(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, at the DC Public Charter School Board’s (PCSB) annual TIERific celebration, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles, and DC PCSB Executive Director Scott Pearson celebrated the city’s highest performing public charter schools.
“Over the past decade, we have built a system of world-class schools that are going above and beyond to meet the needs of our students and families,” said Mayor Bowser. “Today, we are proud and honored to recognize the educators, students, and families at our Tier One schools. These fifty-one schools are preparing students from all eight wards and across every grade level for success in college, a career, and life.”
Each year, DC PCSB evaluates the performance of every public charter school and scores each school on a scale of 0-100 in a School Quality Report. Schools scoring between 65 and 100 are classified as Tier 1 schools, indicating that they are high-performing schools. For the third consecutive year, the number of students attending high-performing charter schools increased.
“As education leaders, our job is to ensure that, all students, in all schools, across all neighborhoods have access to a high-quality education,” said Deputy Mayor Niles. “I’m proud that the number of top-performing charter schools in the District continues to grow, from early childhood to adult education, and that our schools continue to work together to give every student the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Mayor Bowser recognized leaders from the 51 Tier 1 schools, including YouthBuild Public Charter School, an adult public charter school that was ranked Tier 1 for the first time this year. YouthBuild offers students an opportunity to earn a GED and get an industry-recognized construction certificate. This year, 86 percent of the students passed a GED subject test that earned them a credit toward a secondary credential.
While celebrating the Tier 1 schools, the Mayor also recognized six individuals who received the PCSB’s TIERific Education Award:
- Student Excellence Award: Isaiah Smith, Washington Latin PCS student
- Parent Leadership Excellence Award: Anise Walker, Friendship Collegiate PCS parent
- Teacher Excellence Award: Judy Kittleson, Briya PCS teacher
- School Leadership Excellence Award: Nazo Burgy, Center City - Petworth principal
- Excellence in the Public Charter School Community Award: Seneca Scarboro of the Alpha Leadership Project which mentors young men
- Excellence in Data Practices Award: Dominique Coote, Capital City PCS data manager
“This is a remarkable achievement and is a testament to the tremendous job our teachers and school leaders do every day,” said Scott Pearson, Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board.
This year, the following public charter schools were classified as Tier 1 schools:
- AppleTree Early Learning Center PCS - Columbia Heights
- AppleTree Early Learning Center PCS - Lincoln Park
- BASIS DC PCS - High School
- Briya PCS - Early Childhood
- Briya PCS - Adult Education
- Capital City PCS - High School
- Capital City PCS - Lower School
- Carlos Rosario International PCS
- Cedar Tree Academy PCS
- Center City PCS - Brightwood
- Center City PCS - Petworth
- Center City PCS - Shaw
- DC Bilingual PCS
- DC Prep PCS - Anacostia Elementary School
- DC Prep PCS - Benning Elementary School
- DC Prep PCS - Edgewood Elementary School
- DC Prep PCS - Edgewood Middle School
- District of Columbia International School
- E.L. Haynes PCS - Elementary School
- Eagle Academy PCS - Capitol Riverfront
- Early Childhood Academy PCS
- Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS
- Friendship PCS - Blow Pierce Elementary School
- Friendship PCS - Blow Pierce Middle School
- Friendship PCS - Chamberlain Elementary School
- Friendship PCS - Chamberlain Middle School
- Friendship PCS - Woodridge Elementary School
- Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS
- KIPP DC - Arts and Technology Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - College Preparatory Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - Connect Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - Discover Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - Grow Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - Heights Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - LEAP Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - Northeast Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - Promise Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - Quest Academy PCS
- KIPP DC - Spring Academy PCS
- Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS
- Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS
- SEED PCS of Washington DC
- Sela PCS
- The Next Step/El Proximo Paso PCS
- Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS
- Two Rivers PCS - 4th Street
- Two Rivers PCS - Young
- Washington Latin PCS - Middle School
- Washington Latin PCS - Upper School
- Washington Yu Ying PCS
- YouthBuild PCS
The School Quality Reports allow families, school leaders, and other stakeholders to assess schools’ performance on several factors, including how well they prepare students for college or the workforce and improve students’ math and literacy skills as well as growth on the state assessment in English language arts and mathematics.
After ten years of education reform in Washington, DC, accelerating school reform continues to be a top priority for Mayor Bowser. In her Fiscal Year 2018 Budget, the Mayor invested $1.74 billion in public education, an increase of $121 million over last year’s budget and the largest investment in public education in the city’s history. The budget also provides charter schools with an annual 2.2 percent increase in the per pupil facilities allotment for the next four years. In addition, the new DC Public Schools teachers’ contract will provide an additional $92.6 million to public charter schools from FY2017 to FY2021.
Learn more about the 2017 School Quality Reports at dcpcsb.org/schoolquality.