District of Columbia Public Schools: While Early Reform Efforts Tackle Critical Management Issues, a District-Wide Strategic Education Plan Would Help Guide Long-Term Efforts
Published: 2008-03-14T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: In response to long-standing problems with student academic performance, the condition of school facilities, and the overall management of the D.C. public school system, the D.C. Council approved the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007 (Reform Act). The Reform Act made major changes to the operations and governance of the D.C. public school system, including giving the Mayor authority over public schools, including curricula, personnel, and school facilities. While other large urban school districts have transferred governance of schools to their mayors, D.C. is unique because it functions as both local and state offices for many education responsibilities. GAO's testimony focuses on (1) the status of the District's efforts to reform its public school system, and (2) what the District has done to establish accountability for these efforts. To address these issues GAO reviewed documents, interviewed District education officials and interviewed principals from nine D.C. public schools.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: The early efforts to improve D.C. public schools have focused largely on broad management reforms and other activities that lay the foundation for long-term improvements to the D.C. public school system. The broad management reforms included the transfer of many functions from D.C. public schools (DCPS) into the new office of the state superintendent, which could allow for more effective oversight of the District's education programs. Prior to the Reform Act, there was no clear separation of funding, reporting, and staffing between local and state functions. A new facilities office was also created to improve the conditions of DCPS school facilities. Moving state-level education and facilities functions out of DCPS is intended to give the head of DCPS, called the Chancellor, more time to focus on issues that directly affect student achievement. The management reforms also included specific human capital initiatives such as new DCPS central office personnel rules and new systems for evaluating central office and state-level employee performance. In addition, both the State Superintendent and the Chancellor are working to improve their data systems to better track and monitor the performance of students, teachers, and schools. DCPS also completed its school consolidation plan that identified over 20 schools for closure over the next several years. In addition, the school facilities office is working to address the backlog of repairs. The director of the facilities office told us that he found that school heating and plumbing systems were inoperable, roofs leaked, and floors needed replacing. In addition, he said many schools were in violation of District fire codes. To address the backlog and ongoing facilities needs, the new office undertook several repair programs this summer and early fall. The D.C. Mayor and education officials have introduced a performance-based process designed to establish accountability for their school reform efforts. This process includes weekly meetings to track progress and accomplishments across education offices. In addition, the Mayor's office required agencies to develop and follow annual performance plans. D.C. Department of Education officials told us that they review the individual performance plans of District education offices, such as DCPS and the state superintendent's office, to ensure they are aligned and not working at cross-purposes. However, the department has yet to develop a long-term districtwide education strategy that could integrate the work of these offices, even though it included the development of such a strategy in its 2007-2008 performance plan. While developing a strategic plan takes time, it is useful for entities undergoing a major transformation, such as the D.C. public school system. A strategic plan helps organizations look across the goals of multiple offices and identify if they are aligned and connected or working at cross-purposes. Without a plan that sets priorities over time, implementation goals, and timelines, it may be difficult to measure progress over time and determine if the District is truly achieving success. In addition, given that leadership changes, a strategic plan would provide a road map for future District leaders by explaining the steps taken, or not taken, and why.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: I am pleased to be here today to present information on the District of  Columbia’s (D.C. or District) progress in reforming its public school  system. The system serves about 50,000 students and operates 144  schools. In fiscal year 2007, its operating budget exceeded $1 billion and  the federal government provided funds for about 13 percent of that  amount. Long-standing problems with student academic performance, the  condition of school facilities, and the overall management of the D.C.  school system have been well documented over the last several decades.  In particular, the academic challenges facing the District are enormous. In  2007, D.C. public schools ranked last in math scores and second-to-last in  reading scores for all tested urban public school systems on the National  Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Also called “The Nation’s  Report Card,” the NAEP has been conducted regularly since 1969 and  tracks student achievement throughout the United States over time.
In response to these critical problems, the Council of the District of  Columbia (D.C. Council) approved the Public Education Reform  Amendment Act of 2007 (Reform Act), which made major changes to the  operations and governance of the D.C. school system. The act gave the  Mayor authority over public schools, including curricula, operations,  budget, personnel, and school facilities. While other large urban school  districts have transferred governance of their troubled public schools to  their mayors, D.C. is unique because it functions as both a local and state  agency for many education responsibilities.
