The latest standardized test results for public and charter school students show another round of slight progress, with public school students outpacing charter school students on most assessments. The exam also reveals that the achievement gap between white and black public school students has widened compared to last year.
The city has been administering the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, for the past three years to track math and English skill levels for students in grades 3-12. Students who score a four or five are considered proficient in their grade levels and likely to do well in entry-level jobs and college courses after graduating high school.
Overall, 31 percent of D.C. Public School students scored a four or five on the English portion of the 2016-2017 exam—an increase of 4 percent compared to last year. Twenty-seven percent of DCPS students were proficient in math, which is a 2 percent increase from last year.
When comparing by grade, D.C. public schools had higher percentages of students who scored a four or five in English for all grades and math in grades 3-8. The percentage of charter high schoolers who are considered proficient in math is one point greater than DCPS.
“Students in our public schools continue to make noteworthy gains on PARCC, with a greater number of students each year demonstrating the problem-solving and critical thinking skills needed to be successful in college, their careers, and life,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser in a release.
But with 47 percent of DCPS students earning a one or two in English and 48 percent of students scoring a one or two in math, there’s still work to be done.
“We must continue to make critical investments in the people, programs, and initiatives that are accelerating education reform and helping all our students succeed,” Mayor Bowser said.
At-Large Councilmember David Grosso, chairperson of the D.C. Council’s education committee, pointed out in a statement that the results “tell us that achievement gaps between racial, gender, and special education groups persist. If we intend to put every child in the best position to succeed, we must close those gaps.”
While groups of DCPS students divided by gender, learning abilities, race, and economic status all saw gains this year, black students had the lowest percentage of proficient scores in English and math at 22 percent and 18.6 percent, respectively. White students had the highest percentage of proficient scores in English and math at 82 percent and 75.5 percent, respectively.
Because white students made greater gains this year compared to black students’ progress, the achievement gap in English and math have widened based on the exam results.
Grosso said that closing the gap will require officials to look both inside and outside of the classroom, including factors like trauma that “can have negative impacts on student achievement.”
On the same day as the test results were published, Bowser also announced Every Day Counts!, an initiative to increase attendance in schools as almost one in four students miss 10 percent or more school days, according to DCPS data. The effort includes a public awareness campaign to give both students and parents the resources they may need to get to school on time and often.
“Just missing one or two days a month can set our students back academically,” said Deputy Mayor Jennifer Niles. “Every Day Counts! is about getting out the right messages, rewarding progress, and working together to support every child and family in the District.”
2017 Parcc D.C. Results by Christina Elyse Sturdivant on Scribd
