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How DC’s investment in tutoring, revised math curriculum is ‘paying off’

Paul Kihn, deputy mayor of education for the District, speaks at a press conference alongside DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee.(WTOP/Scott Gelman)

D.C. fourth graders made major strides in math on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress test, an achievement city education leaders attribute to investments in tutoring, teacher training and a modern approach to teaching the subject.

The city’s average fourth grade math score increased eight points from 2022, the last time the test was administered. The District ties Delaware for the largest score boost in the nation.

Fourth and eighth grade students take the test, also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” every two years. It measures student achievement in math and reading.

“Nationally, when we returned from the pandemic, everybody struggled with math,” D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said. “We’re really proud that we’re one of the few districts that has made the type of progress that we’ve seen in math across the District and subgroups.”

That progress, Ferebee said, can be attributed in part to “Building Blocks,” their revised pre-K math curriculum. The curriculum for middle and high schoolers has been adjusted, too.

D.C. Public Schools has also been hosting math competitions, and is trying to “bridge the gap from what we call old math and new math with families, so families can be more supportive with math concepts at home,” Ferebee said.

Meanwhile, the city’s other results stayed about the same when compared to 2022. Fourth grade reading and eighth grade math and reading average scores all increased by two points.

“These results inspire us to keep going,” Paul Kihn, the city’s deputy mayor for education, said.

“We have fewer students who are performing at the lowest levels. We have more students performing at proficiency levels. And we are excited that our recovery investments are paying off.”

Among fourth graders, the city’s math and reading scores are getting closer to pre-pandemic levels.

The District’s eighth grade math scores are a few points below where they were in 2019, and eighth grade reading scores are around where they were pre-pandemic.

However, there are lingering gaps between white students and Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino kids. There are similar gaps between economically disadvantaged students and those who are not.

In addition to continued investment in high-impact tutoring, which emphasizes individual or small-group sessions, city leaders said math boot camps and the recommendations from literacy and math task forces will inform future decisions.

“Across the country, where we have seen some stable or declining results, D.C. has seen upward ticks,” Kihn said. “We are very, very pleased to feel as though we are on exactly the right path. This is not a call for us to change course. This is a call for us to do more.”

D.C. separates its NAEP results into citywide data and findings specific to D.C. Public Schools. Based on 2024 results, the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students who are proficient or advanced in math was higher than in 2022.

The percentage of DCPS students who were proficient or advanced in reading remained about the same when compared to 2022.

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Scott Gelman

Scott Gelman is a digital editor and writer for WTOP. A South Florida native, Scott graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019. During his time in College Park, he worked for The Diamondback, the school’s student newspaper.

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