High Schools in Idea Pcs

Idea Pcs is the only high school in the Idea Pcs district, serving grades 9–12 in the Washington, DC area with 350 students and a low student-teacher ratio of 9.7. The school stands out for its strong graduation rate of 87.5% in 2024–2025, which is nearly 9 percentage points above the DC state average of 78.7%. However, this success in graduating students does not carry over to standardized test proficiency. In 2025–2026, only 14.9% of students were proficient in English Language Arts (compared to 39.6% statewide) and just 7.1% were proficient in math (compared to 28.2% statewide). This contrast between high graduation and low academic mastery is the defining story of this school.

Math achievement is particularly concerning. Geometry proficiency is just 2.7%, far below the state average of 14.7%, while Algebra I proficiency (11.8%) is close to the state average (12.0%). Overall math proficiency did improve from 3.8% in 2024–2025 to 7.1% in 2025–2026, but it remains in single digits. English Language Arts proficiency, on the other hand, declined from 22.5% to 14.9% over the same period, a drop of 7.6 points that likely contributed to the school losing its 3-star rating from 2023–2024 and falling to 2 stars. The school has also experienced ranking volatility, moving from 19th (3 stars) in 2023–2024 to 26th in 2024–2025, then improving to 22nd in 2025–2026 while its percentile slipped from 39 to 26.

At $36,038 per student (2023–2024), Idea Pcs spends very heavily per pupil, yet test scores remain well below state averages. Because the school is the only one in its district, its proficiency rates are essentially identical to its district rates, meaning the school's performance defines the entire LEA. For parents, the key takeaway is that this school appears effective at keeping students on track to earn a diploma, but the low proficiency rates — especially in math and the recent ELA decline — signal significant gaps in academic readiness. The high spending and low student-teacher ratio suggest resources are available, but they are not currently translating into strong standardized test outcomes.