District of Columbia Public Schools
Encyclopedia
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is the traditional public school system
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...

 of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Composition and enrollment

DCPS consists of 168 schools and learning centers, which break down into 101 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 9 junior high schools, 20 senior high schools, 6 education centers, and 20 special schools. As of 2003, the school system included 65,099 students, including 39,161 at the elementary level, 4,638 in middle schools, 5,111 in junior high schools, and 12,311 high school students, as well as 1,273 in alternative programs and special education schools. DCPS has a diverse student population with more than 112 different home languages that represent 138 different nationalities. The ethnic breakdown of students enrolled is 84.4% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

, 4.6% Caucasian, and 1.6% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...

.

By the 2005–2006 school year, enrollment had dropped to 58,000 students. In 2010 about 38% of Washington, D.C. public school students attended 60 charter schools. Some of these are overseen by the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board) and others of which are overseen by DCPS. Some families in Washington, D.C. place their children in private schools instead of DCPS schools.

Analyzing test results from the 2004–2005 school year, the Progressive Policy Institute found that 54% of D.C. charter school students were reported as proficient in math, compared with 44% of students in traditional schools. Charter students also scored higher than their counterparts in reading.

Governance

For the school year ending in Spring 2007, the DCPS was governed by the D.C. Board of Education
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....

, with eleven members, including two students who had the right to debate but not to vote. Five members were elected and four were appointed by the Mayor. The Board established DCPS policies and employed a superintendent to serve as chief executive officer of the school district, responsible for day-to-day operations. Four Board members represented specific geographical boundaries and the Board President was elected at large.

Beginning in Fall 2007, the DCPS is administered directly from the Office of the Mayor. D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty
Adrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...

 proposed putting the public schools under the direct control of the Mayor's Office upon taking office in January 2007. The D.C. Council passed the Mayor's proposal into law but since the change amended the Home Rule Act
District of Columbia Home Rule Act
The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is a United States federal law passed on December 24, 1973 which devolved certain congressional powers of the District of Columbia to local government, furthering District of Columbia home rule...

, the change needed to gain Federal approval before taking effect. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eleanor Holmes Norton is a Delegate to Congress representing the District of Columbia. In her position she is able to serve on and vote with committees, as well as speak from the House floor...

 introduced H.R. 2080, a bill to amend the D.C. Home Rule Charter Act to provide for the Mayor's proposal. H.R. 2080 was passed by the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 under an expedited procedure on May 8, 2007 by a voice vote. After three U.S. Senators (Ben Cardin
Ben Cardin
Benjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin is the junior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the Senate, Cardin was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1987 to 2007.Cardin was elected to succeed Paul Sarbanes in...

 of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...

 of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, and Carl Levin
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party....

 of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

) initially placed "holds" on the bill to prevent its consideration in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

, the Senate agreed to pass H.R. 2080 without amendment on May 22, 2007 by unanimous consent. On May 31, 2007, the bill was presented to the President and President Bush signed H.R. 2080 into law on June 1, 2007. After the standard Congressional review period expired on June 12, 2007, the Mayor's office had direct control of the Superintendent and the school budget. On June 12, Mayor Fenty appointed Michelle Rhee
Michelle Rhee
Michelle A. Rhee is a public figure involved in the American education system. She was chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools from 2007 to 2010...

 the new Chancellor, replacing Superintendent Clifford B. Janey.

No Child Left Behind Compliance

In accordance with Section 1116, a provision of the No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...

(NCLB), entitled “Academic Assessment and Local Education Agency and School Improvement", the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) of the District of Columbia oversees compliance with Adequate Yearly Progress(AYP). A large portion of meeting AYP is based on standardized tests performance, in the District this summative assessment
Summative Assessment
Summative assessment refers to the assessment of the learning and summarizes the development of learners at a particular time. After a period of work, e.g. a unit for two weeks, the learner sits for a test and then the teacher marks the test and assigns a score. The test aims to summarize learning...

 is called the DC CAS, District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System.

