Study Recommends DC Public Schools to Improve or Close Under Performing Schools

WASHINGTON - It's no secret the quality of education in D.C. Public Schools has been under fire for years.

A new study commissioned by Mayor Vincent Gray, recommends the school system make major improvements or close three dozen under-performing schools and expand high-performing charter schools.

The study found more than 40 percent of the city's 78,000 students attend charter schools, and within a few years, majority of students could be enrolled in charter schools.

Dr. Jovita Baber, the Director of Research for the IFF, the nonprofit that conducted the research, joined FOX 5 News to further discuss the study and how it could affect the D.C. Public Schools system.

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Chancellor Henderson’s Statement on the Release of the IFF study

"I applaud Deputy Mayor Wright and his team for leading this analysis of high quality education options in the District of Columbia. I wholeheartedly agree that we must provide additional quality seats for parents and families of the District in each and every neighborhood.

"I look forward to studying the data carefully and working with the Deputy Mayor’s office, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, as well as the Public Charter School Board and other community stakeholders, to ensure all of our children, regardless of background, neighborhood or income level, have first-rate education opportunities that are close to home.

"I believe many of these options can be found inside of DC Public Schools and I encourage families to peruse the report and examine other tools like our new scorecards to help identify schools to which they may be interested in applying, especially considering the DCPS out of boundary lottery is set to begin next week on Monday, January 30."