Statement from SBOE President on the Final Alvarez & Marsal Report on DCPS Graduation & Attendance Outcomes
The State Board of Education thanks Mayor Muriel Bowser, Superintendent Hanseul Kang, and Chancellor Antwan Wilson for releasing the full report from Alvarez & Marsal. The report shows pervasive failures by leaders in the District’s education sector to keep the best interests of students in the forefront of everything they do. For years, our graduation rate has far outpaced our assessment scores and our teachers and school leaders have felt the pressure to raise test scores and increase graduations rates. Now that we have conclusive evidence of the results of that pressure, we have a unique opportunity to address the failures and correct the systemic issues that were highlighted in the reports. The State Board will be reviewing current policies from graduation requirements to school attendance rules and, working with OSSE and the Bowser Administration, will address deficiencies identified in this report with a commitment to best practices for our students.