Many schools are failing to meet AYP, even though DCPS educators offer support and tools to students to be academically successful. DCPS has created an evaluation tool to assess schools by more than their standardized test scores. They call this Quality School Review, which uses the Effective Schools Framework to assess schools through rubrics on topics such as classroom observations, interviews with parents, students, teachers, and school leadership, staff surveys and reviewing artifacts (i.e. handbooks, student work). In 2007, Karin Hess of the The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment conducted an analysis has also gone into the alignment of DCPS standards and the DC CAS Alt, the assessment for students with cognitive disabilities.

Statistics

In 2008, in terms of testing 36% of students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics and 39% demonstrated proficiency in reading.

The average educator was paid $67,000 in 2010. A contract signed in 2010 was expected to raise that figure to $81,000 in 2012.

Schools and locations

All DCPS schools are located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, except Maya Angelou Academy
Maya Angelou Academy
The Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings, renamed from Oak Hill Academy in May 2009, is an alternative school operated by the non-profit See Forever Foundation...

 which is located in Laurel
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...

, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

.

Many of the District's public schools are undergoing evolving relationships with the central office as they seek to compete for students leaving the system for charter schools. According to school choice researcher Erin Dillon, "In its winning application for federal Race to the Top funds, DCPS, for example, touted its three models for autonomous schools: The aptly named 'Autonomous Schools,' which are granted autonomy as a reward for high performance; 'Partnership Schools,' which are run by outside organizations that are granted autonomy in the hope of dramatically improving performance; and the 'DC Collaborative for Change,' or DC3, a joint effort of some of the district’s highest- and lowest-performing schools that have been granted autonomy as a tool for innovating with curriculum and professional development. (Meanwhile, highly autonomous charter schools, a growing presence in the District of Columbia, educate almost 40 percent of the city’s public school students.)"

High schools

School Name Students* Low grade High grade
Anacostia High School
Anacostia High School
Anacostia High School is a public high school located in the Southeast quadrant of the District of Columbia.-Formation:In August 2009, Friendship Public Charter School became a partner with DC Public Schools to manage the high school. As a result, the school became known as the Academies at...

 
693 9th 12th
Associates For Renewal In Education Public Charter School (PSC)** 65 9th 12th
Ballou High School
Ballou High School
Ballou Senior High School is a public school located in Washington, D.C., United States. Ballou is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. The current principal is Rahman Branch...

 
964 9th 12th
Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
Benjamin Banneker Academic High School is a small magnet high school located in Washington, D.C., that was originally built to serve as a neighborhood Junior High School and named in honor of the African-American mathematician, astronomer, clockmaker, and almanac author, Benjamin Banneker. In 1980...

 
390 9th 12th
Bell Multicultural High School
Bell Multicultural High School
Bell Multicultural High School is a public school located in the neighborhood of Columbia Heights in Washington, D.C., United States. Bell Multicultural is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. , the principal is Maria Tukeva....

 
672 9th 12th
Booker T. Washington Public Charter School
Booker T. Washington Public Charter School
-Values:Booker T. Washington Public Charter School is a 501c3 non-profit charter high school chartered by the District of Columbia Public Schools.-School's Mission:The mission of Booker T...

 
171 9th 12th
Business & Finance School-Within-a-School Charter (SWSC) Woodson 202 9th 12th
Cardozo Senior High School  749 9th 12th
Cesar Chavez Public Policy PCS** 252 9th 12th
Choice Senior High School Program 33 9th 12th
Calvin Coolidge High School  843 9th 12th
Dunbar High School
Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.)
Dunbar High School is a public secondary school located in Washington, D.C., United States. The school is located in the Truxton Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, two blocks from the intersection of New Jersey and New York Avenues...

 
931 9th 12th
Eastern High School
Eastern High School (Washington, D.C.)
Eastern High School is a public high school located in Washington, D.C.. It educates about 350 students in grades 9 to 12. The school is part of District of Columbia Public Schools....

 
968 9th 12th
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School system, it is named for the American jazz bandleader and composer Edward...

