D C Preparatory Academy

DC PREP IS A NETWORK OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS SERVING STUDENTS IN WASHINGTON, DC.

AT DC PREP, OUR VISION IS THAT EVERY CHILD WILL BE PREPARED ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY FOR A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE. WE HAVE BIG DREAMS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND MAKE THOSE DREAMS A REALITY THROUGH DAILY EFFORT, FOCUS AND SUPPORT OF ONE ANOTHER AND OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. DC PREP CURRENTLY OPERATES SIX TUITION-FREE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT ARE OPEN TO ANY CHILD IN WASHINGTON, ENROLLING MORE THAN 2,100 STUDENTS IN GRADES PRESCHOOL THROUGH 8TH GRADE. HISTORICALLY, 89% OF DC PREP STUDENTS ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND 7% ARE HISPANIC; OVER 80% OF STUDENTS LIVE IN POVERTY, AS MEASURED BY ELIGIBILITY FOR FREE/REDUCED PRICE MEALS.DC PREP HAS A TWIN FOCUS ON HIGH QUALITY ACADEMICS AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL GROWTH. DURING OUR 20 YEARS AS A CHARTER NETWORK, WE HAVE ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT RESULTS ACROSS THREE KEY AREAS: QUALITY REPORTS, OSSE REPORT CARDS, AND ALUMNI SUCCESS. EACH YEAR, THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD ISSUES AN OVERALL RANKING OF SCHOOLS' ACADEMIC AND CULTURE PROGRESS, RANKING EACH SCHOOL BETWEEN TIER 1 (THE HIGHEST) AND TIER 3 (THE LOWEST). ALL FIVE DC PREP CAMPUSES EARNED A TIER 1 RANKING ON THE 2019 SCHOOL QUALITY REPORTS, THE HIGHEST RANKING. ADDITIONALLY, AEC RECEIVED ONE OF THE HIGHEST SCORES IN THE CITY. THE DC OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION RELEASES AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL PERFORMANCE. THIS SERVES AS A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF HOW SCHOOLS ARE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR OVERALL SUCCESS. IN ITS INAUGURAL YEAR, OSSE AWARDED ALL ELIGIBLE DC PREP CAMPUSES FOUR STARS. ALL DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS MUST UNDERGO THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS EVERY FIVE YEARS TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR OPERATION IN THE CITY. THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS IS CONDUCTED BY AN INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTY ACCREDITATION ORGANIZATION TO EVALUATE AN LEA'S PERFORMANCE AGAINST A NUMBER OF PERFORMANCE STANDARDS EVALUATING LEADERSHIP, LEARNING, AND RESOURCE CAPACITY. IN ITS MOST RECENT ACCREDITATION REVIEW BY COGNIA, DC PREP EARNED AN INDEX OF EDUCATION QUALITY (IEQ) SCORE OF 387 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 400 POINTS. THE FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE OF INSTITUTIONS IN COGNIA'S ACCREDITATION NETWORK IS 278-283.DC PREP IS COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR ALUMNI IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THROUGH COLLEGE AND CAREER. OUR GOAL IS FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO MOVE TO AND THROUGH A STRONG POST-SECONDARY PATHWAY AND INTO AN INTEREST-ALIGNED CAREER THAT ALLOWS FOR ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY. PREPNEXT SUPPORTS ALL DC PREP ALUMNI FOR 10 YEARS AFTER 8TH-GRADE GRADUATION THROUGHOUT THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEYS AND THE START OF THEIR CAREERS, FOCUSING ESPECIALLY ON TIMES OF TRANSITION: 8TH TO 9TH GRADE, HIGH SCHOOL TO HIGHER EDUCATION, AND SCHOOL TO CAREER. EVERY DC PREP 8TH GRADE GRADUATE (600+) HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY A COLLEGE-PREP HIGH SCHOOL, WITH OVER TWO-THIRDS OFFERED ADMISSION TO SELECTIVE SCHOOLS INCLUDING BENJAMIN BANNEKER, CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL, THE FIELD SCHOOL, GEORGETOWN PREP, THE HILL SCHOOL, MARET, PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY, ST. ALBANS, SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL, AND SCHOOL WITHOUT WALLS, AMONG OTHERS. OUR STUDENTS HAVE GONE ON TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 95%, SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE DCPS AVERAGE OF 74% AND THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 84%. IN ADDITION, OF OUR ALUMNI WHO MATRICULATED TO COLLEGE, 42% SINCE 2007 AND 65% OF THE COLLEGE MATRICULANTS FROM OUR MOST RECENT CLASS HAVE GRADUATED COLLEGE WITHIN 6 YEARS, COMPARED TO 55% NATIONWIDE AND 11% FOR FIRST-GENERATION, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS OF COLOR. BASED ON CURRENT COLLEGE MATRICULATION & COLLEGE PERSISTENCE RATES, WE ANTICIPATE THAT OUR ALUMNI'S COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.