Go to Part 1 of this report, the executive summary.

Go to Part 2 of this report, an analysis of what's wrong with District schools. Part 2 is 70K and may take up to a minute to download.

Go to Part 3 of this report, an analysis of who's accountable for the schools' condition.

Go to Part 4 of this report, a look at possible solutions.

Read recent Post stories about the Control Board.

Read recent Post stories about the D.C. schools.

Find out who is on the Control Board and the School Board.

A City in Crisis chronicles the downfall of home rule.

Editor's Note: Some of these links will take you to other parts of WashingtonPost.com. Use your Back button to return to this report.

Go to Living in the District Go to Washington World

Children in Crisis: Footnotes

1 A provision within Title 31 of the DC Code allows the Board of Education to delegate any of its authority to the Superintendent of Schools. Return

2 The Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills is a standardized test administered every spring to 6th, 8th, and 11th graders. Note: A statistical problem with CTBS test scores is that not all DCPS students are tested. This is especially true at the secondary level. 85 percent of sixth graders, 79 percent of 8th graders, and only 62 percent of students in 11th grade were tested in May 1996. A school-by-school analysis of these percentages show large variations, with several elementary schools not testing one-third or more of their students and some high schools testing less than 50 percent. Failure to test such large percentages of students can skew test results and complicates comparisons between District schools as well as comparisons with other jurisdictions. The only explanation offered by DCPS for not testing all of the students was that the students were absent on the day that the test was administered. Return

3 The "Basic" Achievement Level is defined as: 4th-grade students performing at this level should demonstrate an understanding of the overall meaning of what they read. When reading texts are appropriate for 4th graders, they should be able to make relatively obvious connections between the text and their own experiences. Return

4 National Center on Education Statistics, 1995. Return

5 National Education Goals Panel (Volume Two: State Data, 1995) Return

6 These expenditures for the District do not include any cost of financing capital expenditures or the costs of the teacher pension program. It is unclear whether other jurisdictions' average cost per student includes such costs. However, these costs would add another $1,250 per student in the District. Return

7 District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority Report on the District of Columbia Fiscal Year 1996 Budget, August 15, 1995. Return

8 District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority staff analysis of District of Columbia Payroll Data, 1996. Return

9 Conversation with DCPS Personnel Director, May, 1996. Return

10 The Washington Post. October 3, 1996. Return

11 Report of the DC City Council's Committee on Education and Libraries on the DCPS Budget, 1995. Return

12 A Personnel Control Number is a unique number given to every employee to identify them and track their employment status with DCPS. Return

13 District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority. September 4, 1996 Public Hearing Return

14 An UPPS number is established by the District's Office of Personnel as the primary identifier in the District's personnel system. Return

15 See DCPS School Staffing Data, August 1996. Return

16 A responsibility center indicates the Office, Division, or Branch responsible for the budget category. Return

17 Post-readiness Survey commissioned by District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, September 1996. Return

18 Such evidence usually was in the form of a letter from DCPS' Certification Office to the teacher listing the requirements in which the teacher was deficient -- for example, having an insufficient number of college credits in a required subject. Return

19 See Rivlin Report and COPE report for further inforrnation. Return

20 21st Century Fund, 1995 Return

21 Agency Reporting Category (ARC) is the source of funding for an account or program. Return

22 Michael Rogers, spending plan meeting on DCPS budget for Fiscal Year 1997, September 18, 1996. Return

23 Activity Based Costing is a method whereby the cost of performing a specific activity (i.e., payroll, personnel action) is computed. Return

24 For more detail, see KPMG Peat Marwick's September 20, 1996 report to the Authority. Return

25 KPMG Peat Marwick LLP report, September 20, 1996. Return

26 District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 820, Pub. L. 93198 Return

27 Board President Karen Shook, Public Hearing on September 4, 1996, 26. Return

28 Board member Jay Silberman, Authority Public Hearing, August 9, 1996, 124. Return

29 Board President Karen Shook, Authority Public Hearing, September 4, 1996, 39. Return

30 Ibid., 127. Return

31 All references to Superintendent evaluation criteria are from the Superintendent's contract. Return

32 The numbering of the criteria reflects the order in which they appear in the Superintendent's evaluation form. Return

33 Rating scale: 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent) points for each criteria. Total points: 47-55 outstanding; 34-46 above average; 25-33 average; 14-24 below average; 1-13 poor. Return

34 The Superintendent's base salary is $90,704. Return

35 Board President Karen Shook, Public Hearing, September 4, 1996, 61. Return