Trinity Washington University’s Math for Educators certificate program is playing a central role in the newly launched Capital Math Collective, a $20 million public-private partnership designed to accelerate math learning across Washington, D.C.

The DC Public Education Fund announced the initiative this week, bringing together DC Public Schools, public charter schools, nonprofits, city leaders, and families with an ambitious goal: making DC the first urban school district where every student outperforms the national average in math.

Trinity launched its Math for Educators program in Spring 2024 in partnership with DCPS, which made a major investment in math proficiency by incentivizing teachers to enroll in the four-semester professional development sequence. The Capital Math Collective will now amplify that investment by funding up to 1,000 teachers and math coaches from schools across the city—both DCPS and public charter schools—to complete the program.

Learn more about the Math for Educators certificate program.

Ariel Horton, assistant principal and math coach at Noyes Elementary School and a graduate of Trinity’s inaugural Math for Educators cohort, is featured in the Capital Math Collective’s launch video. Horton, who also received the 2024-2025 Milken Educator Award, spoke about the program’s impact: “I’ve been part of DCPS for 14 years, and I’ve never received this level of intentional coaching. The program at Trinity was really impactful for me as a math coach. It helped us to break down the standards, go deep into content, and it really helped me to support educators, instructional teachers, to make their next instructional move.”

Other program graduates have echoed that sentiment. “There’s PD, and there’s true professional development. This program was the latter, and it was nothing short of transformational,” said Tandrea Gibson, STEM Coach at Ida B. Wells Middle School. Vicki Bullock, a math instructional coach at John Burroughs Elementary School, noted: “I am loving this program—it’s giving me hope for math in DC Public Schools.”

Christine Carrino Gorowara, Dean of the Trinity School of Education and a member of the Capital Math Collective’s advisory board, highlighted the significance of the partnership in advancing math education citywide.

The 12-credit Math for Educators certificate program is designed for K-8 teachers, coaches, and supervisors. Built on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Developing Mathematical Ideas and Taking Action frameworks, the program deepens educators’ content knowledge and their ability to support student learning. All coursework is fully transferable into Trinity’s Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction (M.Ed.) with a Mathematics for Educators concentration.