President Donald Trump speaks during a school choice event at the White House in Washington on May 3, 2017. | AP Photo Trump praises D.C. voucher program with mixed record

President Donald Trump on Wednesday celebrated Washington, D.C.'s voucher program despite findings that it had a negative impact on children's reading and math scores — saying it makes an "extraordinary difference" to students in the nation's capital.

Flanked by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Vice President Mike Pence and several D.C. student participants, Trump said that 98 percent of scholarship recipients get "their high school diplomas and they're really very, very special, they go onto tremendous successes."


“This is what winning for young children and kids from all over the country looks like," Trump said. "The Opportunity Scholarship Program that we’re funding allows families in the inner city of our nation’s capital to leave the failing public schools and attend a private school, making an extraordinary difference in these incredible young lives.”

The president's praise for D.C.'s voucher program comes just days after a study published by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance found the program had a negative impact on the reading and math test scores of elementary school students after just one year. However, the study said that parents who were offered or used the vouchers were more likely to see their child's school as very safe.

Roughly 1,200 students use the program, which is the only federal voucher program in the country and helps low-income children attend private schools.

The massive spending bill Congress is expected take up this week to fund the government through Sept. 30 reauthorizes the program through 2019. The $45 million targeted for the program would keep it at the same level as the previous year.

Trump called on lawmakers to work with his administration "to help extend school choice to millions more children all across the United States of America, including millions of low-income, Hispanic and African American children that deserve the same chance as every other child in America, to live out their dreams and fill up their hearts and be educated at the top, top level."

Trump initially was not scheduled to attend the event. He interrupted DeVos at the microphone to make his remarks.

The support from Trump for the D.C. voucher program is a departure from former President Barack Obama, who opposed it.