DC Student Proficiency in Math and English Plunges, Especially for Minorities

Washington, D.C., public school students’ test scores plummeted following coronavirus -related school closures and the racial achievement gap widened, according to education scores released with the start of the new academic year.

The district’s proficiency rate in math for students in grades three to 12 dropped from an already dismal 31% in 2019 all the way to 19% in 2022. The results in English language arts were not much better, dropping from 37% to 31% between 2019 and 2022 in Washington.

The most pronounced decline in math was among minority students, with black students declining from 21% to 9% proficiency and Hispanic students dropping from 31% to 17%. In contrast, white students declined from 79% to 70% proficiency.

Black students had the largest decline in language arts, falling from 28% proficiency to 20%, while Hispanic students declined from 37% to 31%, Asian students from 74% to 72%, and white students from 85% to 79% proficiency.

{snip}