Today, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) announced significant improvements in literacy outcomes for DC students from birth through grade 12, following the successful completion of the District’s five-year, $16 million Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant. 

More than 17,000 DC students participated in CLSD-funded initiatives, 90 percent of whom were economically disadvantaged and 91 percent of whom identified as Black or African American. Across every grade level, students demonstrated meaningful literacy growth, including gains of up to 16 percentage points, reflecting the impact of sustained and evidence-based instruction.  

“The completion of this five-year, $16 million grant is a milestone for our city and shows what’s possible when we stay focused on evidence-based strategies that work for our students,” said State Superintendent Dr. Antoinette S. Mitchell. “Improving literacy rates – especially for students furthest from opportunity – is one of the most important things we can do for the future of Washington, DC. When we invest in literacy, we invest in the strength and success of our city.”   

According to the ​final report on the five-year grant​, students in participating schools grew 54 percent more in English language arts (ELA) on DC’s statewide assessments than their peers in non-participating schools. Other key outcomes include: 

• Early learners made strong gains in foundational skills, with the percent of four-year-olds demonstrating significant growth in oral language skills increasing by more than 11 percentage points, from 60 percent in the 2021-22 school year to more than 71 percent by the 2024-25 school year.   
• Elementary students experienced some of the largest improvements, with fifth-grade ELA proficiency more than doubling. 
• Eighth-grade ELA proficiency increased 8.8 percentage points from 23.7 percent to 32.5 percent between the 2021-22 and 2024-25 school years.   
• High school ELA proficiency rose steadily from 16 percent to 25 percent. 
• Economically disadvantaged students in CLSD schools closed more than one-third of the statewide achievement gap and outperformed similar peers by 5.1 points by 2024–25. 
• Black or African American students not only caught up to but surpassed their peers in non-participating schools, closing more than one-third of the statewide gap. 

The U.S. Department of Education awarded DC the CLSD grant in 2020 to accelerate literacy growth for DC students. OSSE used a portion of the grant funds to hold citywide literacy convenings, support intensive professional learning cohorts, and implement data-driven interventions that helped educators deepen their knowledge of evidence-based literacy practices. These efforts have laid the groundwork for sustainable improvements in literacy instruction across the city.   

Based on this progress, OSSE will expand literacy efforts. In October of 2024, the District was awarded a new $50 million CLSD award that will reach more than 25,000 students in its first year. The next phase will continue to prioritize: 

• School-based literacy plans  
• Competency in structured literacy for all educators  
• Literacy professional development  
• Literacy instructional coaching  
• Engaging families in experiences that support literacy development 

Following a competitive process, OSSE has selected early childhood programs and local education agencies to implement these efforts across the District.  

FY 2026-2029 CLSD Subgrant Awardees  

Grade Band	LEA Name	Subgrant Amount
Birth - 5	AppleTree	$1,237,489
Birth - 5	Bridges Public Charter School (PCS) with Capital City PCS	$1,336,057
Birth - 5	Briya PCS	$1,855,670
Birth - 5	CentroNia	$   954,934
Birth - 5	Multicultural Career Internship Program (MCIP) & Barbara Chambers Children’s Center (BCCC)	$2,082,287
K-5	Capital City PCS	$2,010,677
K-5	DC Prep PCS	$400,000
K-5	Friendship PCS	$5,104,810
K-5	Harmony DC PCS	$448,000
K-5	Ingenuity Prep PCS	$3,269,288
K-5	KIPP DC PCS	$3,975,191
K-5	Perry Street Prep PCS	$1,702,530
K-5	Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys PCS	$3,000,000
6-12	Cesar Chavez PCS	$2,492,375
6-12	Digital Pioneers Academy PCS	$1,582,855
6-12	District of Columbia Public Schools	$5,602,445
6-12	E.L. Haynes PCS	$2,031,341
6-12	Friendship PCS	$1,954,227
6-12	Howard University Middle School of Math and Science PCS	$1,073,990
6-12	KIPP DC PCS	$3,375,572
6-12	Two Rivers PCS	$1,181,674
6-12	Washington Global PCS	$616,017

The Bowser Administration has made sustained investments to improve literacy, including initiatives such as High-Impact Tutoring (HIT). OSSE has also advanced this work by launching the Early Literacy Education Task Force and developing the DC Statewide Comprehensive Literacy Plan to support school-based literacy strategies, convene educators for professional learning, and implement requirements under DC’s dyslexia legislation.  

As a result, DC’s statewide assessments in literacy and math show the largest increase in proficiency rates since the pandemic in both ELA and math, in all tested grades, in both DC Public Schools (DCPS) and DC public charter schools, and for nearly all student groups. 

Visit ​OSSE’s website to see results​ of the $16 million CLSD. To learn more about the second CLSD grant, visit OSSE’s 2026-2029 CLSD website. For questions, please contact [email protected].