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The SEED Public Charter School of Washington, D.C.
The SEED School, the first urban public boarding school in the nation, was established in 1998 by The SEED Foundation. Located in Washington, D.C., The SEED School provides an intensive education program to students whose challenging circumstances might otherwise prevent them from fulfilling their academic and social potential. On its campus in southeast D.C. with classroom and dormitory space for 300 students, The SEED School aims to change the face of public urban education.
SEED’s efforts to prepare students academically and socially for college
have proved very successful. This success is made possible through the integration
of rigorous academic coursework, a secure and nurturing living environment and
the active participation of parents.
The SEED School stimulates academic growth in its students. Every year since
the school’s establishment in 1998, a majority of students have shown
greater than one year of academic progress in reading and math on the Stanford-9
tests. In addition, the school has demonstrated the consistent ability to significantly
raise student performance percentiles between the 7th and the 9th grade. This
is particularly true in math, where students’ average math scores have
increased from the low-to-mid thirtieth percentile to the fiftieth percentile.
Furthermore, the school has consistently improved its academic program so that
85 percent of middle-school students pass the Ninth Grade Gate (a set of standards
for promotion to the upper school) based on merit and on schedule. The school
does not promote or drop the remaining 15 percent; rather, the School offers
a growth year, providing additional support and encouragement.
The school’s boarding program exposes students to cultural and academic activities that enrich their classroom performance, give them a sense of membership in and responsibility to their communities and maintain stability in their lives. The boarding program has created systems to improve student performance on homework assignments, offers life skills courses (which teach students etiquette, public speaking and leadership) and provides outdoor leadership opportunities to increase students’ athletic skills as well as self-esteem and confidence. To positively affect the social development of students, the boarding program offers enrichment activities, such as investment club, tech club, yearbook, step team, yoga club and drama club. In addition, staff and students participate in outings to the opera, theatre, athletic events and museums.
SEED does more than expand students’ academic and cultural horizons;
it also encourages positive social growth during the crucial adolescent years.
An ongoing independent study sponsored by the Ford Foundation found that, compared
with their peers, SEED students exhibit decreased risk behaviors and increased
self-esteem. The study assesses SEED students’ social progress, as measured
by the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, developed by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). Some of the results of that survey are shown below:
| SEED School Students | CDC Sample[1] | |
| Been in physical fight | 5.0% | 35.7% |
| Used cigarettes | 0.0% | 70.4% |
| Tried alcohol | 37.6% | 50.0% |
| Used illicit substances | 12.1% | 47.2% |
For further information, please contact:
Elizabeth Frazier
The SEED Foundation
(202) 785-4123, ext. 4
Email: Elizabeth Frazier
The SEED Foundation; 1712 Eye Street, Suite 300; Washington, D.C. 20006; Voice (202) 785-4123; Fax (202) 785-4124
[1] The CDC sample consists of Washington, D.C. children the same age as
the surveyed SEED School students.
Success Stories
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