D.C. Public Schools has released STAR ratings that show how the city’s schools performed during the 2018-2019 school year and most of them are graded higher than last year.
The STAR ratings reflect overall school performance, ranking each school from one to five stars. Although disparities persist among neighborhoods, with wealthier neighborhoods receiving higher ratings, the ratings show some citywide improvement.
Across all eight wards of D.C., 67 DCPS schools received a 3 STAR Rating or higher, and 34 schools received a higher STAR Rating compared to last year, according to a news release from the school district.
“We are really in a good position where there are a lot of data points recently that points in the right direction for us,” Lewis Ferebee, chancellor of DCPS, told WTOP.
A record number of students enrolled in D.C. schools this year, Ferebee said.
While most schools were rated the same or improved since last year, Ferebee acknowledged that some schools rated lower.
“We still had some schools that moved down a notch and we want to understand better how we can support them,” Ferebee said.
Ballou and Anacostia High Schools–both in Ward 8–received a rank of only 1 star. Both schools are “DCPS Connected Schools,” or resource hubs which take a “whole community approach” in giving students and their families access to employment, health, housing and more, according to the school system.
The STAR ratings are just one way that a school’s success is measured, Ferebee said. He encouraged concerned parents to visit their children’s schools and provide feedback to the school system.
“We see tremendous progress. Obviously, got a ways to go, but we believe that we’re going in the right direction,” Ferebee said.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.