In addition to granting the Mayor authority over the schools, the Reform  Act also made the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) a cabinet-level agency  under the Mayor’s office and moved functions from building repairs to  administration of federal education programs out of DCPS and into two  separate, new offices. (In this statement, we frequently refer to DCPS and  these two new offices as education offices.) Given the magnitude of the  school system’s challenges and the changes made by the Reform Act, you  asked us to assess the progress to date of the reform efforts. My testimony  today will focus on (1) the status of the District’s efforts to reform its  public school system and (2) what the District has done to establish  accountability for these efforts.
In summary, the early initiatives to improve the D.C. public school system  have focused largely on broad management reforms and other activities  that lay the foundation for long-term improvements. The broad  management reforms included the transfer of many functions from DCPS  to the new offices of the state superintendent and facilities. One purpose  of the transfer was to give the head of DCPS, called the Chancellor, more  time to focus on issues that directly affect student achievement. The  management reforms also included specific human capital initiatives such  as new DCPS central office personnel rules and new systems for  evaluating central office employee performance to establish more  efficient, functional offices. District education offices have also begun to  lay a foundation for long-term improvements to schools by enhancing  student and personnel data systems, developing a plan for school  consolidation, setting academic priorities, and improving management of  school facilities. The Mayor and education officials have also introduced a  performance-based process designed to establish accountability for their  school reform efforts. This process includes holding weekly meetings to  track progress and accomplishments across education offices and  requiring these offices to develop and follow annual performance plans.  However, the Mayor’s team has not yet developed a districtwide strategic  education plan. Without such a plan, it may be difficult to coordinate the  work of multiple offices and evaluate short-term and long-term progress.  In order to assess the District’s progress in improving its public school  system and provide a road map for future District leadership and  concerned community groups, we recommend the development of a  districtwide education strategic plan.
To assess the progress of the Mayor’s reform efforts and actions taken to  establish accountability for these efforts, we interviewed the Deputy  Mayor for Education, who heads the D.C. Department of Education, the  Chancellor of DCPS, the State Superintendent of Education, and the  Director of the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (the  facilities office). We also interviewed key staff in these offices. We  analyzed planning documents that established the goals, time frames, and  performance measures for individual offices, and relevant laws related to  D.C. reform efforts. We interviewed officials with the D.C. Office of the  Inspector General and officials at the U.S. Department of Education who  monitor how the District administers its federal education grants. We also  interviewed principals from nine D.C. public schools to discuss matters  such as the status of repairs to their buildings. We analyzed recent  evaluations of DCPS and interviewed staff who conducted these  evaluations. We conducted our work from September 2007 to March 2008  in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: The problems in the D.C. public school system have persisted for years  despite numerous efforts at reform. In 1989, a report by the D.C.  Committee on Public Education noted declining achievement levels as  students move through grades, the poor condition of the school system’s  physical facilities, and the lack of accountability among D.C. agencies for  the schools. Recent reports have continued to cite these problems. In  2004, the Council of the Great City Schools reviewed the D.C. school  system and cited the continued failure to improve students’ academic  performance. In 2006, an analysis of DCPS reform efforts by a consulting  firm found no progress and recommended a change in governance to  improve student achievement and systemwide accountability.
In response to these problems, the D.C. Council (the legislative branch of  the D.C. government) approved the 2007 Reform Act, which significantly  altered the governance of the D.C. public schools. The Reform Act  transferred the day-to-day management of the public schools from the  Board of Education to the Mayor and placed DCPS under the Mayor’s  office as a cabinet-level agency. Prior to the Reform Act, the head of DCPS  reported to the Board of Education. The Reform Act also moved the state  functions into a new state superintendent’s office, moved the facilities  office out of DCPS, and created a D.C. Department of Education headed  by the Deputy Mayor for Education. (See fig. 1.)
DCPS: DCPS functions as a traditional local educational agency, or school  district. The head of DCPS, the Chancellor, is appointed by the Mayor,  confirmed by the D.C. Council, and serves at the Mayor’s discretion. The  Chancellor sets the academic priorities and the curriculum for public  schools, and works with schools in need of improvement under the No  Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA). School districts have the primary  responsibility for ensuring that underperforming schools receive technical  assistance, as required by NCLBA.
