Washington, D.C. students have been steadily improving their performances in English and math over the past several years, making DC Public Schools the fastest-improving urban school system in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Education. It had one of the best academic recoveries from COVID, according to the Education Recovery Scorecard, a joint initiative of researchers at Dartmouth, Harvard and Stanford.
The 2025 Statewide Assessment, which was released at the start of the 2025-2026 school year and surveyed more than 47,000 students, showed similar results.
Language arts proficiency rates increased to 37.6% in 2025, the highest the district has ever recorded. In the past few years, the amount of students who scored as “have not met expectations” has decreased. More than half of D.C. students are now approaching, meeting or exceeding expectations in language arts, and a little less than half of students have hit those goals for math.
So, why are these schools doing so well?
A DCPS case study by Education Recovery Scorecard, as well as state regulation and laws site State Regs Today attribute a variety of factors, including:
- Teacher quality and evaluation system
- Extended day and year learning opportunities
- Community partnerships such as Teach for America for underperforming schools
- Large number of charter schools
- Nearly $40 million in funding
- High-impact tutoring
- Modern facilities
- Evidence-based literacy instruction
- Programs for student well-being and belonging
Per student funding increased 75% since 2015, with higher funding weights based on student need, according to a September report from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education. Schools struggled even with high funding in the 2000s and began improving with direct oversight from the mayor since 2009.
High retention of quality teachers has been another big factor, which in turn leads to increases in students’ grades, according to the National Education Association.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average salary for teachers is $64,000. The State of Schools reports that D.C. teachers earn just below that amount as a starting salary and have an average salary of $109,802. The district’s IMPACT teacher evaluation system also offers opportunities for bonuses.
Students are able to perform better when they feel comfortable and don’t have to deal with the additional stressors of bullying and social exclusion, too. DCPS’s “Becoming” program has helped new students feel belonging with “buddies” and surveys.
