DC Schools Reduce Inequality to Increase Academic Achievement and Health Equity

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The District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) developed a new curriculum of assignments and will require teachers to teach four per year for each grade level and subject.  These assignments address a variety of subjects, such as writing, science, debate, history, drama, math and health.

Social and environmental inequalities are associated with academic achievement and health disparities. DCPS aims to reduce these inequalities and level the playing field for students living in disadvantaged communities that may not acquire as much information about various academic subjects at home as students living in more advantaged communities.

Through this academic initiative, the DCPS will teach every second grader how to ride a bike.  Biking is an excellent form of physical activity, which is associated with reduced chronic disease and increased academic achievement. However, up to 60% of students in some areas of DC (10.1% Latino) do not know how to ride a bike.

Many Latino students do not have bikes; do not have the supervision necessary to learn to ride bikes; or do not have access to safe and convenient places to ride bikes. This initiative could increase Latino kids participation in physical activity and reduce obesity and adverse health outcomes.

Read more about the DCPS’s efforts to teach kids how to ride a bike.