Department of Education: The new D.C. Department of Education is  headed by the Deputy Major for Education and oversees the state  superintendent’s office, facilities office, and the ombudsman’s office. The  department is responsible for planning, coordinating, and supervising all  public education and education-related activities that are under the  purview of these three offices. It also acts as chief advisor to the Mayor for  broad, high-level education strategies that involve more than one District  education office and has responsibility for bringing together key players to  determine who should take the lead on specific initiatives. In addition, the  Deputy Mayor coordinates the work, direction, and agenda of the    Interagency Collaboration and Services Integration Commission  (Interagency Commission), which serves as a high-level policy making  body that coordinates meetings with directors from children and youth- serving agencies. According to the Deputy Mayor, the purpose of the  Interagency Commission is to build consensus and set priorities for how to  best address the needs of District children and youth.
Office of the State Superintendent of Education: The state  superintendent’s office is responsible for functions traditionally handled  by a state educational agency. It develops academic standards, helps  develop teacher licensing requirements, and administers funds for federal  and District education programs. The State Superintendent is also  responsible for developing comprehensive assessments, or tests, and  ensuring that DCPS meets federal requirements for elementary and  secondary education under NCLBA. The office also oversees, among  other functions, those related to early childhood education programs and  adult education and literacy.
State Board of Education: While the Board of Education—renamed the  State Board of Education—no longer has responsibility for day-to-day  operations of the public schools, it is responsible for approving the  District’s academic standards, high-school graduation requirements, and  other educational standards. It is required to advise the State  Superintendent on policies related to the governing of vocational and  charter schools and proposed education regulations. Five of the nine State  Board of Education members are elected and four are appointed by the  Mayor and confirmed by the D.C. Council.
Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (facilities office): The  Reform Act not only moved the facilities office out of DCPS but gave the  new office independent procurement and personnel authority. These  functions were formerly performed by separate divisions within DCPS not  directly accountable to or managed by the DCPS facilities office. The new  facilities office is responsible for modernization and maintenance of D.C.  public schools. DCPS retains oversight of the janitorial services of  individual schools.
The Reform Act also gave the D.C. Council an expanded role in overseeing  some aspects of D.C. public school management. For example, the Mayor  is required to submit proposed DCPS rules and regulations to the Council  for review. In addition, the Council has gained new powers over the DCPS  budget. The Mayor submits the budget for Council review and the Council  may modify the funding allocated to individual schools. Previously, the  Council only had authority to approve or disapprove the budget.
section_title: Early Initiatives Are Focused on Broad Management Reforms and Establishing a Foundation for Long- Term Improvements
paragraphs: The early efforts to improve D.C. public schools have focused largely on  broad management reforms and other activities that lay the foundation for  long-term improvements, such as developing new data systems, a school  consolidation plan, academic priorities, and improving school facilities.  Management reforms included the transfer of many functions from DCPS  to the new offices of state superintendent and facilities. According to  District officials, moving state-level education and facility functions out of  DCPS should give the Chancellor more time to focus on issues that  directly affect student achievement. Furthermore, moving state functions  out of DCPS is intended to allow more effective oversight of the District’s  education programs. The management reforms also included specific  human capital initiatives, such as new central office personnel rules and  new systems for evaluating central office and state employee performance  that are designed to improve office efficiency. District education offices  also have begun to lay a foundation for long-term improvements to student  and personnel data systems and management of building maintenance.
subsections: section_title: Broad Management Reforms Include Office Restructuring and Human Capital Initiatives
paragraphs: As required by the Reform Act, state-level education functions previously  performed by DCPS were transferred to the new office of the state  superintendent.  This office developed a transition plan, as required by  the Reform Act, which detailed the transfer of authority and restructuring  of key staff functions and budgets. On October 1, 2007, over 100 staff,  functions, and associated funds were transferred to the office of the state  superintendent. Staff who spent at least half their time working on state- level functions, such as administering funds for federal and state  education programs, became employees of the state superintendent’s  office. The Reform Act moved state functions out of DCPS, in large part, to  provide for independent oversight. Prior to the Reform Act, there was no  clear separation of funding, reporting, and staffing between local and state  functions within DCPS. For example, staff who monitored federal grant  programs reported to the same person as staff who implemented those  programs. As a result of the Reform Act, staff who perform state-related  functions, such as monitoring federal programs, report to the State  Superintendent whereas staff who implement the programs report to the  DCPS Chancellor.
