As Sheila Carr prepares to embark on her 30th year as an education advocate, there are mixed feelings surrounding the progress made in D.C. public education, particularly in literacy and math proficiency since the pandemic.
District education officials are celebrating what they call consistent gains in reading and math proficiency in schools, but Carr remains anxious about the quality of literacy instruction afforded to students in D.C. public and public charter schools.
For Carr, a resident of Ward 7, it is crucial that teachers and administrators receive the right resources to support students struggling with dyslexia. She emphasizes that the D.C. Council and the mayor must ensure proper funding for the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) Reading Clinic, which aims to train more educators in the Science of Reading approach.
Having been an advocate for dyslexia education since 2018, Carr was instrumental in the passage of the Addressing Dyslexia and Other Reading Difficulties Amendment Act. This law established a screening and intervention program for dyslexia through the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
According to OSSE, over the last few years, more than 1,400 teachers across the city have been trained to recognize and address dyslexia. Following the law’s implementation, DCPS launched its reading clinic, aiming to equip teachers with effective tools to assist students.
The clinic also provides one-on-one, research-backed literacy instruction under the Science of Reading Curriculum, focusing on language comprehension and word recognition. In 2022, Carr and other advocates observed DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee alongside educators at Stanton Elementary School demonstrating this curriculum in action.
Reflecting on the journey thus far, Carr recognizes the advancements made but expresses concern over the sustained support needed for teachers to effectively implement the Science of Reading. She is eager to see further improvements in reading fluency among students.
“I’m concerned that the teachers won’t have the support they need to genuinely implement the Science of Reading and the new programs available at their schools,” Carr stated in an interview with The Informer.
As the 2025-2026 school year approaches, Ferebee noted that the DCPS Reading Lab is operational and thriving. He pointed out the success of this initiative, stating, “We’ve expanded beyond just our lower grades and also extended it to our middle grades. We’re looking forward to replicating this model in math as well, launching a similar clinical model for math instruction and professional learning for educators.”
On August 21, education officials highlighted significant improvements in English and Language Arts (ELA) proficiency—the largest improvement since 2015—and especially noted the progress made since the pandemic.
The latest results from the D.C. Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (CAPE) revealed that economically disadvantaged students demonstrated better ELA results than in previous years. In fact, over 40% of schools noted at least a 5% increase in either ELA or math scores.
The improvement in ELA proficiency is especially telling, with 57.7% of students in grades three to eight classified as proficient or approaching proficiency. This marks a 3.6% increase from the 2019 data, while the percentage of struggling students decreased by 2.4 points to 26.4%.
In charter schools, schools have adopted data-driven instruction methods and restructured core instructional time to allow for more personalized learning opportunities. Many public charter schools have also implemented high-impact tutoring, similar to their DCPS counterparts.
Moreover, tackling issues of truancy and chronic absenteeism has been crucial to these improvements, alongside implementing recommendations from a Literacy Education Task Force. The Task Force’s proposals include professional development for teachers and administrators in the Science of Reading Curriculum, structured literacy training to be completed by 2030, increased coaching for teachers, and a focus on high-quality instructional materials endorsed by the OSSE.
State Superintendent Dr. Antionette S. Mitchell attributed the achievements to the Literacy Education Task Force, which was established in 2022. Mitchell stated, “We are committed to providing professional development to our teachers, who are embracing it in a very significant way. We’ve also introduced a test to ensure teachers can demonstrate their knowledge of structured literacy. We are thrilled with the progress and on track to train all our teachers by 2030.”
As the new school year looms, Carr remains anxious yet hopeful. Amid heightened law enforcement presence across the District, particularly in areas east of the Anacostia River, Carr underscores the importance of educating youth about their rights.
Carr recently took this message to young people in the community, particularly following President Donald J. Trump’s remarks about federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department through Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act.
“Because of the literacy rate and the school dropout rates, they find themselves on the corners in areas deemed unacceptable by the establishment,” Carr expressed. “I informed them that not only could they be arrested, but they could also be expelled from the country.”
Carr’s advocacy journey traces back to the 1990s when she decided to enroll her children in neighborhood schools. She co-chaired Parents United and later became a member of Parent Watch, a group that regularly engaged with education officials.
Her drive for addressing dyslexia in schools intensified after discovering her own dyslexia at age 40, which became a pivotal moment in her advocacy work upon connecting with leaders from the International Dyslexia Association.
Carr emphasizes that the effects of reading struggles extend beyond academics into various facets of life, including housing, health, and employment opportunities. “That’s why I fight so hard; there’s a trickle-down effect. A child with dyslexia may be facing generational challenges, and we need a comprehensive support system in place to assist the entire family,” she concluded.
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