Summary:
In Washington, DC, the Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy district contains one high school, Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, which serves grades 6–12 and enrolls 367 students. This single school is the focus of the entire district, and its performance shows a serious pattern of academic struggle that parents should know about before considering enrollment.
The school stands out for its very low test scores, especially in math. In the 2025–2026 school year, just 1.4% of students were proficient in mathematics, compared to the state average of 28.2%, and geometry proficiency was only 2.5%. English Language Arts results are better but still weak, with 22.1% proficiency versus the state’s 39.6%. Scores have also declined from the previous year in both subjects. The graduation rate is 67.6%, well below the state’s 78.7%. The school’s state ranking has slipped from the 56th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 33rd percentile in 2025–2026, and it now sits in the bottom 15% of DC districts/schools. These outcomes are particularly concerning given the school spends $36,042 per student and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 8.9, indicating that significant resources are not translating into academic success.
For parents, the key takeaway is that Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy faces major challenges across nearly every measure. Math proficiency is almost nonexistent, ELA is below average, and the graduation rate is 11 points behind the state. The school’s declining performance over three years and high spending with low results suggest that instructional strategies and resource allocation need a closer look. Without data on free/reduced lunch status, it is hard to fully understand the student population’s socioeconomic context, but the academic trends alone make this a school of concern for families seeking strong outcomes.
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