District of Columbia Leads the Nation in Academic Growth, Ranking #1 in Math and Reading Recovery

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 13, 2026

District of Columbia Leads the Nation in Academic Growth, Ranking #1 in Math and Reading Recovery

New national report shows significant academic progress in DC, driven by multi-year investments in instruction, tutoring, literacy, and attendance-while highlighting continued challenges following the pandemic.

(May 13, 2026) - The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) today announced the results of the 2026 Education Scorecard, which shows the District of Columbia leading the nation in academic growth from 2022 to 2025. The Education Scorecard-produced by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, and faculty at Dartmouth College-analyzes state assessment results and national data from more than 35 million students across the country.

The District of Columbia ranks 1st in the nation in academic growth in math (out of 38 states) and 1st in reading (out of 35 states) during the three-year recovery period following the pandemic.

Key findings for DC students include:

• In math, the average student gained 0.67 grade equivalents since 2022, though performance remains 0.4 grade equivalents below 2019 levels.
• In reading, the average student gained 0.34 grade equivalents since 2022, while remaining 0.15 grade equivalents below 2019 levels.
• Chronic absenteeism has improved-falling from more than 46% in 2022 to under 40% in 2025-yet remains about 10 percentage points above pre-pandemic levels.

The report credits DC's progress to sustained, coordinated, multi-year investments across OSSE, DC Public Schools (DCPS), public charter schools, nonprofit partners, and philanthropic organizations. DC received approximately $600 million in federal pandemic relief funding-about $6,800 per student, one of the highest per-pupil investments in the nation. These resources played a significant role in accelerating learning, particularly in high-poverty schools.

"DC's continued academic progress shows what is possible when students are in school consistently, engaged in their learning, and supported by strong instruction," said Antoinette S. Mitchell, State Superintendent of Education. "We work with teachers and school districts citywide and are committed to the practices that work-improving attendance, deepening student engagement, and partnering with families-so we can sustain and build on this momentum."

Spotlight: DC's Investments in Math, Literacy, and Tutoring

The Education Scorecard highlights DC as an example of effective, evidence-based recovery strategies:

• Math: The DC Math Task Force (established in 2024) released recommendations guiding new investments. The $20 million Capital Math Collective-led by the DC Public Education Fund-is supporting new math centers, high-impact tutoring for 6,000+ students, and graduate-level math credentials for up to 1,000 teachers.
• Literacy: OSSE secured a new $50 million Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant in 2024, following earlier efforts that improved literacy outcomes for more than 17,000 primarily economically disadvantaged students. More than 650 educators have completed LETRS training with incentive stipends.

• Curriculum & Coaching: DCPS implemented a new K-5 literacy curriculum and launched the DC Reading Clinic, providing real-time coaching in structured literacy.

• Tutoring: OSSE's High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) Initiative now serves more than 10,000 students across 100+ schools and community sites. A 2025 EmpowerK12 study found tutored students gained the equivalent of 59 additional instructional days in math. A 2025 Stanford study confirmed that students receiving tutoring attended school more consistently and showed greater academic growth.

• Leadership & Retention: DC's cluster model with dedicated school support and the IMPACT evaluation system helped retain 94% of teachers rated Effective or Highly Effective.

National Trends and Recommendations

The 2026 Education Scorecard also highlights national patterns:

• The national recovery is U-shaped, with middle-income districts improving the least.

• High-poverty districts saw gains strongly boosted by federal relief funds.

• The "learning recession" began before COVID, with declines in achievement starting in 2013.

• States implementing science-of-reading reforms-such as DC-showed the strongest gains in reading.

• Chronic absenteeism remains a significant barrier nationwide, with 23% of students chronically absent in 2024-25.

The report calls on states and districts to prioritize attendance, maintain evidence-based literacy reforms, expand research into social media's impact on learning, and pair high-growth "Districts on the Rise" with peers to share strategies.

About the Education Scorecard

The Education Scorecard is a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, and faculty at Dartmouth College. It provides high-resolution, district-level data to help leaders understand academic recovery across the nation.