In shaping DC Public Schools’ five-year strategic plan for 2017-2022, A Capital Commitment, we heard from more than 4,500 students, parents, educators, and community members. Their ideas and feedback will guide our work as we strive to become a district of both excellence and equity—a place where every family feels welcome and every child is given the opportunities and support they need to thrive.
Vision
Every student feels loved, challenged, and prepared to positively influence society and thrive in life.
Mission
Ensure that every school guarantees students reach their full potential through rigorous and joyful learning experiences provided in a nurturing environment.
Values
Students First: We recognize students as whole children and put their needs first in everything we do.
Equity: We work proactively to eliminate opportunity gaps by interrupting institutional bias and investing in effective strategies to ensure every student succeeds.
Excellence: We work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable for exemplary outcomes, service, and interactions.
Teamwork: We recognize that our greatest asset is our collective vision and ability to work collaboratively and authentically.
Courage: We have the audacity to learn from our successes and failures, to try new things, and to lead the nation as a proof point of PK-12 success.
Joy: We enjoy our collective work and will enthusiastically celebrate our success and each other.
Strategic Priorities
Promote Equity: Define, understand, and promote equity so that we eliminate opportunity gaps and systematically interrupt institutional bias.
- Focus on equity across all DCPS.
- Offer programming that supports students of color.
- Prioritize budgeting and resources for students who need them most.
Empower our People: Recruit, develop, and retain a talented, caring, and diverse team.
- Infuse our values into all that we do.
- Improve teacher pipelines, especially for bilingual teachers and male educators of color.
- Strengthen school leadership development.
Ensure Excellent Schools: Increase the number of excellent schools throughout the city.
- Define a consistent standard of school excellence.
- Grow schools based on need and to promote diversity and innovation, including multilingual or magnet programs.
- Increase attendance and enrollment.
Educate the Whole Child: Provide rigorous, joyful, and inclusive academic and social emotional learning experiences to ensure all students are college and career ready.
- Support teachers in implementing the DCPS curriculum.
- Embed social emotional learning in our classrooms and culture.
- Ensure students read on grade level by 3rd grade.
- Offer new courses and extracurricular activities for middle school students.
- Expand access to college and career preparation.
- Strengthen instruction for special education students and English Learners.
Engage Families: Ensure communication and deepen partnerships with families and the community.
- Involve families and community in children’s learning, including through home visits.
- Improve our ability to communicate with and listen to families.
Goals
DCPS will use these goals to measure our progress toward our vision, mission, and strategic priorities.
Goal 1: Double the percent of students who are college and career ready, and triple the percent of at-risk and students of color who are college and career ready.
Goal 2: 100 percent of K-2 students are reading on or above grade level.
Goal 3: 85 percent of students graduate within four years; and 90 percent graduate within four or five years.
Goal 4: 100 percent of students feel loved, challenged, and prepared.
Goal 5: 100 percent of schools are highly rated or are improving.
Goal 6: 90 percent of students re-enroll and DCPS serves 54,000 students.
Resources:
A Capital Commitment 2017-2022 - Annual Updates
DCPS Strategic Plan – A Capital Commitment 2017-2022
DC Public Schools Launches New Strategic Plan, A Capital Commitment 2017-2022
Chancellor Wilson’s Community Engagement Summary
A Capital Commitment 2012-2017