The transition plan also laid out immediate and long-term priorities, such  as federal grants management reform and improved teacher quality.  To  improve federal grants management, the State Superintendent has  established priorities and begun to address long-term deficiencies  identified by the U.S. Department of Education (Education) related to  federal program administration, including compliance with NCLBA.  Specifically, the State Superintendent has established a direct line of  accountability by having the director of federal grants report directly to  her and serve on her leadership team. In addition, to meet NCLBA  requirements, the State Superintendent is in the process of establishing a  statewide system of support that will provide technical assistance to  underperforming schools. The State Superintendent has stated that  establishing this process is challenging, given that 75 percent of D. C.  schools have been identified as needing improvement under NCLBA. The  district also ranks as one of the lowest school districts for having qualified  teachers, with only 55 percent of core classes taught by teachers that meet  NCLBA requirements for highly qualified. The transition plan identified  teacher quality as a priority area, but does not outline measurable goals for  increasing the number of highly qualified teachers.  According to the State  Superintendent, the office has started to develop a strategic plan that will  provide more specifics on its goals and objectives. Specifically, this plan  would include measurable goals such as increasing the number of highly  qualified teachers.  According to the state superintendent’s office, this  strategic planning effort will be completed in mid-summer 2008.The state  superintendent’s office also plans to revise the District’s “highly qualified  teacher” definition under NCLBA and is also considering revisions to how  the District certifies teachers to align to the revised definition.
The Reform Act also created a new facilities office to improve the  conditions of DCPS school facilities. Unlike state-level functions, DCPS  facilities staff and functions have not yet formally transferred to the new  facilities office. Although the new office took over responsibility for  modernization of school facilities (i.e., major renovations or new  construction) and facility maintenance in the summer of 2007, functions  and staff will not be formally transferred until the facility budget is  “reprogrammed” and moved. In addition, the office will oversee general  contractors who are hired for major construction projects such as the  building of new schools. The director of the facilities office told us about  400 staff (building engineers, painters, and general maintenance workers)  will transfer to his office.
The District’s broad management reforms also included an emphasis on  human capital initiatives, particularly efforts to hold employees  accountable for their work. Both the State Superintendent and the DCPS  Chancellor include new individual performance evaluations as part of their  efforts to develop high-performing organizations. Previously, performance  evaluations were not conducted for most DCPS staff, including those who  moved to the state superintendent’s office. DCPS officials told us that all  staff had received performance evaluations as of January 2008.  These  evaluation forms were based on District government-wide competencies,  such as maintaining and demonstrating high-quality and timely customer  service and using resources effectively. DCPS officials told us that these  evaluations do not yet link to their offices’ performance goals because  they had limited time to implement the new performance system.  However, they stated that they plan to develop the linkages over the next  year.  Officials at the state superintendent’s office told us that performance  measurement plans have been developed for all staff and performance  evaluations based on those plans will begin in late March 2008. The State  Superintendent has required each staff member to develop an individual  plan that includes specific goals that are linked to the office’s overall goals  as outlined in the office performance plan.
The facilities office intends to create and sustain a culture of high  performance and accountability by implementing a performance  management system that will hold employees accountable for their work  and establish a performance feedback process that ensures “a dialogue  between supervisors, managers, and employees throughout the year.”  Linking individual performance evaluations to organizational goals is an  important step in building a high-performing organization. As we noted in  a previous report, organizations use their performance management  systems to support their strategic goals by helping individuals see the  connection between their daily activities and organizational goals.
Other human capital initiatives included the Chancellor’s effort to improve  the capacity of the central office by terminating central office employees  who were assessed as not meeting expectations on their performance  evaluations and replacing them with staff who have the requisite skills.  Specifically, the Chancellor told us she needs staff who are capable of  providing critical central office services, so that, for example, teachers are  paid and textbooks delivered on time. Several principals we spoke with  told us that school staff  have spent considerable time on repeatedly  calling the central office for support or supplies, time that could otherwise  be spent on instruction. In January 2008, the D.C. Council passed the  Public Education Personnel Reform Amendment Act of 2008, submitted  by the Chancellor and the Mayor, which gave the Mayor greater authority  to terminate certain staff within DCPS’ central office, including non-union  staff and staff hired after 1980.  According to the Chancellor, this  legislation ultimately will allow her to begin building a workforce that has  the qualifications needed for a high-functioning central office.
