All DC Prep Campuses Are Tier 1 on 2019 School Quality Reports

Earlier this week, the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) released their 2019 School Quality Reports, which offer a comprehensive overview of public charter schools in the city.

DC Prep is thrilled to share that, once again, all five schools in our network earned Tier 1 rankings, the highest rating for all public charter schools in the city.

“Our Tier 1 ratings reflect the strength of our community– the grit, intelligence and preparation of our students, and the fierce commitment that each of our families, teachers, and staff demonstrate for our students’ success,” said Laura Maestas, DC Prep’s CEO.

The PCSB measures a charter school’s performance on a variety of indicators including test scores, attendance, and re-enrollment rates, among others – and serve as a resource for families. School Quality Reports score each school between 0-100, placing the school in one of three performance tiers. Tier 1 are top-performing schools, Tier 2 are mid-performing, and Tier 3 are low-performing.

To view DC Prep’s official 2019 School Quality Reports, and to see PCSB rankings for other charter schools citywide, please click here.

2019 PARCC Results

On Monday, Mayor Bowser released the citywide 2019 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) results. We are very pleased to share that, for the eighth year running, DC Prep is the highest-performing network of public schools citywide.

Additionally, the 2019 PARCC scores for schools in Wards 5, 7, and 8, the communities in which our campuses are located, highlight the unequal access to great schools in our nation’s capital, which directly relates to our mission of bridging the educational divide in Washington, DC.

Note: 4+ designates students who scored Proficient or Advanced on PARCC.

Senior Academy PARCC performance. This year, 58% of our Senior Academy students were meeting or exceeding expectations in Math and 64% in ELA. This is on par with, or stronger than, the results at many of the most sought-after public schools in the city. And there is very little difference between the outcomes for our students overall and those who are considered “at risk” by the DC government (i.e., are homeless, in foster care, or receive TANF). Notably, our 7th and 8th grade “At Risk” scores were the highest in the city.

The state-level 3rd through 8th grade PARCC scores, issued by local education officials including the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), demonstrate the efficacy of DC Prep’s educational model and serve as a proof point for a high-quality, Common Core-aligned public education.

The District of Columbia adopted a rigorous national proficiency level on PARCC of 4+. The PARCC exam scores each student’s college and career readiness performance levels on a scale of 1 to 5 as follows:

  • Level 1: Did Not Yet Meet Expectations,
  • Level 2: Partially Met Expectations,
  • Level 3: Approached Expectations,
  • Level 4: Met Expectations, and
  • Level 5: Exceeded Expectations.

We always see opportunities to improve in service of our students, and will continue to work and ensure that all of our students receive an education that will enable them to succeed.

For more information about citywide results, click here.

*Students in 3rd through 8th grade were administered PARCC assessments in SY2016-17 at DC Prep’s Benning and Edgewood clusters. DC Prep’s Anacostia Elementary Campus opened in SY2015-16 with preschool and pre-k, and this year AEC third grade students will take the PARCC assessment for the first time. 

2019 PARCC results and DC Prep’s comparative standing are exclusively based on information released by OSSE as of August 19, 2019.

DC Prep Hosts Community Event on Gun Violence with Arne Duncan

On Wednesday, February 13th, DC Prep’s Anacostia Elementary Campus (AEC) hosted a community conversation on gun violence, featuring Arne Duncan, who served as Secretary of Education under President Obama. DC Prep students and staff, community members, and government representatives took part in the meeting.

The meeting was called in response to increased incidents of gun violence in the neighborhood, including seven rounds fired directly in front of AEC during dismissal. To protect their safety, students at AEC and nearby Ketcham Elementary have experienced four “lockdowns” this year. (A security procedure requiring students and staff to hide in darkened classrooms.) The stresses caused by these procedures were recently highlighted in a Washington Post article.

Mr. Duncan described his work with Chicago CRED, an organization that is tackling gun violence by connecting with young men whose lives have been marked by violence – either as a victim or a shooter. “We have a lot of kids who are trying to survive every single day,” Duncan said. “We have to give them safety to think long term and plan for the future,” he stressed, emphasizing the need to attack the root causes of violence, including joblessness.

