Double the Numbers for College Success

Why This Report?

The purpose of this analysis is to create a knowledge base that allows the many committed DC stakeholders to prioritize and combine their efforts to help many more DCPS and public charter school students succeed in high school and college. Rather than wait for a multiyear, longitudinal study performed by academics, we have gathered the best available data on what happens to a specific group of 9th-grade students across their high school and postsecondary careers. This type of “cohort” analysis allows us to follow the path of individual
students over time.
    Although we recognize that many students take longer than five years to finish college, we have used the five-year time span for two reasons: it provides the greatest opportunity for national comparison, and most financial aid packages last this long. We hope that others will refine, modify and continue to improve this analysis. For our part, we are planning a companion analysis to better understand what happens to the majority of DC public school students who choose or end up at work or on some other pathway after high school.
    Despite the limitations of our approach, we believe the data in this report illuminate many of the critical needs of District students and point the way toward many beneficial interventions. Our research already has helped us focus the efforts of our own organizations.
    Although the current situation is not acceptable, there is a path forward.
Important improvements have been made, and many plans in place today will
create greater change tomorrow. Much more needs to be done. As educational leaders and others commit to additional initiatives, we hope that this report will serve as a platform to bring people together … and as a resource to guide the difficult choices and deep investments needed to help our children succeed.

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