 
485 9th 12th
Howard D. Woodson High School 571 9th 12th
Integrated Design Electronics Academy PCS** 232 9th 12th
Jose-Arz Academy PCS** 56 9th 12th
Kamit Institute PCS** 76 9th 12th
Marriott Hospitality PCS** 120 9th 12th
Maya Angelou PCS—Evans campus** 120 9th 12th
Maya Angelou PCS—Shaw campus** 110 9th 12th
McKinley Technology High School
McKinley Technology High School
McKinley Technology High School is a public city-wide 9-12th grade high school in the District of Columbia Public Schools in northeast Washington, D.C.. The school was originally an off shoot of Central High School , was called McKinley Technical High School and was located at 7th and Rhode Island...

 
800 9th 12th
Luke C. Moore Academy Senior High School 264 9th 12th
Next Step PCS** 65 9th 12th
Pre-Engineering SWSC Dunbar 147 9th 12th
Theodore Roosevelt High School 821 9th 12th
School Without Walls  500 9th 12th
Joel Elias Spingarn High School
Spingarn High School
Joel Elias Spingarn High School is a public high school located in the District of Columbia. The school is named after Joel Elias Spingarn an American educator and literary critic who established the Spingarn Medal, awarded annually for outstanding achievement by an African American.Springarn...

 
609 9th 12th
Washington Center Special Education 61 9th 12th
M.M. Washington Career High School 329 9th 12th
Washington Math/Science/Technology PCS** 292 9th 12th
Woodrow Wilson High School  1476 9th 12th

Middle and junior high schools

School Name Students* Low grade High grade
Backus Middle School 569 6th 8th
Barbara Jordan PCS** 55 5th 8th
Brown Ronald Middle School 496 6th 8th
Browne Junior High School 459 7th 9th
Choice Middle Program 15 6th 8th
Alice Deal Middle School  773 6th 8th
Eliot Junior High School 320 7th 9th
Evans Middle School 259 6th 8th
Francis Junior High School 403 7th 9th
Garnet-Patterson Middle School 327 6th 8th
Hardy Middle School  420 6th 8th
Hart Middle School 578 7th 8th
Hine Junior High School 675 7th 9th
Jefferson Junior High School 882 7th 9th
Johnson Junior High School 646 7th 9th
Kelly Miller Middle School 400 6th 8th
Kipp Dc/Key Academy** 160 5th 8th
Kramer Middle School 369 6th 8th
Lincoln Middle School
Lincoln Middle School (Washington, D.C.)
Lincoln Multicultural Middle School is a public middle school in District of Columbia Public Schools, serving children in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades....

 
397 6th 8th
Macfarland Middle School 671 6th 8th
Moten Elementary School 348 4th 6th
Options PCS** 147 5th 8th
Paul JHS PCS** 222,586 6th 8th
Sasha Bruce PCS** 88 6th 8th
Shaw Junior High School 534 7th 9th
Sousa Middle School 420 6th 8th
Stuart-Hobson Middle School 386 5th 8th
Terrell Center 32 7th 9th
Terrell Junior High School 294 7th 9th

