Lewis Ferebee is chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools.
In an educational landscape where many students are challenged in meeting reading proficiency, D.C. Public Schools’ Reading Clinic stands as a beacon of hope and innovation. The only program like it in the country, the DC Reading Clinic is not just addressing literacy challenges in Washington, D.C. — it’s reshaping the way educators, students and families of the nation’s capital approach reading.
Since before the pandemic, D.C.'s school district of right has been working to align curriculum and schedules with best practices in literacy. This has included the creation of our own decodable texts, an emphasis on multi-tiered systems of support, and elementary scheduling that prioritizes strong whole group and small group instruction.
We know that across the country, very few members of the teaching force receive in-depth instruction on literacy: Just 28% of all teacher prep programs include the necessary content, according to a review in 2023 from the National Council on Teacher Quality. So, our district, and nearly every other, has a substantial gap to fill to ensure that all teachers have the content, skills and confidence to make certain every child learns to read.
Recognizing the need — and often in response to new legislation — many states and districts have attempted to solve this problem by adopting large-scale asynchronous or hybrid training modules. While these programs begin to close the content knowledge gap, they’re not making headway against the persistent implementation gap.
By contrast, the DC Reading Clinic supports teachers in changing their practice for the better. The Clinic’s focus on hands-on coaching means that this knowledge is not just theoretical but fully integrated into daily teaching practices. DC Reading Clinic alumni receive the tools, strategies and real-time mentorship they need to transform their classrooms.
In our commitment to ongoing professional development, DCPS recognizes that this type of necessary professional upskilling is a substantial commitment of teacher time and energy. That’s why our district has invested in this program by paying teachers stipends for their time and increasing the size of the clinic staff to reach even more teachers and schools.
I’m proud of our work with the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education, because together, we’re going to make sure that every kindergarten teacher has quality structured literacy training by school year 2025-26, and even more educators beyond that. The DC Reading Clinic has already provided this rigorous training to over 500 teachers, and we’re committed to training thousands more, including a pilot with our middle schools this year.
When we support both teachers and students, we’re addressing immediate literacy struggles head-on as we build a foundation to forever change the way reading is taught across our district. The impact of the DC Reading Clinic cannot be overstated. At a time when reading proficiency is a significant challenge for many students, particularly those with dyslexia, the Clinic is making a real difference.
Over the past four years, our Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills data show that students in classrooms of DC Reading Clinic-trained teachers consistently demonstrate increased reading proficiency in comparison to their peers. They’re also more likely to read on grade level; and students who began the school year with well-below standard reading skills have a higher probability of moving up a reading level or even achieving their grade level reading skills by the end of the school year.
As the education sector across the country grapples with greater needs and tightening resources, the DC Reading Clinic’s commitment to providing free, high-quality literacy support is both rare and invaluable. The clinic’s success can serve as a model for other cities.
By investing in our teachers and most vulnerable readers, DCPS is helping to create a future where every child becomes a fluent, lifelong reader.
