Contact: Melissa Salmanowitz | 202.535.1096

Today, DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson unveiled new scorecards for all DCPS schools that will give the public unprecedented access to school information and data, such as academic performance and progress, safety, and community satisfaction.

New information, such as Advanced Placement data, college enrollment statistics and other indicators selected by schools to highlight unique achievements, will help families make the best decisions for their children and allow community members to track progress. 

The scorecards, available online at profiles.dcps.dc.gov and in print this week, provide a holistic overview of each DCPS school and offer an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability.  The scorecards also incorporate all the information previously available in the DCPS School Profiles launched in 2010, such as academic programming, extracurricular activities, facilities, community partnerships, demographics and enrollment.

“Each of our schools is unique and dynamic,” Chancellor Henderson said. “As District families research the array of school options available to their children, these scorecards will help them make informed choices that take into consideration a range of factors – not just location and test scores.”      

A user-friendly format allows users to view each school’s performance from year to year and compare the school to a district average of similar schools in the following areas:

• Student Performance
  • DC CAS results are displayed not just in terms of percent proficient, but also will give parents a sense of where the typical student falls on the continuum of performance;
  • DCPS Stakeholder Survey results gauge students’ satisfaction regarding engagement with their school’s academic program; and
  • The scorecard shows the retention of each school’s most effective teachers, as measured by the IMPACT evaluation system. 
• Student Progress
  • New data, produced in collaboration with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and the Public Charter School Board, demonstrate not just the level at which students are performing, but how much they’re growing relative to similar students from year-to-year.
• Safe and Effective Schools
  • More Stakeholder Survey data describe student, parent and staff perceptions of safety.
  • Attendance data is shown in the context of other data points, such as suspension and expulsion rates; and
• Family and Community Engagement and Satisfaction
  • Parent data from the Stakeholder Survey signal how well schools engage their parent communities.
• Unique School Indicators
  • Because each school has a unique approach to teaching and learning, this section allows schools to highlight their own measures of success.

DCPS scorecards give the public an accurate, annual snapshot of the life of a school, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. In combination with the online School Profiles, the scorecards are particularly valuable for families entering the annual Preschool Pre-K Out-of-Boundary Lottery. 

The profiles give users the chance to download PDFs of school information to print out; get directions to the schools they are interested in visiting; find the nearest public transportation; search for other public amenities, such as libraries; access school websites and Facebook pages; connect with the school principal; and share the information with friends and family members through Facebook.

The DCPS Office of Data and Accountability developed the scorecards over the past two years based on feedback from parents, school staff and the community. In spring 2011, draft scorecards were released to principals and other stakeholders. 

DCPS invites current and prospective DCPS families to explore the site and offer feedback through a link on the site. Additionally, DCPS will be soliciting feedback through social media, the DCPS website, www.dcps.dc.gov, and direct communications with parents related to making the scorecard more complete and accessible.