The Double the Numbers effort will help put more DC high school students on a path for college success. The action plan includes:

• Putting resources and systems in place to measure student progress and ensure accountability, engage the community, ensure the alignment of school-based and citywide efforts, and establish a culture of success for all students
• Increasing the number of graduates ready for college and postsecondary success by supporting the implementation of the DCPS Master Education Plan, including a college-ready curriculum, improved college access efforts, stronger career and technical offerings, alternative education and dropout prevention programs, and ninth-grade academies
• Helping students transition to postsecondary education by teaching parents and students about the valuable link between high school and college success, providing better information on college requirements and the preparation process, and walking through financial aid options that can make college more affordable
• Helping college students succeed in post secondary education by ensuring that the colleges with the highest DC enrollment are providing students with the academic assistance and other supports they need to succeed, and strengthening the pathways from two-year community colleges to four-year degrees

The report and recommended action steps were presented at a policy forum hosted by the SEO and attended by nearly 200 education and community leaders including the mayor and superintendent, DCEC executive director Juanita Wade, and DC-CAP president and CEO Argelia Rodriguez. Other key panelists included Kathy Patterson, DC Councilmember and chair of the Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation; Stacey Stewart, president and CEO of the Fannie Mae Foundation and chair of the DCEC; Dr. Ramona Edelin, executive director of the Public Charter School Association; and John Childers, president and CEO of the DC Consortium of Universities.