Mr. Duncan was joined by AEC Principal Neema Desai and Rahman Branch, the former executive director of the DC Mayor’s Office of African-American Affairs. Raymond Weeden, DC Prep’s Senior Director of Policy and Community Engagement, led the panel discussion and took questions from the audience, including from a DC Prep middle school student who asked what students can do to help stop the violence and contribute to their communities.

Ms. Desai talked about the balancing act of keeping students safe while also honoring their need to be kids. Operations Manager Monique Moore, who is the parent of an AEC preschooler, spoke about the anguish of having to choose between a high-quality education or her child’s safety.

Weeden concluded the meeting by presenting a series of recommended actions informed by conversations with DC Prep families, teachers, and neighbors in Ward 8 that will be presented to the Mayor’s Office. If you would like join us in advocating for a safer community, please add your signature to our online Google petition. We will deliver the signed petition to the Mayor’s office by March 1st. Let’s keep our children safe. The time for action is now.

DC Prep Campuses Earn Tier 1 Rankings on 2018 School Quality Reports

Today, the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) released their 2018 School Quality Reports, which offer a comprehensive overview of public charter schools in the city. DC Prep is thrilled to share that all five schools in our network earned Tier 1 rankings, the highest rating for all public charter schools in the city.

“We are proud of our Tier 1 rankings, as we believe they are a testament to the intelligence and hard work of our students, the support and dedication of our families, and the knowledge and effort of each of our teachers and staff,” said Laura Maestas, incoming CEO of DC Prep.

The PCSB measures a charter school’s performance on a variety of indicators including test scores, attendance, and re-enrollment rates, among others – and serve as a resource for families. School Quality Reports score each school between 0-100, placing the school in one of three performance tiers. Tier 1 are top-performing schools, Tier 2 are mid-performing, and Tier 3 are low-performing.

To view DC Prep’s official 2018 School Quality Reports, and to see PCSB rankings for other charter schools citywide, click here.

2018 PARCC Results

Recently, Mayor Bowser publicly released the citywide 2018 PARCC results and we are pleased to share that, for the seventh year running, DC Prep is the highest-performing network of public charter schools citywide.

Moreover, the PARCC scores for schools in Wards 5, 7, and 8, the areas in which our campuses are located, highlight that in the absence of DC Prep, our students would likely attend a low-performing elementary or middle school.

2018 PARCC Results by Ward

Note: 4+ designates students who scored Proficient or Advanced on PARCC.

The state-level 3rd through 8th grade PARCC scores, issued by local education officials including the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), demonstrate the efficacy of DC Prep’s educational model and serve as a proof point for a high-quality, Common Core-aligned public education.

The District of Columbia adopted a rigorous national proficiency level on PARCC of 4+. The PARCC exam scores each student’s college and career readiness performance levels on a scale of 1 to 5 as follows:

  • Level 1: Did Not Yet Meet Expectations,
  • Level 2: Partially Met Expectations,
  • Level 3: Approached Expectations,
  • Level 4: Met Expectations, and
  • Level 5: Exceeded Expectations.

While strong in relation to the city, our PARCC scores are still short of where we want them to be. In keeping with our mission and values, we will continue striving until all of our students are achieving at levels that give them every opportunity to succeed in school and life.

For more information about citywide results, click here.

*Students in 3rd through 8th grade were administered PARCC assessments in SY2016-17 at DC Prep’s Benning and Edgewood sites. DC Prep’s Anacostia Elementary Campus opened in SY2015-16 with preschool and pre-k and will “grow up” a grade each year through 3rd grade; as such, those students will not be eligible to take PARCC until SY2019-20.

2018 PARCC results and DC Prep’s comparative standing are exclusively based on information released by OSSE as of August 16, 2018.

Anacostia Elementary Math Teacher Selected as State-Level PAEMST Finalist

Anacostia Elementary Campus 2nd grade math teacher Brittany Lewis has been selected as a state-level finalist for this year’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Established in 1983, PAEMST is the highest award K-12th grade mathematics and science teachers can receive from the U.S. government. Nominees complete a rigorous application process that requires them to demonstrate their excellence in content knowledge and ability to adapt to a broad range of learners and teaching environments.

