In response to long-standing problems with student academic performance, the condition of school facilities, and the overall management of the D.C. public school system, the D.C. Council approved the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007 (Reform Act). The Reform Act made major changes to the operations and governance of the D.C. public school system, including giving the Mayor authority over public schools, including curricula, personnel, and school facilities. While other large urban school districts have transferred governance of schools to their mayors, D.C. is unique because it functions as both local and state offices for many education responsibilities. GAO's testimony focuses on (1) the status of the District's efforts to reform its public school system, and (2) what the District has done to establish accountability for these efforts. To address these issues GAO reviewed documents, interviewed District education officials and interviewed principals from nine D.C. public schools.

The early efforts to improve D.C. public schools have focused largely on broad management reforms and other activities that lay the foundation for long-term improvements to the D.C. public school system. The broad management reforms included the transfer of many functions from D.C. public schools (DCPS) into the new office of the state superintendent, which could allow for more effective oversight of the District's education programs. Prior to the Reform Act, there was no clear separation of funding, reporting, and staffing between local and state functions. A new facilities office was also created to improve the conditions of DCPS school facilities. Moving state-level education and facilities functions out of DCPS is intended to give the head of DCPS, called the Chancellor, more time to focus on issues that directly affect student achievement. The management reforms also included specific human capital initiatives such as new DCPS central office personnel rules and new systems for evaluating central office and state-level employee performance. In addition, both the State Superintendent and the Chancellor are working to improve their data systems to better track and monitor the performance of students, teachers, and schools. DCPS also completed its school consolidation plan that identified over 20 schools for closure over the next several years. In addition, the school facilities office is working to address the backlog of repairs. The director of the facilities office told us that he found that school heating and plumbing systems were inoperable, roofs leaked, and floors needed replacing. In addition, he said many schools were in violation of District fire codes. To address the backlog and ongoing facilities needs, the new office undertook several repair programs this summer and early fall. The D.C. Mayor and education officials have introduced a performance-based process designed to establish accountability for their school reform efforts. This process includes weekly meetings to track progress and accomplishments across education offices. In addition, the Mayor's office required agencies to develop and follow annual performance plans. D.C. Department of Education officials told us that they review the individual performance plans of District education offices, such as DCPS and the state superintendent's office, to ensure they are aligned and not working at cross-purposes. However, the department has yet to develop a long-term districtwide education strategy that could integrate the work of these offices, even though it included the development of such a strategy in its 2007-2008 performance plan. While developing a strategic plan takes time, it is useful for entities undergoing a major transformation, such as the D.C. public school system. A strategic plan helps organizations look across the goals of multiple offices and identify if they are aligned and connected or working at cross-purposes. Without a plan that sets priorities over time, implementation goals, and timelines, it may be difficult to measure progress over time and determine if the District is truly achieving success. In addition, given that leadership changes, a strategic plan would provide a road map for future District leaders by explaining the steps taken, or not taken, and why.

Status Legend:

Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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• Open
• Closed - implemented
• Closed - not implemented

Recommendations for Executive Action

Recommendation: To help ensure the long-term success of the District's transformation of its public school system, the Mayor should direct the D.C. Department of Education to develop a long-term districtwide education strategic plan. The strategic plan should include certain key elements including a mission or vision statement, long-term goals and priorities, and approaches and time frames for assessing progress and achieving goals. It may also include a description of the relationship between the long-term strategic and annual performance goals. In addition, the strategic plan should describe how coordination is to occur among the District's education offices.

Agency Affected: District of Columbia: Executive Office of the Mayor

Status: Open

Comments: The Deputy Mayor of Education's Office is in the process of developing a statewide, strategic education and youth development plan. Per the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Support Act of 2009, the office has to develop and submit the plan to the D.C. Council by September 30, 2010 for approval. The act specified that, among other things, the plan shall include a clearly articulated vision statement for children and youth from zero to 24 years of age; goals and operational priorities; an assessment of needs; and an operational framework that provides for shared accountability, community involvement, and coordination. In February 2010, the Deputy Mayor of Education's office submitted a framework - outlining its process for creating the education and youth development plan - to the D.C. Council. According to the framework, a primary goal of this process will be to develop recommendations that will identify common areas of alignment between the existing strategic plans across the various D.C. government agencies and identify gaps where additional policy or regulation may be required. Existing strategic plans include the state-level, five-year education strategic plan from the state superintendent's office and the State Board of Education; the five-year action plan from D.C. public schools (DCPS); and the master facilities plan from the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization. The state-level strategic plan, which was released in October 2008, spans early childhood and kindergarten through grade 12 education (including public charter schools). The plan was developed with stakeholder involvement throughout the process and includes many key elements of an effective strategic plan such as the inclusion of objectives that delineate how the state superintendent's office intends to attain each of its goals. The short-term objectives are supported by various strategies, objective measures, and performance targets. The DCPS 5-year action plan (a working draft of which was released in April 2009) outlines the organization's vision and goals, and includes many elements of an effective strategic plan. For example, the plan explains how DCPS's six broad goals are interrelated and how they support the vision. The master facilities plan, released in April 2010, outlines a plan of targeted improvements in every school over the next five years.