DC Recognized as a National Leader in Preparing Students for Post-Graduation Success

(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) announced that the District of Columbia has been recognized as a national model in preparing students for success after high school. A new, 50-state study released by the XQ Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on high school education, acknowledged DC as a leader in reimagining high school and offering productive paths to college and careers.

"We set out to reimagine the high school experience so that it is better tailored to the needs of our students and our community, and I am incredibly proud of all the people who have worked together, especially our educators, to deliver a modern high school experience to our students and families," said Mayor Bowser. "From dual enrollment and AP courses to paid internships, youth apprenticeships, and two Advanced Technical Centers where students are earning thousands of college credits and launching careers in high-growth fields, we are creating real pathways to real opportunity."

The report, titled The Future Is High School, identifies 10 policy actions to make high school more rigorous, engaging, and career-connected. With DC already having five policy actions in place and another underway, the report highlights the District as a national model in preparing students for the future. The study emphasizes the District's leadership in several areas, including creating a dual enrollment consortium to provide college access to all high school students and providing comprehensive Career and Technical Education (CTE) that includes internships and apprenticeships that help prepare students to enter the workforce and obtain good-paying jobs that allow them to support themselves and their families.

"In the District of Columbia, we are reimagining what high school can and should be - an experience that prepares every student for the future they choose - by expanding opportunities that give our young people real momentum toward their postsecondary goals," said State Superintendent for Education Dr. Antoinette S. Mitchell. "Through our Advanced Technical Centers and dual enrollment partnerships, students gain a powerful head start - whether they plan to pursue a degree or credential, or step directly into the high-growth careers that fuel our region. We are thrilled that XQ has recognized this important work to ensure that our students are prepared for the future."

The new report spotlights several areas where the District's education system is thriving:

• Defining graduate goals: The District developed a DC-wide Graduate Profile which identifies durable skills and competencies students should acquire before graduating.
• Aligning high school with college admissions: DC has expanded seamless pathways from high school to college by aligning diploma requirements with the admissions requirements of multiple higher education institutions in the surrounding area.
• Supporting community-led redesign: In February 2022, DC Public Schools and XQ launched DC+XQ, a multi-year, community-led partnership to reimagine the high school experience. Thousands of educators, families, students, and community members have come together so far with bold ideas for what's possible for DC's high school students.
• Expanding postsecondary coursework: The District offers a dual enrollment consortium to provide access to all high school students and ensures all DC Public Schools (DCPS) offer a minimum of eight Advanced Placement courses to help prepare students for college.
• Providing real-world learning: DC developed a definition of work-based learning (WBL) and provided guiding principles for WBL, including how students can earn credentials for coursework credit. The District also codified a robust definition for youth apprenticeships that includes technical coursework, industry standards, paid time, and a portable credential, helping more students build pathways to successful careers.

The DC+XQ partnership includes high school redesign efforts at six DCPS schools: Cardozo Education Campus, Columbia Heights Education Campus, Calvin Coolidge High School, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Ron Brown College Preparatory High School, and H.D. Woodson High School. The new report especially applauds innovation at Dunbar, referencing DCPS' work to provide career preparation and work-based learning as part of the educational experience.

"Building rigorous, engaging, and community-informed pathways for our young people has been at the forefront of our high school redesign work," said DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee. "Through DC+XQ, thousands of students, educators, and families have helped shape a new vision for secondary learning in our district. We have expanded access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses, dual enrollment, and work-based learning and internships to ensure every student graduates from DCPS prepared with the skills and credentials they need to thrive."

Since 2015, the Bowser Administration has increased access to college, careers, and economic mobility by expanding CTE programs across the school system. This transformation included launching the Advanced Internship Program for CTE students to participate in paid and credit-bearing internships, creating the Career Ready Early Scholars Program to provide District youth ages 9 to 13 a chance to engage in comprehensive college and career exploration programming, and developing the DC Health Care Employment & Apprenticeship Link (DC HEAL) program, which helps CTE and other high school graduates gain hands-on apprenticeships in high-growth health care careers.

In 2022 Mayor Bowser launched the District's first Advanced Technical Center (ATC), which offers high school students from across the city the chance to earn industry credentials and college credits, complete paid internships, and gain clinical experience in fields like nursing, medical assisting, and emergency medical first response. In just the first three years of ATC programming, 400 students earned an impressive 4,658 college credits, saving them approximately $3 million in college tuition. And this school year, the Mayor expanded the program by opening the new Ward 8 ATC in Congress Heights, giving even more students the chance to build careers in good-paying, high-growth professions.

For more information about the report, visit the XQ Institute website. For more information about the District's college and career readiness programs, visit osse.dc.gov/service/college-and-career-readiness.

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