Ms. Lewis, who also serves as Math Department Chair at our Anacostia Elementary Campus (AEC), will be honored at OSSE’s annual educator awards in May 2019, and she will move on to the national-level competition.

For more information on these awards, please visit their website.

Bainum Family Foundation Announces DC Prep as Partner for School-Based Mental Health Initiative

As part of its $4.1 million commitment to expand school-based mental health in the District of Columbia — a commitment that aims to add 2,000 wrap-around support seats in Wards 7 and 8 by 2020 to increase students’ social-emotional well-being — the Bainum Family Foundation today announced the four partner schools that will participate in its new Community of Practice.

These elementary and middle schools, all located in and/or serving Wards 7 and 8, will receive three years of training and technical assistance to strengthen universal prevention efforts, integrate academic and social-emotional data for decision-making, and coordinate resources between the school, families and community as each school implements the best practices that fit its unique needs and evaluates outcomes. The work is being conducted by the Foundation in partnership with the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS), part of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

“We appreciate the enthusiasm and record of innovation these schools bring to this initiative and our broader efforts to advance the field of school-based mental health,” says Nisha Sachdev, DrPH, PsyD, the Foundation’s Senior Director of Evaluation.

According to Olga Acosta Price, PhD, Director of CHHCS and founding director of the District’s long-standing School Mental Health Program, children and families in low-income D.C. neighborhoods have an elevated need for mental health services due to the stress factors that result from living in poverty, coupled with low availability of resources (clinics and practitioners) in their communities. Further, available services in D.C. focus largely on treatment for high-need children rather than early identification and prevention for all children.

“We will help the partner schools adopt the most effective practices known in the field, build their capacity to serve more children and families, and increase the likelihood that these school-based mental health supports will be sustained over time,” says Acosta Price, who also is part of the District’s current working group on school-based mental health.

“DC Prep is deeply committed to success for every student. We have been focused on building and refining our social supports for students and have already benefited from work with the Bainum Family Foundation as they have developed this critical initiative,” says Emily Lawson, Founder and CEO of DC Prep. “We know that school-based mental health services, grounded in current research, can have an outsized impact on children’s abilities to develop healthy social-emotional coping strategies and to build life-long resilience. We are honored to participate in the Foundation’s Community of Practice and excited about working with colleagues to identify the practices that lead to positive outcomes for our students.”

According to Barbara Bainum, Chair of the Board, CEO and President of the Foundation, the school-based mental health initiative is characteristic of the way the Foundation works to improve the quality and availability of resources for children living in poverty.

“In order for children to thrive and to succeed in both school and life, it’s critical to address their social and emotional needs along with their cognitive and physical development,” she says. “That’s why school-based mental health is a key element of our Wrap-Around Support strategy. The Community of Practice is a crucial demonstration project that will help us understand the most effective ways to deliver these services through schools, and that’s information we will share with educators and the mental health field to benefit other children, families and schools.”

The Bainum Family Foundation combines proven expertise with a passion for supporting the whole child by providing integrated services to help them thrive. Our circle of collaboration includes investments and support in early learning, wrap-around services and knowledge building. Founded in 1968 by Stewart and Jane Bainum, the Foundation has helped underserved children exit poverty through high-quality educational programs and services for 50 years. For more information, visit bainumfdn.org.

Honored Recognizes Julie Moeller with National Award!

Honored, a national non-profit organization that recognizes exceptional educators and partners with world-class writers to tell their stories, has named Julie Moeller, Edgewood Middle’s Director of High School Placement, as its June Honoree. Ms. Moeller’s talent and unwavering commitment to her students is told through the story of Calvin Carmichael, a DC Prep graduate who she coached, championed, and cheered on throughout his search for the right-fit high school, ultimately choosing Choate Rosemary Hall, one of the nation’s most prestigious boarding schools. But Calvin’s story is not unique. Moeller brings the same dedication and care that are evident in Calvin’s story to all of her students, ensuring the very best next school for each DC Prep graduate.

