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Pilot program in DC schools is successfully keeping students in the classroom

By Linh Bui

D.C. leaders say the city’s Truancy Reduction Pilot Program is working, leading to stronger family engagement and better attendance.

According to the Mid-Year Report for Year Two, there was a 71% year‑over‑year drop in truancy among participating students.

“We are encouraged about the results because it tells us that we are onto something that works. And that’s going to impact the young people and the families that we do serve,” said Rachel Pierre, director of the D.C. Department of Human Services.

A key part of the program’s success is case management. They work with families to understand specific needs and coordinate services. Forty-seven percent of parents accepted case management services, which is up from 42% in the first year of the program in 2024. Nearly half of students in case management improved their attendance and behavior within 90 days.

“We are able to really meet the family exactly at the point that this could escalate to something bigger,” Pierre said. “If there are barriers to school attendance on a regular basis, we are here to help.”

Pierre said some examples of those barriers are a lack of childcare, not having the right uniform, bullying or simply parent awareness. She emphasized it’s critical to intervene early.

“D.C. parents, it’s important that your kids are in school,” Pierre said. “The more school days young people miss, the more they fall behind, the harder it is for them to catch up.”

There are plans to expand the Truancy Reduction Program for a third year. Ten schools currently participate, and they want to add eight more. Focusing on ninth and 10th graders would help kids stay on the right track throughout high school, Pierre said.

“The transition from middle school to high school is often when kids have a hard time adjusting. And for whatever reasons, they may be more truant,” she said. “We are excited about the possibility of scaling into additional schools next fiscal year.”

For more information about the program or to seek assistance from DHS, visit the Truancy Reduction Program’s page.

ADL reports a sharp drop in US antisemitic incidents in 2025, driven by a steep fall on campuses

By The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — The number of antisemitic incidents in the United States tallied by the Anti-Defamation League declined sharply in 2025 — the first drop in five years — due in part to what the ADL said was a dramatic decrease of incidents on college campuses. The ADL tallied 1,694 antisemitic incidents on U.S. college campuses in 2024, after pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist student protests proliferated due mostly to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. That figure fell by 66% in 2025, to 583, as many colleges and universities — under pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration — took steps to curb such protests. With the drop in on-campus incidents a major factor, the ADL’s latest annual audit — released Wednesday — says there were 6,274 incidents of antisemitic assaults, harassment and vandalism overall in 2025. That’s down 33% from the record-high 9,354 incidents counted for 2024. The states with the most antisemitic incidents in 2025 were New York (1,160), California (817) and New Jersey (687), the ADL says.
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