D.C.'s Achievement Gap: Why Place Matters

Summary

This D.C. Action for Children KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot examines citywide achievement by the public school kids in Washington, D.C. It takes an in-depth look at achievement in the fourth and eighth grades. This brief also suggests that more analysis is needed to determine how place and neighborhood – where children live and where they go to school – may affect the achievement gap.

Table of Contents

• Achievement Gap by Race
• There’s More to the Race Gap Than Family Income
• How the Confluence of Race, Place and Income May Affect Achievement
• Economic Status of Neighborhoods
• Differences in School Quality by Neighborhood

Key Takeaway

Persistent Disparities in D.C.

While every child deserves equal educational opportunity, significant disparities in achievement exist among public school students in the District of Columbia.