D.C. Policy Center

🎓  In honor of DC College Access Program's (DC-CAP) College Signing Day and the 1,100 students in the Class of 2025 who will be supported by their work, Friday’s chart explored where D.C. students attend postsecondary. 📊 Updated data released by the U.S. Department of Education show where D.C.’s high school class of 2022 began postsecondary for a two- or four-year degree programs. About 75 percent of D.C.’s alumni who went to postsecondary left D.C., and 25 percent attended a higher education institution in D.C. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/ehheVW3C

🏘️ In "TOPA's Promise and Pitfalls," researchers Emilia Calma and Yesim Sayin examine D.C.'s housing market. 📊 The paper highlights that of the total rental market in the District, only 21% of units are truly market rate. Other units are subsidized or face rent restrictions or affordability requirements. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/eNvDKfqS

🌟 Yesterday, Director of Research and Policy Emilia Calma testified before DC Council’s Committee on Executive Administration and Labor at the Public Roundtable on Job Training and Workforce Development. 📊 Her testimony focused on the disparities in outcomes for those born in D.C. and those who move to D.C. as adults and the need to focus workforce development efforts on narrowing those gaps. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/dGrrW7ad

📈 This week's chart examines the growing wage gap in D.C., even as national trends narrow. 💰 "Between 1980 and 2024, the gaps between the median hourly wage and the bottom of the wage distribution increased in the District but decreased nationally. In D.C., the gap between median hourly wage and 10th percentile wage widened by 11 percentage points—from 47 percent to 58 percent. Nationally, in contrast, this gap narrowed by 2 percentage points, from 45 percent to 43 percent. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/eqRaGTSF

🌸 With cherry blossoms in peak bloom, D.C. has seen an uptick in tourism. 📈 Revisit this chart of the week from Rivlin Initiative Director Daniel Burge on the value of tourism to D.C.'s economy: https://lnkd.in/eyJDGwMz

New Research Spotlight! The DC Education Research Collaborative, in partnership with District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), Georgetown University, DC Policy Center, and Urban Institute, has launched a new four-year study exploring career development opportunities for middle and high school students in DCPS. This important research will map available career-focused programs, examine equitable access, and evaluate outcomes to help students successfully transition from school to fulfilling careers. Visit our website to learn more about how this work is shaping the future for DC students: https://lnkd.in/e35GwhAc #EducationResearch #CareerReadiness #CTE #EquityInEducation #DCStudents

Courtney Dennis and I attended the D.C. Policy Center State of the D.C. Schools, 2023-2024 report release event this month and shared reflections on the state of education in our Child Health Advocacy Institute blog. The six annual report showed modest gains in student learning and attendance but improvements in student enrollment and educator workforce retention. As compared to national assessments, academic recovery has been slow across D.C. student groups and grade bands with attendance improving but lower than pre-pandemic school years. Supporting our education partners in collecting and sharing student, school level and district data is important to our work so we can help all children thrive.

📊 Friday's chart of the week examined the widening education wage gap in the District. 📈 Rivlin Initiative Director Daniel Burge shared, "between 1980 and 2024, the gap in median hourly wages between individuals without a bachelor’s degree and those with one widened, and especially in the District of Columbia." ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/e2H7TBhP

🌟 We recently released "TOPA’s Promise and Pitfalls: Balancing tenant rights, affordability, and housing investment in Washington, D.C." 🏘️ Researchers Yesim Sayin and Emilia Calma explore the original intentions and the current outcomes of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). They highlight the law's impact on housing production, supply, and affordability. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/eNvDKfqS

🌟 Education Policy Initiative Director Chelsea Coffin and Senior Education Research Analyst Hannah Michelle, MPP recently presented at the DC Postsecondary Success Collaborative's summit. 📊 They discussed findings from D.C. Policy Center research on postsecondary outcomes for D.C. alumni.