Focus on students. We believe in the potential of all DC students, from our infants and toddlers all the way to our adult learners, to learn and achieve at high levels. We believe that a critical part of our role as the state education agency is in ensuring greater equity in outcomes for our students, by accelerating progress for those who are furthest behind.

Organizational excellence. We hold ourselves and our colleagues to high expectations. We focus on getting the details of our core work right, and developing systems that will make it possible for us to sustain excellent work over time. We act with a sense of urgency, and balance this with the need to bring good judgment and make wise decisions.

Determination. We are relentlessly focused on finding solutions and paths forward, and bring creativity, innovation, and skill in navigating and addressing barriers to do so. We are committed to learning and continuous improvement. We constantly strive for a higher level of performance in all of our work.

Partnership. We strive to understand the needs and perspectives of our stakeholders, and we work in partnership with many others to support DC students and families. We are committed to working with empathy, transparency, and humility. We are mindful of the trust placed in us to administer services fairly and honestly and operate with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.

Teamwork and collaboration. We believe in the importance of diversity in many forms, and believe that it strengthens our team and our work. We value and care about each other, operate with a generosity of spirit, and inspire, challenge, push, and support each other to be our best. We are guided by mutual trust and respect, accountability to one another, and a shared sense of mission and purpose.