DC Public Charter Schools Show Significant Achievement in PARCC Assessment

For Immediate Release: Monday November 30, 2015

Contact: Tomeika Bowden, 202-428-5543

DC Public Charter Schools Show Significant Achievement in PARCC Assessment

Scores Show Many Students on Target for College and Readiness

WASHINGTON, DC - Public charter school students in Washington, DC scored at or above the District average in the new PARCC assessment, according to data released today by Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness in College and Careers (PARCC) outlines how students in grades 3 through 8 perform in two different assessments -- English Language Arts (ELA) and Math.  DC had several public charter schools that showed particularly strong results.

“We’re proud of the tremendous work that public charter schools are doing in the District,” said Scott Pearson, Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board.  “By teaching the common core state standards over the last 5 years, our schools are increasing the number of students who will be college and workforce ready when they graduate.”

All Students:  By All-District and Wards

Overall, DC public charter students scored at and above the District average on ELA and Math (see chart 1 below).   For ELA and Math, 25% and 26%, respectively, of public charter school students met or exceeded expectations (scoring 4 or 5) while 52% and 54%, respectively, approached, met or exceeded expectations (scoring 3, 4 or 5).

Public charter school students from all eight wards met or exceeded expectations. This includes students living in Ward 7 where 49% and 54% of the students approached, met or exceeded expectations on ELA and Math, respectively. In addition, students living in Ward 8, where 44% and 49% of the students approached, met or exceeded expectations, respectively. The ward-by-ward breakdown can be found here.

Chart 1

For a breakdown on how students did in individual charter schools, please click here. More than 11,800 public charter school students took the to the English Language Arts and Math assessments.

Results by Demographic and Socio-Economic Status

Nearly four out of five students attending public charter schools are African American and one out of six are Hispanic. These populations also scored several percentage points higher than the District average (see charts 2 and 3 below).

Chart 2

Chart 3

Breakdowns for other demographic groups can be found here.

School Performance

There are 25 schools where the percentage of students who met or exceed expectations (scoring 4 or 5) in both ELA and Math exceeded the Districtwide average, including:

• Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS - Middle
• BASIS DC PCS
• Center City PCS - Brightwood
• Creative Minds International PCS
• DC Bilingual PCS
• DC Prep PCS - Benning Elementary
• DC Prep PCS - Edgewood Elementary
• DC Prep PCS - Edgewood Middle
• District of Columbia International School
• E.L. Haynes PCS - Elementary School
• E.L. Haynes PCS - Middle School
• Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS
• Eagle Academy PCS - New Jersey Avenue
• Friendship PCS - Woodridge Elementary
• Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS
• KIPP DC - KEY Academy PCS
• KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS
• KIPP DC - Promise Academy PCS
• KIPP DC - WILL Academy PCS
• Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS
• Mundo Verde Bilingual PC
• Roots PCS
• Two Rivers PCS
• Washington Latin PCS - Middle School
• Washington Yu Ying PCS

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