“I am proud of the 2,170 graduates who in 2019 met our standards of excellence. I am also thankful to the school leaders, staff, students, and families for their hard work and commitment to supporting all students on their path to graduation, including those who may need additional time and support.

Over the past two years, DCPS has been committed to maintaining transparent and strong systems so that students, families, and the community are confident in the value of a DCPS diploma and have what they need to succeed. That includes launching the Student Guide to Graduation, Career, and College to provide students with personalized information about their path to graduation, and developing a more rigorous credit recovery program to give students another opportunity to earn credits towards graduation outside of their regular course schedule in a supportive, personalized environment.

While a 65 percent graduation rate represents a decline from the past year, I am confident that our graduates are more prepared for college and career:

• For the fourth consecutive year, DCPS students made gains on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) across most grade levels and student groups.
• After a decade of progress on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), DCPS continues to be the fastest improving urban school district in three of the four categories.
• Last school year, DCPS’ overall pass rates on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, which qualify for course credits at many college and universities, improved for the ninth consecutive year and reached more than 40 percent for the first time. From Ballou High School in Ward 8 to Roosevelt High School in Ward 4, we saw our students excel on their AP exams.
• DCPS’ Class of 2018 had a 55 percent college enrollment rate^[PDF], the highest fall enrollment rate since 2010, as a result of increased early exposure to college, our school-based College and Career Coordinators, and stronger levels of academic preparation.

In our strategic plan, A Capital Commitment, DCPS made a commitment to equity and excellence, and we continue to strive toward our goal of increasing the number of students – especially students furthest from opportunity – who are college and career ready. We have more work to do and I remain focused on providing a great school in every neighborhood at every grade level to set every student up for post-secondary success.”

Learn more about DCPS’ supports for students on their path to graduation, career, and college.^[PDF]