WASHINGTON, D.C. — District students improved in both English language arts and mathematics for a fourth consecutive year, according to 2026 statewide assessment results released Thursday by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.
Districtwide proficiency in English language arts rose 2 percentage points from last year to 39.6%. Math proficiency increased 2.1 percentage points to 28.5%. The assessments were administered in spring 2026 to students in grades 3 through 8 and high school.
Participation remained high, with 95.5% of students taking the English language arts assessment and 94.9% taking the math assessment. Since 2022, the first testing year after students returned to in-person learning, proficiency has increased 8.8 percentage points in English language arts and 9.1 percentage points in math, OSSE reported.
The strongest gains were concentrated in elementary-level math and middle-grade English language arts. Among students in grades 3 through 8, 40.1% met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, up 2.7 points, while 31.8% met or exceeded expectations in math, also up 2.7 points.
High school results were less positive. English language arts proficiency among students in grades 9 through 12 declined 1 point to 37.5%, while math proficiency edged down 0.2 points to 14.8%.
More students also reached at least the “approaching proficiency” level. The share scoring at levels 3, 4 or 5 increased to 60.3% in English language arts and 50.7% in math. OSSE said every measured student group, including economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities and English learners, improved in both subjects compared with 2025, although achievement gaps remain.
Schools are expected to receive individual student reports in September for distribution to families. The District plans to include the 2026 results and student growth data on the DC School Report Card in December. Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, DC CAPE will be replaced by a computer-adaptive assessment called DC CAPE Next.
Official source: Executive Office of the Mayor / Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Featured image: Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, D.C. Photo by G. Edward Johnson, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Washington Herald
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Washington, D.C.
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