section_title: Other Activities, Such as Developing New Data Systems, a School Consolidation Plan, and Academic Priorities, Have Begun to Lay the Foundation for Long-Term Improvements
paragraphs: Both the state superintendent’s office and DCPS are working to improve  their data systems to better track and monitor the performance of  students, teachers, and schools. The superintendent’s office is in the  process of selecting a contractor to build a longitudinal database that will  store current and historical data on students, teachers, and schools.  Currently, there is no one system that tracks the movement of students  among District schools. The new database is being designed to standardize  how data are collected from DCPS and charter schools and to track  student data, such as attendance and test scores across multiple years.  According to the state superintendent’s office, this database will help  stakeholders identify which schools and teachers are improving student  achievement and determine what instructional approaches work best for  which types of students. Education awarded the state superintendent’s  office a 3-year grant totaling nearly $6 million to help fund this effort. The  database is expected to be fully operational by 2012.
DCPS is also focused on improving the quality of student data, some of  which will be inputted into the state longitudinal database. Currently,  DCPS student data are not consistently reported throughout the numerous  data systems. In addition, the multiple systems often have contradictory  information. For example, the Chancellor told us that one system showed  there were 5,000 special education students in the District while another  showed 10,000. To address these problems, DCPS told us that they are  consolidating its data systems, eliminating duplicate information, and  verifying data accuracy. DCPS officials told us they expect the new  student data management system to be operational by February 2009.
In addition to student data systems, DCPS has also taken steps to change  and improve its personnel data systems by moving from a paper-based to  an electronic system. DCPS scanned millions of personnel files into an  electronic data system. According to agency officials, this was necessary  because the files that existed were in unorganized stacks in office closets  and not securely maintained. DCPS officials told us that they had scanned  nearly 5 million documents. The scanning revealed missing personnel  records for some staff members and, in other cases, job descriptions that  did not match the jobs staff were actually performing. In addition, the D.C.  Office of the Inspector General is currently conducting an audit of the  DCPS payroll system, to be released in the summer of 2008, to verify that  every individual who receives a paycheck from DCPS is currently  employed with the school system.
In February 2008, DCPS completed its preliminary school consolidation  (closing) plan that identified over 20 schools for closure over the next  several years in an effort to provide more resources to the remaining  schools. Plans to consolidate D.C. public schools have been underway in  recent years and Congress has raised concerns about the inefficiency of  maintaining millions of square feet of underutilized or unused space in  DCPS facilities. (DCPS is currently operating at approximately 330 square  feet per student, while the national average is 150 square feet.) According  to DCPS officials, the cost of administration, staff, and facilities in  underutilized schools diverts resources from academic programs for all  students. However, it is unclear how much long-term savings, if any, will  result from these closings. DCPS officials told us that they are currently  working with the facilities office and the District Office of the Chief  Financial Officer (OCFO) to develop long-term cost estimates. In addition,  some parents, community groups, and the D.C. Council disagreed with the  process the Chancellor and Mayor used to develop the plan. The D.C.  Council expressed concern that the Mayor and Chancellor did not present  the proposal to the Council before it was made public, and some  community members met to express their opposition to the closings. The  Chancellor provided a detailed report of the criteria used to select  schools for closure and held community meetings.  Based on input from  parents and the community, the Chancellor revised the list of schools to be  closed. The consolidation plan was finalized in March 2008.
In the area of academic achievement, DCPS has set academic priorities for  the 2007-2008 school year and is in the process of establishing longer-term  priorities. The Chancellor told us that the academic priorities will build on  DCPS’ 2006 Master Education Plan, which established key strategies and  goals to direct instruction within DCPS. The Chancellor noted, however,  that the 2006 plan cited copious goals and objectives without prioritizing  and establishing explicit time frames or clear strategies for how DCPS  would meet the goals. In November 2007, DCPS laid out its 2007-2008  academic priorities, which included key objectives and strategies that  focus on improving student achievement, school facilities, parental and  community involvement, and central office operations. For example,  under its objective to improve student achievement, DCPS identified, as a  major initiative, efforts to recruit and hire high-quality principals for  roughly one-third of its schools. According to the Chancellor, getting high- quality principals to serve as instructional leaders is a key step to  improving the quality of teachers and classroom instruction. DCPS has  launched a national recruitment strategy and plans to select candidates by  the end of the 2007-2008 school year. The Chancellor is also focusing on  longer-term priorities, such as developing a districtwide curriculum  aligned to academic standards and assessments, and providing teachers  with professional development on instructional strategies for the  curriculum. DCPS is currently working on a five year academic plan that is  to be completed by March 2008. (See table 1 for key initiative and  completion dates.)
