District of Columbia | The Schott 50 State Report

District of Columbia

Inequities in Graduation Rates

Black and White, non-Hispanic male students in the District of Columbia graduated at higher rates in 2005/6 than the national averages for each, as they had in 2004/5. The racial gap is slightly wider than the national average, as the graduation rate for the relatively few White male students in the District is further above the national average than is the graduation rate for Black male students.

The Benchmark for graduation rates of Black male students for school districts enrolling more than 10,000 Black male students is 82% (Fort Bend, Texas).

Male Students		Graduation Rate 2005/6 (est.)			Graduation Rate 2004/5
	Black Males	Black	White	Gap	Black	White	Black Change	White Change
USA	4.3 mil.	47%	75%	28%	47%	74%	0%	1%
D.C.	24,753	55%	86%	30%	59%	83%	-4%	3%

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Evidence of Inequities

NAEP Grade 4 Reading results for the District of Columbia show three-quarters of the district's Black male students reading Below Basic.

Percentages Of White and Black Non-Hispanic Male Students At Each Achievement Level (USA—2007, Urban—2005), Reading, Grade 4

Race	Jurisdictions	Below Basic	At Basic	At Proficient	At Advanced
White	USA	26	36	29	9
	D.C.	‡	‡	‡	‡
Black	USA	59	30	10	1
	D.C.	75	19	5	1

At Grade 8 two-thirds of the district's Black male students read at less than the Basic level and virtually none reach the Advanced level.

Percentages Of White and Black Non-Hispanic Male Students At Each Achievement Level (USA—2007, Urban—2005), R eading, Grade 8

Race	Jurisdictions	Below Basic	At Basic	At Proficient	At Advanced
White	USA	22	46	30	2
	D.C.	‡	‡	‡	‡
Black	USA	53	39	8	#
	D.C.	67	28	5	#

Sixty percent of the district's Black male students score below the Basic level in Grade 4 Mathematics, significantly worse than national averages.

Percentages Of White and Black Non-Hispanic Male Students At Each Achievement Level (USA—2007, Urban—2005), Mathematics, Grade 4

Race	Jurisdictions	Below Basic	At Basic	At Proficient	At Advanced
White	USA	9	38	44	9
	D.C.	‡	‡	‡	‡
Black	USA	38	47	14	1
	D.C.	60	34	6	#

By Grade 8, three-quarters of the district's Black male students score below the Basic level in Mathematics and virtually none reach the Advanced level.

Percentages Of White and Black Non-Hispanic Male Students At Each Achievement Level (USA—2007, Urban—2005), Mathematics, Grade 8

Race	Jurisdictions	Below Basic	At Basic	At Proficient	At Advanced
White	USA	18	39	33	10
	D.C.	‡	‡	‡	‡
Black	USA	54	35	10	1
	D.C.	73	24	4	#

The Benchmark for Black male students in Grade 8 Reading is Massachusetts, with 62% of Black male students scoring at or above Basic.

The Benchmark for Grade 8 Mathematics is Texas, with 63% of Black male students scoring at or above Basic.

Discipline, Special Education, and Advanced Placement Inequities

The number of out-of-school suspensions given to Black male students in the District of Columbia was equivalent to a relatively low six percent of the school district's Black, non-Hispanic male student population and the number of out-of-school suspensions given to White male students was equivalent to only one-third of one percent of the district's White, non-Hispanic male enrollment in the 2004/5 school year, as reported to the Office of Civil Rights of the U. S. Department of Education.

No Black or White, non-Hispanic male students were reported as enrolled in district Gifted and/or Talented programs, nor were any Mentally Retarded classifications reported.

No Advanced Placement Mathematics or Science enrollments were reported.