Our Mission: Supporting effective teaching and high achievement in every classroom, in every school, in DC Public Schools.
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“A Catalyst School program like this wouldn’t be possible without startup funds from the Education Fund. When we started, our school had numerous classrooms with few resources to help teachers teach world cultures.”

- Kyle Evans, World Cultures Coordinator, Daniel A. Payne Elementary

/Results

Creating the Catalyst for Improved Performance

Several obstacles present challenges for low- and mid-performing schools looking to improve their performance: low student engagement, insufficient resources for professional development, and a lack of meaningful community engagement represent challenges for many schools.

 

To meet the needs of some of these schools, the DC Public Schools (DCPS) Office of School Innovation developed the DC Catalyst Project, which helps schools implement and grow programs organized around one of three themes, including science, technology, engineering, and math; arts integration; and world cultures.

 

Beginning in 2009, 13 elementary, middle, and K-8 schools across seven of the District’s eight wards were selected to participate in the planning year for the Catalyst Project.

 

Meeting the Need

With combined support totaling more than $1 million, several donors, including CityBridge Foundation, Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the Moran Family Foundation, the Phillip L. Graham Fund, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, and the Ludwig Family Foundation, fully funded this initial planning year.

 

Funding from these donors enabled Catalyst schools to benefit from a range of resources and opportunities, including:

 

  • Opportunities for leadership development and collaboration. Principals discuss strategies to support teachers and staff as they integrate the chosen theme into their teaching and use data to inform instruction.
  • Staff capacity to support the development of the theme and its alignment across the school. Full-time staff members at each Catalyst school organize schoolwide professional development, out-of-school experiences, and theme-related resources. The Catalyst coordinator also works with DCPS team members to assess progress of the project and ensures that performance targets are met.
  • Extensive professional development sessions for teachers. These sessions present varied opportunities help teachers meet their students’ and school-wide needs and goals, ultimately helping teachers make instruction more engaging and rigorous.
  • Engaging curriculum that incorporates the school’s theme. The curriculum at each Catalyst school includes lessons and long-term studies, as well as out-of-school experiences and hands-on projects to help students develop their knowledge of the theme, relate it to their experiences, and understand how the Catalyst theme applies to the real world.

 

Already, Catalyst schools are showing signs of success:

 

  • Enrollment has increased 4.4 percent overall in Catalyst schools since the 2008-2009 school year, and attendance has improved as well.
  • All schools have provided at least eight hours of theme-related professional development. In five schools, 100 percent of teachers attended eight or more hours of professional development.
  • All schools except one have held at least one parent/family information session. Nine schools have held at least two.

 

In 2010-2011, the Catalyst Project moved into the implementation phase, and DC Public Education Fund is committed to supporting the project for two implementation years with approximately $1.3 million in private funding each year.

 

The Result

Students and families have more choices for schools that provide challenging academics, strong support for students social and emotional needs, and a variety of rigorous and relevant instructional themes.

 

To see ways that you can make an impact, please see Our Work.