section_title: Facilities Has Begun to Address Back Log of Work Orders and Is Developing a New Process to Respond to Needed Repairs
paragraphs: The facilities office has worked since the summer of 2007 to address the  backlog of repairs the office inherited from DCPS. The director of the  office told us that he found that school heating and plumbing systems  were inoperable, roofs leaked, and floors needed replacing. In addition, he  told us that many schools were in violation of District fire codes with exit  doors locked from the inside for security. The director of the facilities  office also told us that when his office took responsibility for school  maintenance, he found thousands of work orders that had been submitted  to address these building deficiencies that had not been closed. In some  cases the repairs were completed but the work order was not closed;  however, in many cases, the work orders were several years old and the  repairs had not been completed. In addition, the facilities director found  that most of the work orders did not adequately reflect the scope of the  work needed, and the cost of the repairs was underestimated. For  example, he told us that a work order may request repairs related to the  symptom rather than the cause of the problem, such as painting over a  water stain in the ceiling rather than fixing the more expensive plumbing  problem.
To address the backlog and ongoing facilities needs, the new office  undertook several programs this summer and early fall. Repairs were  made to over 70 schools that were not slated to undergo modernization for  years. According to facilities officials, needed painting, plumbing,  electrical, and other work were done at each of the schools. In addition,  systems were assessed at all District schools for heat and air conditioning  repairs. According to the facilities director, all schools with central air  conditioning received upgrades and about 670 new air conditioning units  were installed. The office found, however, that about 1,000 to 1,500  classrooms did not have air conditioning. To ensure classrooms have air  conditioning by spring 2008, the facilities office is planning to upgrade  electrical systems to allow installation of new cooling units. According to  the director, the office has also made repairs to school heating systems  and all schools had heat by October 15, 2007. He noted that many of the  heating repairs could have been avoided if the heating systems had  received adequate maintenance. The office found many schools where  boilers installed only three to four years ago were inoperable due to poor  maintenance. The office also started a “stabilization” program in the fall of  2007, to make improvements to the remaining 70 or so schools. About $120  million is budgeted to correct possible fire code violations and make  plumbing, roofing, and other repairs. According to the facilities director,  the work order backlog should be largely eliminated by these maintenance  and modernization efforts.
Furthermore, a facility official told us that they are prioritizing work order  requests by the urgency of the request, that is, whether it is a hazard to  students or a routine repair. According to this official, emergency repairs  are addressed the day, or the day after, the work order is submitted.  Routine repairs and maintenance, such as plumbing and painting, are  addressed by the in-house trades (painters, plumbers) while more  complicated repairs are addressed by contractors that have been “pre- qualified” by the facility office. Contracts for major repairs, such as  replacing an entire roof, are put out for competitive bid.
Finally, District officials told us that the facilities office is in the process of  revising the DCPS 2006 Master Facilities Plan, which outlined how DCPS  planned to use and improve school buildings, offices and other facilities  over a 15 year period.  According to District officials, the revised plan will  align with the Chancellor’s academic priorities and school consolidation  efforts.  The Master Facilities Plan was due on October 1, 2007, but the  facilities director was granted an extension until May 31, 2008.
section_title: D.C. Mayor Has Begun to Develop a Framework for Accountability
paragraphs: The Mayor and education officials have introduced a performance-based  process designed to establish accountability for their school reform  efforts. This process includes weekly meetings to track progress and  accomplishments across education offices and annual performance plans  for these offices, including the D.C. Department of Education’s plan.  According to recent studies of the D.C. school system, little was done in  the past to hold offices and education leaders accountable for progress.
Weekly meetings are a key component of the District’s performance-based  process and, according to the Deputy Mayor for Education, integral to how  the Mayor and D.C. education offices monitor the progress of reform  efforts. The Mayor’s meetings, known as CapStat meetings, are used to  track progress and accomplishments across all D.C. government offices.  Every 3 months, the City Administrator’s office develops a list of topics for  possible discussion at CapStat meetings based, in part, on a review of each  office’s performance plan. According to city officials, issues for CapStat  meetings typically concern agencies having difficulty meeting their  specific performance targets. These issues are given to the Mayor who  then selects which ones will be discussed. The Mayor may also identify  other issues that have emerged as immediate concerns, for example, those  related to the safety and health of D.C. residents.
