The following 13 public schools in the District, representing every city ward, scored higher on average than half of the nation's test takers in both mathematics and reading on the 2003 Stanford-9 test, while serving populations in which 70 to 93% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch: Bancroft, Barnard, Burrville, Cleveland, Draper, Drew, Hendley, KIPP DC: KEY Academy, Noyes, Randle Highlands, Ross, Simon, and Stoddert. ⁴ 

Compared with other states, DC had the second-largest average gain on the 8th grade NAEP reading test and the third-largest average gain on the 4th grade NAEP reading test in 2003. ¹

As of December 2003, the Educational Licensure Commission (ELC) was responsible for the monitoring, oversight, and licensing of 75 colleges, universities, and propriety schools offering postsecondary educational services in the District of Columbia. ²

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP) is preparing nearly 1,000 middle and high school students from low-income communities for college success in 2003-2004. Of the 600 participants surveyed in 2004 95% plan to attend college. ²

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provided access to 974,782 nutritious meals at no charge for children up to age 18 and some disabled adults in summer 2003, a 17% percent increase from summer 2002. ²