District of Columbia

College and Career Ready Definitions

College and career readiness is “the level of preparation a student needs in order to enroll and succeed―without remediation―in a credit bearing course at a postsecondary institution that offers a baccalaureate degree or transfer to a baccalaureate program, or in a high-quality certificate program that enables students to enter a career pathway with potential future advancement.”

Citation:

District of Columbia. (2012). ESEA flexibility request. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/esea-flexibility/flex-renewal/dcren...

Accountability Metrics
  • Student achievement status on state tests
  • Student growth on state tests
  • Four-year graduation rate

Source: Center for American Progress. (2016). Explore the Data for ‘Making the Grade’. Retrieved from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/news/2016/05/19/137455...

College and Career Ready Reporting Metrics
State School Report Card1
NAEP2
 
AP scores1
“Unique school indicators” (including AP participation, students passing all courses, “DIBELS [Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills] students meeting benchmarks,” and foreign language enrollment)1
NAEP2
Grade 9 students on track1 for graduation
Attendance rate1
Truancy rate1
Out-of-school suspension rate1
Long-term suspension rate1
Five-year graduation rate1
 
Source:
1. District of Columbia Public Schools. (2016). School profiles. Retrieved from http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/
2. Office of the State Superintendent of Education. (2017). National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Retrieved from http://osse.dc.gov/service/national-assessment-educational-progress-naep
  
Dual Enrollment and Early College High School

Dual Enrollment and Articulation
The District of Columbia allows students to earn dual credit through dual enrollment courses taken at an institution of higher education. Public postsecondary institutions are not required to accept these credits (Education Commission of the States, 2015).

Early College High School
The National Council of La Raza and Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation have partnered with institutions of higher education to each provide one Early College High School program as part of the Early College High School Initiative (ECHSI). More information about schools participating in ECHSI is available at the ECHSI website (Jobs for the Future, n.d.a). More information about the University Park Campus School is available at the Jobs for the Future website (Jobs for the Future, n.d.b).

Citations:
Jobs for the Future. (n.d.a). Schools. Retrieved from http://www.jff.org/initiatives/early-college-designs/schools

Jobs for the Future. (n.d.b) University Park Campus School: An uparalleled record of achievement. Boston, MA: Author. Retrieved from http://www.jff.org/publications/university-park-campus-school-unparalleled-record-achievement

Education Commission of the States. (2015). Dual enrollment – all state profiles. Retrieved from http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbprofallRT?Rep=DE14A

Career Pathways

The District of Columbia has adopted the national 16 Career Clusters Model Framework and implements programs of study for the following Career Clusters:

  • Agriculture and Construction
  • Health Sciences
  • Hospitality and Tourism
  • Information Technology 
  • Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

For more information about programs of study in the District of Columbia, visit the District of Columbia Public Schools website.

Citations:

National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium. (n.d.). District of Columbia [Interactive map of state CTE profiles]. Retrieved from http://www.careertech.org/district-columbia

Career Exploration and Career Plans

In 2009, the District of Columbia mandated that all students in Grades 6–12 have an Individual Graduation Portfolio (IGP) (U.S. Department of Labor, 2013).

The IGP is accessible online through the District of Columbia Public Schools Web portal. The online tool provides students with a planning map, customized by grade level that outlines what students are required to complete by the end of each grade. Ongoing monitoring and an annual review process are required (District of Columbia Public Schools, 2011).

Citations:

U.S. Department of Labor. (2013). Individualized learning plans across the U.S. Retrieved from

http://www.dol.gov/odep/ilp/map/

District of Columbia Public Schools. (2011). Individual Graduation Portfolio: Pacing guide and optional lesson for guideways. Retrieved from http://www.xap.com/training/dcps/dcps_guidewayspacingguide.pdf

Alignment Between High School Graduation and State College Admission Requirements

High School and College Alignment

Subject

High School Graduation Requirements

College Admission Requirements

English Credits:

4.0

None specified (N/S)

Mathematics Credits:

4.0 (including Algebra I, geometry, and Algebra II)

N/S

Social Studies Credits:

4.0 (world history I and II, D.C. history, United States government, and United States history)

N/S

Science Credits:

4.0 (including biology, two laboratory sciences and 1 other science)

N/S

Foreign Language Credits:

2.0

N/S

Arts Credits:

1.0 (art [0.5], music [0.5])

N/S

Additional Credits:

5.0 (health and physical education [1.5], and electives [3.5])

N/S

Total Credits:

24.0

N/S

Tests:

N/S

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or ACT® -or- ACCUPLACER

Source:

District of Columbia Public Schools

University of the District of Columbia

 

 

Early Warning Systems

The District of Columbia website cites Student Support Teams as responsible for establishing Early Warning Systems and providing appropriate interventions. The level at which Early Warning System data are reported and who can access the data is not publicly available.

Citation:

Common Core of Data. (n.d.). Public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for the United States, the 50 states and the District of Columbia: School years 2010–11 to 2012–13. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/tables/ACGR_2010-11_to_2012-13.asp