At the CapStat meeting, cognizant managers provide status updates using  performance data. The Mayor then assigns follow-up tasks to particular  managers with agreed-upon timeframes. The Mayor reviews whether  follow-up tasks have been completed. This tracking provides the basis for  the Mayor’s office to monitor progress, and, if inadequate, determine what  further action is needed. For example, during the summer of 2007, a  CapStat meeting focused on school facilities. The data indicated that many  of the schools’ heating systems were not functioning. The Mayor’s office  asked the director of the facilities office to develop a plan within 2 weeks  to ensure that all schools had functional heating systems by mid-October.  Officials told us the Mayor’s office tracked the submission of the plan and  the heating system work. As previously mentioned, District officials  reported that all schools had heat by October 15.
The Chancellor and the State Superintendent adopted processes similar to  CapStat—SchoolStat and EdStat, respectively—to hold managers  accountable for their offices’ performance (see table 2 for information on  the three “Stat” meetings). The Chancellor uses weekly SchoolStat  meetings to discuss high-priority issues and what actions DCPS  department managers need to take to improve performance. Similarly, the  state superintendent’s office uses weekly EdStat meetings to monitor  progress in administration of federal grants and special education services.  At EdStat meetings, managers analyze performance data, collaborate with  program managers on remediation strategies, and monitor subsequent  performance data to validate the effectiveness of actions taken. The State  Superintendent plans to use EdStat meetings to monitor whether the  office is meeting time frames for providing assistance to schools identified  as in need of improvement under NCLBA.
In addition to weekly meetings, the Mayor’s office requires education  offices to develop and follow annual performance plans as another  component of the accountability process. These performance plans  include broad objectives, such as increasing student achievement,  assessing the effectiveness of educational programs, and coordinating  services with city agencies. In addition, the plans detail specific actions to  achieve these objectives, and key performance indicators designed to  measure progress. For example, regarding DCPS’ 2007-2008 performance  plan objective to increase student achievement, DCPS plans to provide  training for teachers to help them make better use of student performance  data. Similarly, regarding the State Superintendent’s objective to provide  educators with information needed to improve schools and to assess the  effectiveness of educational programs, the office plans to provide data  from its longitudinal database to educators to help them determine where  specialized programs are needed. The first performance plan for the  facilities office is scheduled to be in place in November 2008.
The D.C. Department of Education has taken some steps to coordinate and  integrate the various efforts of the District’s education offices. The Deputy  Mayor for Education told us that the department reviews the individual  annual performance plans of education offices to ensure they are aligned  and not working at cross-purposes. The department also uses CapStat  meetings to monitor the progress of the education offices. In addition,  according to the Deputy Mayor for Education, the department tracks the  goals and activities of city youth agencies, such as the Child and Family  Services Agency, to ensure they are consistent with the goals of the  education offices. D.C. Department of Education officials also told us  they will take additional steps in the future. The Deputy Mayor will review  each education office’s long-term plan, such as the Chancellor’s five year  academic plan and the revised Master Facilities Plan, to ensure they are  coordinated and implemented. The Deputy Mayor also told us that the  department will rely on findings from annual evaluations of DCPS to  assess the progress of the reform efforts.
Officials with the D.C. Department of Education told us they have not yet  developed a documented districtwide education strategic plan. According  to department officials, they do not intend to develop a written plan at this  time, in part, because they are addressing immediate and urgent issues.  They questioned the need for a written document as opposed to a  formalized process that would help ensure that the individual District  education offices’ long-term plans are coordinated and executed.
While developing a long-term strategic plan takes time, it is useful for  entities undergoing a major transformation, such as the D.C. public school  system. The District has a new public school governance structure and  newly created education offices. A strategic plan, and the process of  developing one, helps organizations look across the goals of multiple  offices and determine whether they are aligned and connected or working  at cross-purposes. By articulating an overall mission or vision, a strategic  plan helps organizations set priorities, implementation strategies, and  timelines to measure progress of multiple offices. A long-term strategic  plan is also an important communication tool, articulating a consistent set  of goals and marking progress for employees and key stakeholders, from  legislative bodies to community organizations.
section_title: Conclusions
paragraphs: The problems in the D.C. public school system are long-standing. Past  efforts to reform the system and ultimately raise student achievement have  been unsuccessful. The Reform Act made many changes: new divisions of  responsibility, improved oversight, and greater opportunity for the  Chancellor to focus on academic progress. The Mayor and his education  team recognized that before they could take full advantage of these  changes, they would have to revamp the school system’s basic  infrastructure. Their initial efforts, including those to create a highly  functional central office and repair school buildings to make them safe for  students, provide some of the basics for successful learning environments.  However, the Mayor and his team will need to sustain the momentum  created over the last 6 months and focus as quickly as possible on the  challenges that lie ahead—improving the reading and math skills of  students and the instructional skills of teachers.
