Statement from DFER-DC Director Catharine Bellinger on 2016-2017 PARCC Results

August 17, 2017

Statement from DFER-DC Director Catharine Bellinger on 2016-2017 PARCC Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2017
Contact: Catharine Bellinger, DC Director
202-361-9172; catharine@dfer.org

Washington, DC — This morning, the District’s Office of the State School Superintendent (OSSE) released the 2016-2017 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) scores for public school students in 3rd-8th grades and high school. Results show that students in the District’s public schools improved by an average of 2% in math and 4% in reading. DC Public Schools (DCPS) saw particularly impressive gains, improving by an average of 3.5% in math and 6.4% in reading, and with dramatic gains in most grades and subjects. The public charter sector saw small gains, growing an average of .3% in reading and .1% in math, with larger growth at individual charter schools. This year marks the third year of PARCC testing and the second consecutive year of citywide progress on the Common Core-aligned exam. In response to the scores, Democrats for Education Reform-DC (DFER-DC) Director Catharine Bellinger released the following statement:

“Our schools’ steadily increasing scores in every ward of the District illustrate the exceptional investment that the District has made in education reform over the past decade. By investing in talented educators, prioritizing rigorous academic standards, and creating a robust environment for parent choice in both sectors, our elected and education leaders have created an environment where great public schools and great teachers can thrive.

“This year’s progress should embolden us to fight for even greater improvement in the coming school year. Unfortunately, many neighborhoods in DC still lack access to high-quality public schools, both DCPS and charter. Achievement gaps still persist across demographic groups. We should celebrate success but also see these results as a call to do more. It’s time to double down on equity — every student, in every DC neighborhood, deserves a high-achieving school.

“Next week, DFER will release an interactive tool in partnership with EmpowerK12 that will allow policymakers and the public to analyze PARCC results easily at the ward, neighborhood cluster, and ANC levels. We believe now is the time for our elected officials to lean into the challenge of scaling what’s working and addressing what’s not in our public schools. We hope this tool will be a jumping-off point for discussion about closing the gaps in access to quality education that still exist in the District, and we look forward to partnering with our city’s leaders to generate solutions.”

###