Elementary schools

School Name Students* Low grade High grade
Barnard Elementary School 327 Prekindergarten 5th
Beers Elementary School 444 Prekindergarten 6th
Benning Elementary School 237 Prekindergarten 6th
Birney Elementary School 529 Prekindergarten 5th
Bowen Elementary School 294 Prekindergarten 6th
Brent Elementary School 295 Prekindergarten 5th
Brightwood Elementary School 503 Prekindergarten 6th
Brookland Elementary School 358 Prekindergarten 6th (CLOSED)
Bruce-Monroe Elementary School 370 Prekindergarten 6th
Bunker Hill Elementary School 421 Prekindergarten 7th
Burroughs Elementary School 265 Prekindergarten 6th
Burrville Elementary School 325 Prekindergarten 6th
Capital City PCS** 181 Prekindergarten 7th
Children Studio School PCS** 115 Prekindergarten 6th
Clark Elementary School 298 Prekindergarten 5th
Cleveland Elementary School 238 Prekindergarten 5th
Community Academy PCS** 466 Prekindergarten 6th
Consolidated Headstart 79 Prekindergarten Prekindergarten
Cook Elementary School 248 Prekindergarten 6th
Cooke Elementary School 416 Prekindergarten 6th
Davis Elementary School 338 Prekindergarten 5th
Draper Elementary School 312 Prekindergarten 6th
Drew Elementary School 313 Prekindergarten 6th
Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS** 208 Kindergarten 6th
Emery Elementary School 367 Prekindergarten 6th
Emilia Reggio 83 Prekindergarten Kindergarten
Ferebee-Hope Elementary School 314 Prekindergarten 5th
Fletcher Johnson Ed Complex 528 Prekindergarten 8th
Gage Eckington Elementary 364 Prekindergarten 6th
Garfield Elementary School 520 Prekindergarten 6th
Garrison Elementary School 386 Prekindergarten 6th
Gibbs Elementary School 528 Prekindergarten 6th
Green Elementary School 411 Prekindergarten 6th
Harris Elementary School 533 Prekindergarten 6th
Harris P R Educational Center 917 Prekindergarten 8th
Hearst Elementary School 159 Prekindergarten 5th
Hendley Elementary School 405 Prekindergarten 6th
Houston Elementary School 338 Prekindergarten 6th
Howard Road Academy** 536 Kindergarten 6th
Hyde Elementary School 172 Prekindergarten 5th
Ideal Academy PCS** 201 Prekindergarten 8th
Janney Elementary School 456 Prekindergarten 5th
John Eaton Elementary School 413 Prekindergarten 5th
Kenilworth Elementary School 379 Prekindergarten 6th
Ketcham Elementary School 413 Prekindergarten 6th
Key Elementary School 217 Prekindergarten 5th
Kimball Elementary School
Kimball Elementary School
Kimball Elementary School is a kindergarten to fifth grade school part of the District of Columbia public school system.It is located at the corner of Minnesota Avenue and Ely Place S.E.The brick building was originally built in 1950s has had two additions....

