July 08, 2011

Community Letter from Chancellor Henderson 

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To the DCPS Community,

Today, we announced the preliminary results of the 2011 District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS). The results show solid growth in secondary math and strong improvements in grades 7 and 8, while secondary reading scores and elementary reading and math scores remained relatively constant from last year.

The results show continued progress throughout the district since 2007, when DC public schools were placed under the control of the Executive Office of the Mayor.

• Secondary math and reading scores have risen steadily since 2007.
  
• Every grade is performing at higher levels in math. Grades 7 and 8 went from the lowest performing grades in math to the highest performing grades.
  
• When compared to 2007, elementary scores show steady growth, with reading scores rising from 37.5 percent proficient in 2007 to 43.0 percent in 2011, and math scores rising from 29.3 percent proficient in 2007 to 42.3 percent in 2011.

I am encouraged by the solid gains made by middle school students across the district. In 2007, our seventh- and eighth-grade students were the lowest performing in the district. Today, seventh and eighth graders are making steady progress in reading proficiency and have moved to the top in math proficiency. This growth is critical in preparing our middle school students for the challenges of high school.

While progress has been steady, it is not adequate to ensure that our students are prepared for college and careers in a global market. To that end, we are committed to increasing the rigor of our academic program and the professional development resources for teachers when students and teachers return to our classrooms next month.

• DCPS will adopt the Common Core State Standards, a new set of more rigorous standards that are aligned to our curriculum, which will have a major impact on the quality of education we provide our students.
  
• DCPS will offer more high-quality professional development options to ensure teachers have the support they need for students to achieve at high levels.

Our goal is to provide our students with a public school education that is second to none. We have school staff who work relentlessly to motivate and inspire our children to reach their academic potential, and school leaders who remain committed to meeting their school’s academic objectives. But we need the focus of the entire DC community to help our children succeed.

This city is at its greatest when we pull together. We have an excellent opportunity to unite around our schools students, teachers and school leaders. I am confident that together we can do this – the children of the District of Columbia Public Schools deserve nothing less.

Sincerely,

Kaya Henderson
Chancellor