District of Columbia

Collaboration with District of Columbia Public Schools to Improve Lead Screening Rates.

In the District of Columbia (DC), all children are required to have two blood lead tests before they turn two years old—the first test between 6 months and 14 months and the second test between the ages of 22 months and 26 months. A blood lead test is also required to attend DC Public Schools (DCPS), and test results are included on a student’s Universal Health Certificate. In practice, most DC children are not tested twice before two years of age, and some children are never tested at all. Fewer than half of the 4,744 Head Start students enrolled for the 2016–2017 school year had a blood lead test result on their Universal Health Certificate.

To tackle this problem, DCPS and the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) collaborated to ensure students are tested. Efforts were focused on Head Start students because these students are the youngest and are at highest risk of lead poisoning. DOEE participated in a data-sharing agreement with DCPS to provide them with students’ blood lead test results. DOEE also identified schools with the most students in need of lead testing, prioritizing students with diagnosed learning or behavioral issues. DOEE then deployed blood lead test teams to the identified schools.

Of the 2,669 students with no lead test on their Universal Health Certificate, DOEE was able to provide testing for 2,019 students (76%). This process allowed DOEE and DCPS to correctly identify which students were in need of lead testing. In the 2016–17 school year, 650 students needed testing—a 34% reduction from the previous year.

Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE1EH001257 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.