 
452 Prekindergarten 5th
King Elementary School 464 Prekindergarten 5th
Lafayette Elementary School 517 Prekindergarten 5th
Langdon Elementary School 387 Prekindergarten 6th
Lasalle Elementary School 309 Prekindergarten 6th
Leckie Elementary School 377 Prekindergarten 6th
Ludlow-Taylor Elementary 278 Prekindergarten 6th
Malcolm X Elementary School 562 Prekindergarten 6th
Mann Elementary School 233 Prekindergarten 6th
Marshall Thurgood Elementary 345 Prekindergarten 8th
Maury Elementary School 283 Prekindergarten 6th
McGogney Elementary School 434 Prekindergarten 6th
Meridian PCS** 443 Prekindergarten 6th
Merritt Elementary School 474 Prekindergarten 8th
Meyer Elementary School 382 Prekindergarten 5th
Miner Elementary School DCPS  462 Prekindergarten 6th
Montgomery Elementary School 314 Prekindergarten 6th
Murch Elementary School 484 Prekindergarten 5th
Nalle Elementary School 459 Prekindergarten 5th
Noyes Elementary School 202 Prekindergarten 6th
Orr Elementary School 407 Prekindergarten 5th
Oyster Adams Bilingual School 635 Prekindergarten 8th
Park View Elementary School 366 Prekindergarten 5th
Patterson Elementary School 324 Prekindergarten 6th
Payne Elementary School 274 Prekindergarten 6th
Peabody Elementary School 141 Prekindergarten Kindergarten
Plummer Elementary School 357 Prekindergarten 5th
Powell Elementary School 322 Prekindergarten 5th
Randle Highlands Elementary 479 Prekindergarten 6th
Raymond Elementary School 491 Prekindergarten 5th
Reed Elementary School 470 Prekindergarten 6th
River Terrace Elementary School 264 Prekindergarten 6th
Roots PCS** 57 Kindergarten 8th
Ross Elementary School 168 Prekindergarten 6th
Rudolph Elementary School 538 Prekindergarten 6th
Savoy Elementary School 385 Prekindergarten 5th
School For Arts In Learning PCS** 112 Kindergarten 6th
SouthEast Academy Of Scholastic Excellence PCS** 670 Kindergarten 8th
Seaton Elementary School 441 Prekindergarten 6th
Shadd Elementary School 191 Prekindergarten 5th
Shaed Elementary School 370 Prekindergarten 6th
Shepherd Elementary School 354 Prekindergarten 6th
Simon Elementary School 406 Prekindergarten 6th
Slowe Elementary School 471 Prekindergarten 6th
Smothers Elementary School 267 Prekindergarten 6th
Stanton Elementary School 622 Prekindergarten 6th
Stevens Elementary School 328 Prekindergarten 6th
Stoddert Elementary School 228 Prekindergarten 5th
Takoma Elementary School 445 Prekindergarten 8th
Terrell Elementary School 247 Prekindergarten 5th
Thomas Elementary School 377 Prekindergarten 5th
Thomson Elementary School 276 Prekindergarten 6th
Tree Of Life PCS** 133 Prekindergarten 5th
Tri-Community PCS** 22 Kindergarten 1st
Truesdell Elementary School 477 Prekindergarten 6th
Tubman Elementary School 635 Prekindergarten 6th
Turner Elementary School 513 Prekindergarten 6th
Tyler Elementary School 290 Prekindergarten 6th
Van Ness Elementary School 250 Prekindergarten 6th
Watkins Elementary School 475 Prekindergarten 4th
Webb Elementary School 536 Prekindergarten 6th
West Elementary School 309 Prekindergarten 6th
Wheatley Elementary School 350 Prekindergarten 6th
Whittier Elementary School 490 Prekindergarten 6th
Wilkinson Elementary School 508 Prekindergarten 3rd
Wilson Elementary School 414 Prekindergarten 6th
Winston Elementary School 555 Prekindergarten 8th

Other schools

School Name Students* Low grade High grade
Ballou Stay 538 Ungraded Ungraded
Browne Center Special Education 76 Ungraded Ungraded
Carlos Rosario International PCS** 835 Ungraded Ungraded
Child & Family Services 177 Prekindergarten 12th
D.C. Alternative Learning Academy West 33 7th 11th
Friendship PCS Collegiate Academy** 1,214 9th 12th
Hamilton Center Special Education 56 Ungraded Ungraded
Hyde Leadership PCS** 547 Kindergarten 12th
Jackie Robinson Center 14 Ungraded Ungraded
Lee Mamie 161 Ungraded Ungraded
Maya Angelou Academy
Maya Angelou Academy
The Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings, renamed from Oak Hill Academy in May 2009, is an alternative school operated by the non-profit See Forever Foundation...

 
152 6th 12th
Maya Angelou Academy Transition Center 25 6th 12th
Moten Center Special Education 87 Ungraded Ungraded
New School For Enterprise And Dev PCS** 356 9th 11th
Prospect Learning Center 103 Ungraded Ungraded
Residential Schools 349 2nd 12th
Robeson Paul 24 Ungraded Ungraded
Roosevelt Stay 268 Ungraded Ungraded
Rose School 26 Ungraded Ungraded
Seed PCS** 302 7th 12th
Sharpe Health School 222 Prekindergarten 12th
Spingarn Center 35 9th 9th
Spingarn Stay 121 Ungraded Ungraded
Taft School 100 Ungraded Ungraded
Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS** 89 9th 12th
Tuition Grant 2037 Kindergarten 12th
Village Leaning Center PCS** 397 Prekindergarten 12th
Walker-Jones Educational Center 200+ Prekindergarten 8th
Washington Latin PCS** 514 5th 11th
Young Elementary School 441 Prekindergarten 9th

*Student counts as of 2003

**Charter school

Health

In 2009, 43% of all public school students were overweight or obese. This was one of the highest rates in the United States.

See also



External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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