Elizabeth A. Davis: Achievement gaps are growing in DC schools. It is time we address them.

Our city’s school systems have made tremendous progress over the past decade. There are great schools and waitlists for both DC Public Schools and schools in the public charter sector.

Yet notwithstanding the dedication and best efforts of teachers across our city, far too many students in the District of Columbia fail to reach their full potential. And despite the rhetoric surrounding the District’s performance on the two major standardized tests administered here — the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams — we have not made real progress across the District for all students. In fact, achievement gaps have grown.

Over the past 15 years of reform in DC, the achievement gap between students eligible for reduced-price lunch and those ineligible has significantly grown. Yes, all scores are up, but the achievement gap as measured via NAEP grew an average of 18.75 scale points, or approximately 105%, from 2003 to 2019.

The NAEP scores mirror results on the city’s PARCC tests, which are used for accountability on the city’s School Report Card and are a key component of the DC Public Schools’ IMPACT Teacher evaluation system. The PARCC scores show steady, albeit slow, growth across the board. However, once again, we see troubling achievement gaps growing among demographic groups.

These facts are hard to digest, but they are the facts. 

State Superintendent Hanseul Kang recently argued that by raising questions about the role of demographic changes in our city’s increased achievement, we’re doing a disservice to teachers and school leaders. We at the Washington Teachers’ Union understand, however, that failing to raise these questions — given that our city has the highest intensity of gentrification in the nation — is doing a disservice to the many District families who are being left behind.

No child’s education should depend upon their ZIP code or their success in a lottery. It is time that we are honest with ourselves and acknowledge the stark achievement gaps — whether measured by NAEP or PARCC — that plague our city. The solution and the path forward require new thinking and bold initiatives. We cannot continue to rely upon the failed “reforms” of the past decade. 

The true measure of our city is how we treat our most vulnerable; it is morally wrong to fail to invest in the students of the District of Columbia. Our current system creates so-called winners and losers, both for schools and for students. It is time that we move beyond a framework for public education that emphasizes “choice” and instead embrace one that recognizes every citizen’s right to a high-quality education. This begins by ensuring that we meet the recommended per-student funding levels, that at-risk funding makes its way to students with the greatest needs, and that special education students get the supports they require. We also need a comprehensive vision that crosses sectors and seeks to end the racial and socio-economic segregation that plagues our schools. It’s also essential that all students be screened for trauma and that appropriate services be put in place. It is time that we embrace a bold policy agenda that recognizes and prioritizes ending the achievement gaps that plague our city.

Elizabeth A. Davis is president of the Washington Teachers’ Union.

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