| As nation's capitol, and one of the countries most | | | | and professional educators make sense of the |
| watched districts, the Washington D.C. Schools are at | | | | various opinions of public school success and needs. |
| the forefront of controversy and change. Declining | | | | Many of the topics that the Washington D.C. Schools |
| enrollment, voucher programs, and curriculum | | | | struggle with, like exit exams and racial gaps, are |
| changes, have all been hot topics in Washington D.C. | | | | unraveled and examined by Jennings' organization. |
| Schools over the past few years. One of the | | | | Washington D.C. Schools have to face the realities of |
| benefits of attending school in the capitol city is that | | | | the No Child Left Behind Act and its implications. The |
| it's where decisions are made. Two of the biggest | | | | CEP has tackled that issue, which is impacting every |
| players in determining what Washington D.C. Schools | | | | public school in the nation. School reform issues tend |
| experience are the American Educational Research | | | | to be largely influenced by politics at both a local and |
| Association (AERA) and the Center for Educational | | | | national level. For Washington D.C. Schools, they are |
| Policy (CEP). According to its mission statement | | | | caught in the crossfire of both. As local leaders strive |
| AERA is "a national research society, [that] strives to | | | | to meet needs with initiatives like the Master |
| advance knowledge about education, to encourage | | | | Education Plan that overhauled curriculum standards, |
| scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote | | | | and the Master Facilities Plan that is bringing buildings |
| the use of research to improve education and serve | | | | up to code, having a local think tank evaluating their |
| the public good." Located in D.C. the organization is | | | | steps can be helpful. Washington D.C. Schools are |
| comprised of over 25,000 educational researchers, | | | | watched closely by some of the most knowledgeable |
| professors and educational think tanks. The research | | | | and experienced educators in the nation. Jennings |
| performed by AERA and the reports they publish | | | | experience prior to founding the CEP included serving |
| impact the Washington D.C. schools on many | | | | as general counsel for the US House of |
| different levels. One way is through their association | | | | Representatives' committee on Education and Labor |
| with the CEP. The CEP is also a D.C. based advocate | | | | where he participated in debates about the |
| for public schools. Recently Jack Jennings, president | | | | Vocational Education Act and the Individuals with |
| and CEO of the Center, received the 2007 AERA | | | | Disabilities Act. He is also the founding editor of |
| Distinguished Public Service award. Jennings earned | | | | Education Week and Teacher Magazine. |
| the honor because of the research and application of | | | | Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, |
| school reform issues and policies the center provides. | | | | providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and |
| Teachers and administrators of Washington D.C. | | | | private K-12 schools. |
| Schools appreciate the CEP for helping both parents | | | | |