Examining signs of strong system health and modest progress

Collaborative member D.C. Policy Center recently released State of D.C. Schools, 2023–24: Strong system health and modest progress, its annual flagship report providing a comprehensive look at D.C. public education. In school year 2023-24, D.C. demonstrated strong system health, marked by increased public school enrollment and improvements in educator retention, as well as modest progress toward recovery — including in learning outcomes and attendance metrics. The report also examines perspectives on the role of school for parents, teachers, and students.

Highlighting Success and Challenges

The report utilizes publicly available data from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and insights from community listening sessions to paint a comprehensive picture of D.C.’s public schools in school year 2023-24. D.C. had strong signs of system health in school year 2023-24 with increased public-school enrollment which goes against national trends and improvements in educator retention. Other signs of strong system health are increased graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment from pre-pandemic school years. Furthermore, learning outcomes have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, and while absenteeism is improving, it remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic norms. On the role of school, it shows that parents value academic excellence, mental health, and safety as priorities for schools. Teachers view schools as critical for education, emotional growth, and community building. Students want schools to focus on real-life skills, engaging teaching, and better preparation for the future. By spotlighting these issues, the D.C. Policy Center aims to advance outcomes for students in D.C. and build on areas of success.

Strengthening the education community in D.C.

This report aligns with the D.C. Policy Center’s broader mission to advance policies that promote a growing, vibrant, and compelling District of Columbia. Through State of D.C. Schools, 2023–24: Strong system health and modest progress, the team aims to encourage further research to strengthen D.C.’s education ecosystem, improve student outcomes, and expand access. Over 120 education stakeholders attended the in-person release event, which included opening remarks from the Interim State Superintendent as well as an expert panel discussion. Throughout the event, speakers emphasized that D.C. is working hard to improve outcomes for students, utilizing different system-level interventions—and that the role of school includes academics but extends well beyond.

Looking Ahead

The report emphasizes the importance of D.C.’s strong system health alongside small progress in some outcomes at a time when the need to get back on track is urgent. The D.C. Policy Center team looks forward to continuing this thread with our forthcoming attendance report. This report will look at shifts in chronic absenteeism between middle and high school, pre- and post-pandemic – with attention to why attendance is important for learning and wellbeing, national and regional trends in attendance, and more.

To learn more about the D.C. Policy Center’s State of D.C. Schools report, visit the D.C. Policy Center’s State of D.C. Schools, 2023-24: Strong system health and modest progress.