Some D.C. Principals Credit Rhee for Big Gains in Test Scores

Students at Lee, in Northeast, and Sharpe, in Northwest, take an alternative assessment because many have severe cognitive disabilities, said Maria Ibañez, spokeswoman for the state superintendent's office.

Just how much of the gains can be attributed to programs implemented under Rhee and how much should be credited to former superintendent Clifford B. Janey is hard to determine, said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Washington-based Council of the Great City Schools.

After Rhee's push, principals introduced several strategies to boost test scores.

At Bell Multicultural High School in Northwest, Principal Maria Tukeva introduced a Saturday "Quiz Bowl" in which students competed on sample tests for prizes such as iPods and movie tickets. She added a "Kickball Quiz Bowl" in which students kicked a ball and got on base when they correctly answered a question.

There were other prizes for students who increased their scores on pre-tests, including a day on which they could forgo their uniforms.

The school's math scores rose by 20 percentage points and reading by 16.

"I knew we were going to make increases, but I didn't know they would be that great," Tukeva said. "I was really, really excited."

At Ballou High in Southeast, 18 percent of students reached proficiency in math, up from 6 percent last year. And 22 percent reached that level in reading, also up from 6 percent.

"Ninety-nine percent of the credit goes to the 10th-grade academy administrator," said Thomas Byrd, a member of the school's PTA. The administrator ensured that "10th-graders would get academic rigor and [be] prepared to take the DC-CAS."

At Coolidge, Burton said, teachers met every morning to tailor programs for students who were lagging. They also kept students informed of their pre-test results so that they could become accountable for making improvements. The students, he said, were constantly talking about their numbers.

As a result, he said, only 15.8 percent of math students were below the basic proficiency level -- the lowest category under the No Child law. In 2006, 49.72 percent of students were below the basic level, Burton said.

Despite the gains, however, the percentage of students who reached proficiency remains low. In elementary schools, 46 percent of students were considered proficient in reading and 40 percent in math. In secondary schools, 39 percent were proficient in reading and 36 percent in math.

At only 29 out of 101 elementary schools did a majority of students pass the math test, and at only 38 did a majority pass the reading test.

A majority of students passed the math test at 10 out of 36 secondary schools and reading at nine schools.