thank you for being part of this work.