As part of her award, Moeller received a $5,000 cash award and a $1,000 DonorsChoose.org gift card. Award-winning journalist and author Peter Bergen, a contributor to CNN and Vice President at New America, wrote the profile.

Read more about Julie and her incredible work with Calvin here: www.honored.org/honoree/julie-moeller.

For more on our high school placement and alumni support program, click here.

DC Prep Students Participate in National Walkout Day

On March 14th, DC Prep students lent their voices and actions to National Walkout Day, participating in a series of activities and lessons to advocate for action on gun control and gun violence across the country.

Given the importance of this issue to our students’ safety, and as a tool to underscore the value and potential impact of students advocating for important issues, DC Prep campuses coordinated brief walkouts or teach-ins as deemed appropriate for the age level of our students.

At Benning Middle and Edgewood Middle, the community conducted a scheduled walk out, incorporating student speeches and signs created during their advisory periods. All elementary campuses conducted a “teach-in” as an alternative way to show support, addressing the topic of kindness with lesson plans written by our clinical team.

We also recognize that while the shootings like the one in Florida are tragic, for our students, the issue of gun violence is also directly tied to their safe passage to and from school. In the past year, there have been shootings near some of our students while they were at track practice at the Edgewood Recreation Center, as well as those which happened at 16th and V SE in January during the school day, and others. These events tend to get little attention or response from our city or national officials. In our March 14 demonstrations, we worked to make the connection between some of our students’ experiences and the national debate.

DC Prep stands with our students in demanding progress on gun control. Our children deserve safe communities, and we believe it is time everyone takes steps to make that possible. It is time to listen.

Education Leaders Release Joint Statement on President Trump’s FY19 Budget Proposal

DC Prep has joined a number of other education organizations in releasing the following statement on President Trump’s FY19 budget proposal.

“We also want to underscore the importance of increases to higher education funding for first-generation college students. We are grateful that the President’s budget request maintains the overall investment and maximum grant award for Pell Grants, however this amount still represents a small fraction of the average college tuition in the US. We also applaud that the President’s budget proposes common sense policy changes to modernize the Federal Work-Study by more closely targeting these funds to Pell-eligible students and ensuring that opportunities are career or academically relevant. And at the same time, we are concerned with funding cuts proposed to the Federal Work-Study program which prevent these much-needed reforms from being fully utilized by those same students. As the budget process moves forward we urge Congress to strengthen both programs through increased investment critical for ensuring that students from underrepresented backgrounds have a fair shot at a college degree.”

To read the full statement, click here.

DC Education Leaders Urge Administration to Protect El Salvador Families

DC Prep joins countless education leaders from the nation’s capital in calling for the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Trump Administration, to reverse a decision to end Temporary Protected Status for 200,000 Salvadoran families.

As leaders of schools in the District of Columbia, we value all of our staff, students and families. We value their diverse backgrounds, cultures, and voices and their contributions to our school community. Many students in our schools have been here for 12 years or more and many are citizens since they were born here. The District of Columbia is the only home many of them have ever known. While El Salvador may have recovered from the earthquakes, it is ridden with gangs and violence and has one of the highest homicide levels in the world. Returning families to this unsafe environment is inhumane and is not indicative of what the United States stands for.

To read the full letter, click here.

Meet DC Prep’s Enrollment Team at EdFEST 2017

Save the Date: Saturday, December 9th – 11AM-3PM

DC Prep is participating in EdFEST 2017. The event, sponsored by My School DC, officially kicks off the 2018-19 school year enrollment cycle. On Saturday, December 9th, from 11AM-3PM at the DC Armory our Enrollment Team will distribute information about the application and enrollment processes in the upcoming academic year, and answer questions about DC Prep’s award-winning educational model across all five campuses in Edgewood (Ward 5), Benning (Ward 7), and Anacostia (Ward 8).

This year’s EdFEST will take place just days before the official citywide 2018-19 school year application launches on Monday, December 11th. Stop by the DC Prep table to learn more about enrolling your child at DC Prep – the highest-performing network of public charter schools citywide for the past six years!

For information about EdFest, click here. For more information on DC Prep’s enrollment cycle for the upcoming school year, click here.