Policy center report: DC shows test-score gains but chronic absenteeism and college-readiness lag

Chelsea, deputy director of the DC Policy Center, told the District of Columbia State Board of Education on April 1 that the center’s March “State of DC Schools” report finds mixed progress across the system. She said overall enrollment ticked up to about 91,337 students and that statewide learning outcomes improved by roughly four percentage points in both ELA and math compared with the previous year, milestones the center called evidence the system is moving beyond the pandemic recovery phase.

But Chelsea emphasized that gains on interim measures have not erased long-standing gaps: about 49% of students were designated at-risk last year, 18% were students with disabilities and 13% were English learners. She said chronic absenteeism remained near 40%—an increase from roughly 29% pre-pandemic—with particularly sharp rises for some Latino and English-learner populations, and that out-of-school suspensions stayed at about 6%.

“Chronic absenteeism has climbed and it appears to be driven by multiple factors—engagement, household barriers, transportation—and it will take community supports as much as school-based strategies to move that needle,” Chelsea said.

Board members pressed the presenters on what the numbers mean in practice. Representative Henderson asked whether changes in eligibility for safety-net programs could reduce the at-risk designation and thereby shift resources. Chelsea said the center is watching eligibility rules for programs such as TANF and SNAP and suggested the board consider proxies or targeted weighting in funding formulas if eligibility thresholds shrink.

Several members also questioned whether improved test scores are translating into postsecondary success. The report found a four‑point improvement in high‑school graduation to about 79%, but postsecondary enrollment within six months declined to roughly 55% of graduates. “We’re seeing a disconnect: more students are graduating but a smaller share are enrolling in college or credential programs shortly after graduation,” Chelsea said, noting that the measure of college readiness used in the report relies on SAT outcomes and that last year’s free SAT day increased the denominator.

On discipline, presenters reiterated that restorative-practices rollouts may reduce suspensions over time but require fidelity and clearer accountability. “If restorative systems lack accountability and fidelity, suspension rates will not fall,” Chelsea said in response to board questions about bullying and severe incidents.

The presenters flagged two data caveats for board members: ward-level assessment results follow the ward of the school (not of residence), and some metric shifts reflect changes in which students are included in denominators (for example, students in nonpublic placements). They also said additional employment-and-earnings data from the Office of Education’s Employment Pathways project should provide a fuller picture of alumni outcomes.

Board members thanked the DC Policy Center for the analysis and asked staff to circulate the full report and data slides. Several members said the findings should inform upcoming work on absenteeism, discipline, and curriculum choices, and requested follow-up briefings with staff and agencies to align interventions with the patterns the report surfaced.

Looking ahead, the board scheduled related public events and asked staff to reference the report’s findings in forthcoming committee work on attendance and college-and-career readiness.