Test Results - PARCC and DC CAPE

August 24, 2023

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, is the District of Columbia's annual assessment of mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA), based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

These assessments measure the knowledge and skills that matter most for students — understanding complex texts, evidence-based writing, mathematical problem-solving — all skills that lead to confidence and success in key academic areas. 

Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, DC has implemented a new name for its general statewide assessment system, which includes assessments in English language arts/literacy (ELA), mathematics and science. The District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) include the DC ELA assessment (DC ELA), the DC Math assessment (DC Math) and the DC Science assessment (DC Science). Together, these assessments create a comprehensive system that provides important information on students’ progress and proficiency relative to DC’s educational standards.

DC CAPE Results - 2024

This exam has replaced the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career exam, or PARCC. Each spring, DC students in grades 3-8 and in eligible high school courses complete statewide assessments in ELA and math; these assessments measure mastery of grade-level content standards. Over 95% of eligible participants participated in math and ELA assessments. In comparison to the previous school year, public charter schools saw the following changes:

  • ELA proficiency rates increased at 54 school campuses across all student groups
  • Average ELA proficiency rate by school campus increased by 3.76%
  • Math scores increased or maintained for 69 school campuses across all student groups 
  • Average math proficiency rate by school campus increased by 3.14%

2024 DC CAPE Results

During the 2023-24 school year, DC students in grades 3-8 and in eligible high school courses saw ELA proficiency rates increase at 54 school campuses across all student groups, increased average ELA proficiency rate by school campus by 3.76%, increased math scores or maintained them for 69 school campuses across all student groups, and increased the average math proficiency rate by school campus by 3.14%
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2023 PARCC Results

During the 2022-23 school year, the number of students in grades 3-8 who scored at or above level 4 increased by 4.1 percentage points in ELA and 2.7 percentage points in math, and the number of students in grades 9-12 who scored at or above level 4 increased by 1.4 percentage point in ELA and decreased by 1.0 percentage points in math.
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2022 PARCC Results

During the 2021-22 school year, the number of students in grades 3-8 who scored at or above level 4 decreased by 10 percentage points in ELA and 13 percentage points in math, and the number of students in grades 9-12 who scored at or above level 4 decreased by 1.7 percentage point in ELA and 6.7 percentage points in math.
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2019 PARCC Results

In 2019, public charter students earning college and career-ready scores (Level 4 or 5) increased by 2.7 percentage points on the English language arts (ELA) assessment and by 0.3 percentage points on the math assessment.
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2018 PARCC Results

In 2018, public charter students earning career and college ready scores (Level 4 or 5) increased by 2.7 percentage points on the English language arts (ELA) assessment and by 1.8 percentage points on the math assessment.
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2017 PARC Results

2017 was the 10th consecutive year public charter school students have shown steady improvement on the statewide assessment, first on the DC-CAS, then on the PARCC.
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2016 PARCC Results

2016 PARCC results showed a 4 percentage point increase in the number of citywide public charter school students achieving a 4 or 5 (meeting or exceeding academic expectations) in grades 3-8 and high school on assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and a 2.5 percentage point increase in the number of citywide public charter school students achieving a 4 or 5 in Math,
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2015 PARCC Results

2015 was the first year of the PARCC assessments. The assessment is aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and were created to measure students' ability to apply their knowledge of concepts rather than memorizing facts.
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