. >> reporter: school counselor doreen hogan says providing more opportunity for students to recover and get credit during the regular school year has made a difference. >> night school was almost $500. summer school was $500. a lot of students cannot afford that. that's what would break down and cause our graduation rates to be so low. >> reporter: hispanic and latino students experienced the highest increase with more than 4% in the graduation rate. african-americans more than 2%. i'm tracee wilkins, news4. >>> what's the ultimate reward for a student bound to inspire here students. maggie hawk was given the award considered the oscar of education. she has been teaching at yellow spring elementary for 12 years. it's the same school that she attended and where she found her inspiration for teaching despite struggling with dyslexia. >> this is the reason that i wanted to go into teaching. i loved all my teachers. they gave me that passion that drive and i wanted to instill that in my students. >> reporter: the . >> the award will go towards her son's college fund. >>> arie will open

doreen. >> the governor was supposed to meet with maryland governor larry hogan and d.c. mayor muriel bowser today. that meeting was cancel because of the weather. now mayor bouzer is declaring her own snow emergency in the district. that set to begin at 7:00 tomorrow morning. our team coverage continues now with news4's tom sherwood. he's live in northeast d.c. hi tom. >> hi doreen. let me show you, this is one of the largest salt domes in the whole region here. mayor bowser so declaring a no parking snow emergency at 7:00 a.m. and people all over the city were reacting to the bitter cold and the coming snow. the city's fleet of salt trucks were suiting up for the snowy night. more than 200 trucks getting ready to go. >> i am also declaring a snow emergency in the district effective at 7:00 a.m. >> reporter: other officials were checking encampments around town for any homeless people needing aid. this camp was empty. >> we're asking residents if they see someone in need to call 211. >> reporter: mayor bowser facing the most serious snow of her short time in office pledg