When many districts nationwide struggle with post-pandemic academic recovery, twelve DC public schools are showing what’s possible when we combine high expectations with strategic support for our students. These “Bold Performance Schools” – identified by EmpowerK12 (EK12) for significantly outperforming expectations given their student demographics – demonstrate that with the right investments and approaches, we can accelerate learning for all students, particularly those furthest from opportunity.
As DC leaders work to create the FY26 budget, these Bold Performance Schools offer a compelling roadmap. Their success shows that when we invest in data-driven strategies, evidence-based practices, and provide schools with resources that allow their students to meet high expectations, we can create learning environments where all students thrive — regardless of their background or circumstances. In fact, if the District grows the number of Bold Performance Schools exceeding expectations from twelve schools in 2024 to sixty schools in the next six years, then DC will become the first urban city to beat the national average on the 2030 Nation’s Report Card (NAEP).
The 2024 Bold Performance Schools include both traditional public and charter schools across elementary, middle, and high school levels. These schools serve student populations where at least 30% are designated as economically disadvantaged, and, on average, their proficiency rates were 13.5 percentage points higher than similar schools. Their economically disadvantaged students met or exceeded expectations in math and reading combined at nearly twice the rate of their peers citywide.
Most impressively, these schools are improving post-pandemic at 3-4 times the District average. While DC overall saw gains of 3.3 points since 2022, Bold Performance Schools averaged 12.2 point increases. For economically disadvantaged students, the contrast is even starker — 12.7 point average improvement at Bold Performance Schools versus 2.2 points citywide.
What’s their secret? The practices at these schools align perfectly with the priorities that education advocates are calling for in DC’s FY26 budget. They demonstrate an unwavering focus on strong academic supports, with careful attention to science of reading implementation and math innovation. Schools like Whittier Elementary, which earned the “Boldest School” designation for highest performance above expectations, show what’s possible when we combine high academic expectations with strong family engagement.
These schools also excel at creating robust college and career pathways. Ron Brown College Preparatory High School, recognized as 2024’s “Most Inspiring School,” exemplifies how building strong community and focusing on the whole child leads to academic excellence. Their daily community circles and emphasis on social-emotional development alongside rigorous academics shows why continued investment in school-based behavioral health and engagement initiatives are crucial to high school student success.
Center City Congress Heights, earning the “Enduring Excellence” award for consistent Bold Performance recognition since 2019, demonstrates the importance of stable, equitable funding. Their success in retaining excellent teachers and maintaining high-quality supports for students underscores why competitive teacher compensation and equitable funding matter so much.
To us, the path forward is clear. When we empower schools to be thoughtfully innovative and “sweat the small stuff” like Bold Performance Schools do, our schools will accelerate academic recovery and create excellent educational opportunities for all DC students. Now is the time to take their lessons to scale across the District.