Washington D.C.’s DC Early Learning Standards: The official early learning standards framework
Washington D.C.’s early learning standards are organized under the DC Common Core Aligned Early Learning Standards (DC ELS), administered by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). DC ELS applies to licensed child development facilities and programs serving children from birth through kindergarten entry, including Head Start, Early Head Start, and DC public and charter school pre-K programs.
DC ELS defines developmental expectations across all 8 domains and guides curriculum planning, developmental assessment, and program quality across the District’s licensed early care and education programs. Programs can view current guidance at the OSSE Early Learning page.
Washington D.C.’s QRIS is called Capital Quality, administered by OSSE’s Division of Early Learning. Capital Quality measures program quality in licensed child development facilities across environment, program structure, and teacher-child interactions using ITERS-3, FCCERS-3, and CLASS Pre-K tools. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to DC’s Early Learning Standards supports higher Capital Quality ratings.
Explore by developmental domain
Washington D.C.’s DC Early Learning Standards domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Washington D.C.’s DC Early Learning Standards defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each DC Early Learning Standards indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Washington D.C. Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Washington D.C. Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Washington D.C. Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Washington D.C. Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Washington D.C. Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Washington D.C. Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Washington D.C. Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Washington D.C. Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to Washington D.C.’s DC Early Learning Standards
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to Washington D.C.’s Early Learning Standards across all three age bands — Baby (birth to 18 months), Toddler (18 to 36 months), and Preschool (3 to 5 years) — and all 8 developmental domains. The D.C. Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific DC ELS indicator.
For D.C. programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Capital Quality curriculum documentation requirements.
The Washington D.C. Early Learning Standards Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to Washington D.C.’s DC Early Learning Standards indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
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