In addition, the Mayor and his team have taken steps to hold managers and  staff accountable for improving the school system, such as holding weekly  performance meetings, developing annual performance plans, and  coordinating education activities. These changes form the cornerstone of  the Mayor’s effort to transform the organizational culture of the District’s  public education system. However, the Mayor’s team has not yet  developed a long-term districtwide strategic education plan. Given the  significant transformation underway, a strategic plan could provide a  framework for coordinating the work of the education offices and  assessing short-term and long-term progress. Without a plan that sets  priorities, implementation goals, and timelines, it may be difficult to  measure progress over time and determine if the District is truly achieving  success. Additionally, a districtwide strategic education plan would  increase the likelihood that the District’s education offices work in unison  toward common goals and that resources are focused on key priorities,  not non-critical activities. A strategic plan could also help determine when  mid-course corrections are needed. Given that leadership changes, a  strategic education plan would provide a road map for future district  leaders by explaining the steps taken, or not taken, and why.
section_title: Recommendation to the Mayor of the District of Columbia
paragraphs: To help ensure the long-term success of the District’s transformation of its  public school system, we recommend that the Mayor direct the D.C.  Department of Education to develop a long-term districtwide education  strategic plan. The strategic plan should include certain key elements  including a mission or vision statement, long-term goals and priorities, and  approaches and time frames for assessing progress and achieving goals. It  may also include a description of the relationship between the long-term  strategic and annual performance goals. In addition, the strategic plan  should describe how coordination is to occur among the District’s  education offices.
As you know Mr. Chairman, you have requested that we conduct a second,  longer-term study of changes in D.C. schools’ management and operations,  and results of these changes. We will begin that study this month.
section_title: Comments from the D.C. Mayor’s Office and District Education Offices
paragraphs: We provided a draft of this report to the offices of the Mayor and District  education officials for review and comment, and on March 11, 2008,  officials from the Mayor’s office discussed their comments with us. They  told us they support the need for an overarching strategy that integrates  the efforts and plans of DCPS, the state superintendent’s office, and the  facilities office.  They said that these offices are in the process of  developing long-term strategic plans to serve as the foundation for an  overall education strategy, and that the Deputy Mayor for Education is  committed to coordinating and sustaining these efforts.  Further, they  noted that a districtwide strategy can take many forms, and that the  Deputy Mayor’s preferred approach is to develop a formal process, rather  than a written document, to ensure efforts are coordinated and executed  as efficiently as possible.  They noted that in the past, plans were written,  “put on a shelf,” and never used.
We agree that the Deputy Mayor is taking steps to coordinate the  individual plans of these offices, and that the Mayor’s education team  recognizes the importance of taking a strategic approach to address the  educational needs of District students.  However, as we have said in this  statement, we see value in developing a documented strategy that could  help the District’s education leaders coordinate their efforts and goals, and  provide future leaders the benefit of understanding what worked, what  didn’t, and why.  While past administrations may have developed strategic  plans and not used them, what is unknown is whether these plans could  have been of value if they had been used. The current administration’s  development and implementation of an articulated documented strategy  could provide a foundation that would help coordinate future efforts.
Mr. Chairman, this completes my prepared statement. I would be happy to  respond to any questions you or other Members of the Subcommittee may  have.
section_title: GAO Contacts
paragraphs: For further information regarding this testimony, please contact me at  (202) 512-7215. Individuals making key contributions to this testimony  include Harriet Ganson, Elizabeth Morrison, Sheranda Campbell, Jeff  Miller, Bryon Gordon, Susan Aschoff, Sheila McCoy, Sandy Silzer, Sarah  Veale, Janice Latimer, and Terry Dorn.
This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the  United States. The published product may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety  without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain  copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be  necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately.