DC Council considers legislation to change how schools report data
DC Council considers legislation to clean up how schools report data
The D.C. Council held a hearing on two education bills aimed at cutting red tape and cleaning up how schools report data on Monday. The goal is to make reporting simpler and more useful, so teachers and school leaders can spend more time helping students. FOX 5's Shirin Rajaee reports.
WASHINGTON - The D.C. Council held a hearing on two education bills aimed at cutting red tape and cleaning up how schools report data on Monday.
The goal is to make reporting simpler and more useful, so teachers and school leaders can spend more time helping students.
The legislation:
Lawmakers are considering two proposals, both designed to streamline school reporting and eliminate old requirements no one uses anymore.
The first bill discussed during Monday’s council hearing was the Education Reports Simplification Amendment Act. Among other things, it would:
- Repeal outdated reports
- Combine overlapping pre-K and enrollment reporting
- Reduce paperwork for the Office of the State Superintendent, DCPS, the State Board of Education, and UDC.
The second bill — the Education Code Adjustments Amendment Act — would:
- Clean up deadlines
- Remove the need for outside contractors on some studies
- Clarify what data schools actually have to provide.
What they're saying:
"This legislation would repeal the requirement that DCPS submit an annual report delineating student readiness between kindergarten and 4th grade. DCPS supports this repeal. We assess student readiness for the next grade through classroom observations social-emotional development and academic performance. DCPS already provides the public with robust readiness data through the DC report card," say Abe Clayman, Deputy Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs for DCPS.
Many who testified at the meeting supported the overall goal, saying schools are drowning in paperwork that doesn’t help kids.
Student advocates pushed for more transparency and the office of the state superintendent says they mostly agree but want to keep some key deadlines like their Nov. 30 reporting date.
Council leaders say they hope these changes will make school reporting faster and more accurate, so resources can get to students sooner.
What's next:
No vote was taken on Monday. These bills will continue to be reviewed in the coming weeks.