SEE YOUR CURRENT SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS

Incorporating feedback from School Board Members, parents/guardians, district staff, organizational partners, and community stakeholders, DME’s

to help shape and inform the planning work. Based on the guiding principles of the project, the project team and Advisory Committee developed scenarios for public evaluation and input. The three scenarios presented will focus on the goals of the Study: providing clear assignments to schools of right based on DCPS attendance zones and feeder pathways, optimizing capacity by reducing the number of very over-utilized and very under-utilized schools, and encouraging equitable access among District s

MAJOR DME PROJECTS FOR 2023

The goals of this office are to develop and advance the Mayor’s vision for educational and workforce excellence in Washington, DC. We work to create a city where:

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY MAYOR FOR EDUCATION (DME)

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES

We believe that all families in Washington, DC are entitled to a high-quality, by-right DCPS school located within a reasonable distance that offers the fundamental and inclusive programming necessary to ensure students are well educated and supported. We believe that vibrant neighborhood schools contribute to healthy communities and neighborhood life.

We believe that families who have historically endured systemic discrimination and marginalization, including Black and Brown families, those living in poverty, learning English, and supporting students with special education needs, should have increased opportunities to access schools and programming that may fit their children’s needs better. This includes targeted access to other neighborhood schools via out of boundary seats or to citywide schools (i.e., public charter schools, citywide DCPS schools, or selective DCPS high schools).

We believe that families thrive when they know where their child has a right to attend school, there are predictable entry points to public school pathways, and there is continuity in programming from point of entry through graduation. Washington, DC has the responsibility to regularly reassess boundaries and enrollment policies that may impact future rights.

We believe that all students and communities flourish when schools have diverse student bodies, specifically racial/ethnic and socio economic, provided that schools have, at a minimum, welcoming, affirming, and culturally and linguistically responsive environments for students and families. Therefore, Washington, DC should promote opportunities for diverse student enrollment across all learning environments and all parts of the city.

A strong system of by-right neighborhood schools

Equitable access to high quality schools

Predictable and continuous access to schools

Racially and socio-economically diverse schools

Boundary & Student Assignment Study

This page is provided to share information about the project’s objectives and timeline, familiarize the public with key concepts and background, and give community members and stakeholders opportunities to provide their input to the process.

To learn more about the DME Boundary and Student Assignment Study, view frequently asked questions, and to review past engagement materials, please visit the DME website

Welcome to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education’s Boundary and Student Assignment Study Interactive Boundary Explorer!

DME BOUNDARY AND STUDENT ASSIGNMENT STUDY 2023

How infrequently a student’s zoned school is changed. Fewer changes to where students are zoned means student assignment is more stable. Frequent and large boundary changes result in less assignment stability.

The public school that a student is assigned to based on their home address that they have a right to attend in K-12.

The total number of students that a school can accommodate based on the program delivered and grades offered at the school. If a school is over-utilized, then student enrollment is greater than the school’s capacity. If a school is under-utilized, the enrollment is less than total capacity.

Public schools that do not have an associated boundary or zone. These schools include public charter schools and DCPS schools such as citywide elementary schools, selective high schools, and adult, alternative, and solely special education schools.

The total number of students who attend a school or a special program.

The sequence of schools that students have a right to attend as they progress from the terminal grade of their current school. In DCPS, there are two types of feeder patterns: geographic feeder patterns and programmatic feeder patterns.

DC public charter schools are public, tuition-free, open to all students, and do not have selective entrance requirements or geographic attendance zones. Public charter schools are independent from DCPS (the traditional public school system). The

(DC PCSB) oversees, but does not manage, the schools.

A geographic area that comprises residences that are assigned to a public school. If a student’s home address is inside a school’s boundary, they have a right in K-12 to attend that school. The area that makes up a school boundary is also referred to as an assignment area.

Expressed as a percentage, utilization is determined by dividing student enrollment (number of students attending) by total capacity (number of seats available).

Assignment stability

By-right neighborhood school

Capacity

Citywide school

Enrollment

Feeder pattern

Public charter school

School boundary

Utilization

How infrequently a student’s zoned school is changed. Fewer changes to the student’s zoned school means their assignment is more stable. Frequent and large boundary changes result in less assignment stability.

The public school that a student is assigned to based on their home address.

The total number of students that a school can accommodate. If a school is over-utilized, then student enrollment is greater than the school’s capacity. If a school is under-utilized, the enrollment is less than total capacity.

Public charter schools receive government funding but operate independently from the DCPS school system.

Students who are determined by language proficiency testing to be in sufficient need of language support at school. ELL students receive language support from a certified teacher through the ELL program.

The total number of students who currently attend a school or a special program.

The sequence of schools that students are assigned to attend as they progress from elementary, to middle, to high school. In some cases, DCPS students progress to the same secondary school as their peers from elementary or middle school. In other cases, they progress to different schools (also known as “split articulation”).

A geographic area that comprises residences that are assigned to a public school. If a student’s home address is inside a school’s boundary, they are assigned to attend that school. The area that makes up a school boundary is also referred to as an assignment area.

Specially designed instruction and other services for students with disabilities. State and federal regulations require special education services in public school systems.

KEY TERMS

As a part of the Boundary and Student Assignment Study, community members are invited to explore this interactive map illustrating the current DCPS boundaries, DCPS and public charter schools, and corresponding metrics. The map also allows users to look up their assigned schools by home address.