District of Columbia

Overview

During the 2021-2022 school year, the District of Columbia preschool enrolled 12,326 children, a decrease of 597 from the prior year. State spending totaled $251,973,895, down $17,135,244 (6%), adjusted for inflation since last year. State spending per child equaled $20,442 in 2021-2022, down $382 from 2020-2021, adjusted for inflation. The District of Columbia met 4 of 10 quality standards benchmarks.

What's New

All public pre-k programs in the District returned to in-person operations

 for the duration of the 2021-2022 school year. There were no other significant changes to the program during this time.

Background

Among the first in the nation to invest in early education, the District has offered pre-K since the 1960s. The District began to bolster its investment in pre-K significantly through the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Amendment Act of 2008 (Pre-K Act). The Pre-K Act provides public, quality, universally accessible pre-K via a mixed-delivery system in DCPS, PCS, and publicly-funded CBOs that participate in the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program. OSSE oversees the District’s Universal Pre-K Program, including programs in DCPS and CBOs. PCSs are authorized and monitored by the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB). Additionally, the District’s Head Start and Early Head Start grantees serve thousands of children and their families through early learning and comprehensive services and supports; all District Head Start grantees also participate in the universal pre-K system, but may also serve children not eligible for public pre-K.

Pre-K programs operate five days a week for a minimum of 6.5 hours per day and a minimum of 180 instructional days per year. Given the high availability and participation, this program can be considered universal, as the District has a higher percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled than any U.S. state or territory. Funding for public pre-K programs is based on the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, with spending per pupil adjusted through a series of weights for higher-cost grade levels and supplemental funding weights for students with additional needs. 

Program quality is measured using the CLASS Pre-K, which informs a school rating that is included on each school’s DC School Report Card. The PCSB also uses CLASS Pre-K in its Performance Management Framework, which provides all public charter schools with an annual score. For CBOs, CLASS Pre-K assessments are used for Capital Quality, the District’s QRIS. Required CLASS Pre-K observations were conducted for all publicly funded pre-K classrooms during the 2021-2022 school year. Due to the impact of the Omicron wave on school and CBO operations in winter 2021, however, and based on stakeholder input, the District determined not to use CLASS data collected during this time for program rating purposes. Classroom-level CLASS data were shared with LEAs and CBOs for professional development and continuous improvement activities, and OSSE used these data to support ongoing improvement efforts at the system level.

District of Columbia Universal Pre-K

Access

Some Head Start children may also be counted in state pre-K. Estimates children in special education not also enrolled in state pre-K or Head Start.
Total state pre-K enrollment	12,326
School districts that offer state program	100% (wards)
Income requirement	No income requirement
Minimum hours of operation	6.5 hours/day; 5 days/week
Operating schedule	School or academic year
Special education enrollment, ages 3 and 4	994
Federally funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	448
State-funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	0

Resources

Pre-K programs may receive additional funds from federal or local sources that are not included in this figure. K–12 expenditures include capital spending as well as current operating expenditures. Head Start per-child spending includes funding only for 3- and 4-year-olds.