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Voters have spoken: National Arboretum eagle gets new name

[hbidcpodcast podcastid=’23674180′] Meet Takoda, the young eagle formerly known as DC9. The American Eagle Foundation ran a contest to name the eagle that was born in March, and the public has chosen. The announcement was made Monday afternoon.



The contest was a fundraiser for the foundation, and participants could choose from names including Arbor, a nod to the location of the eagles next at the U.S. National Arboretum in D.C. Poplar was also one of the names up for consideration, a reference to the tree in which the eagle’s nest is located. According to the foundation, the name Takoda means “friend to all.”

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Money raised will go toward conservation and education, along with costs connected to operating the wildlife cameras that provide a view into the eagles’ nests across the country. The young eagle’s parents are Mr. President and Lotus. Their first egg, DC8, hatched in late March, but that eaglet did not survive. Takoda hatched shortly afterward and has been thriving in the nest, displaying behavior, such as “mantling-spreading” its wings to protect its food and exercising its sturdy legs and wings. Eagles often fledge, taking their first flights from the nest, between 12 to 13 weeks. You can see the eagles on the National Arboretum’s eagle cam.

DC students made small gains on last year’s standardized tests, but still below prepandemic levels in math, data shows

D.C. students made small gains in reading last year, but math results haven't yet reached prepandemic levels, according to new citywide standardized test data released Thursday. At a news briefing, District education officials shared results from the D.C. CAPE standardized test. The assessment is given to third through 12th grade students in English, language arts and mathematics in the spring. It assigns students a level between one and five. Students scoring Level 1 didn't yet meet expectations, and Level 5 is defined as exceeding expectations. Scores of Level 4 or 5 are considered proficient and on grade level. Across the city, there was a 2% increase in ELA proficiency and a 2.1% bump in math proficiency, compared with the 2025 results. About 39.6% of students were considered on grade level in reading in the spring, the highest proficiency the city has reported since 2015. About 28.5% were proficient in math. Officials attribute several years of improving scores to investments in high-impact tutoring programs, teacher training materials and a focus on students adjusting during their first year of middle or high school. But while the city has surpassed its reading scores from before the pandemic, it hasn't yet reached that level in math.
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