Thursday, August 24, 2006

Dear Parents and Guardians:

The D.C. public schools 2006-2007 school year begins Monday, when students and teachers will return to their classrooms ready to build on the solid foundation they created during the last school year. DCPS is engaged in a most challenging and exciting process -- raising expectations and holding our entire community accountable for increased student achievement. We have experienced initial success in many areas and will continue our efforts during the upcoming year with the help of a number of new and important initiatives.

Last year we implemented new learning standards in reading/language arts and mathematics. The prestigious Hoover Institute gave those new DCPS standards an A and designated them fourth in the entire nation. Hoover's survey identified which states were setting high academic standards and which were not. This year we will implement learning standards in social studies and science -- two critically important disciplines for our students. Step by step, course by course, we are redefining what our students learn, how they learn and what specific outcomes we expect of them and their teachers.

In conjunction with these new learning standards, we will implement a new assessment -- the D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System. We are raising the bar even higher for our students. We are making certain that their success is based on the highest possible expectations, and in the long term, we expect achievement rates to markedly improve.

DCPS will open the first three of five new Parent Resource Centers in the fall, one each in Wards 1, 7 and 8. These centers will serve as a source of information on DCPS and the community; help parents navigate the school system's policies and procedures; provide training, workshops, support groups and other learning opportunities; and help develop and strengthen partnerships among parents, teachers, principals, administrators and school personnel in meeting children's educational needs.

We realize that the school's influence cannot stop when the bell rings at the end of the day. With this in mind, DCPS will collaborate with other community partners to create additional afternoon, weekend and summer out-of-school programs for middle school students, thanks to an $8 million three-year grant from the Wallace Foundation. Such programs improve attendance, raise graduation rates and improve test scores. Out-of-school programs are yet another way DCPS can help ensure the well-being and success of students.

These initiatives are only part of the story of your children's success. You are the key to their learning. As parents/guardians, you are their first and primary teachers, so I encourage you to get involved in their education and in the life of their school. Let us together create for them another school year that is filled with promise and accomplishments.

Sincerely,

Clifford B. Janey