District of Columbia Public Schools

District of Columbia Public Schools serves approximately 51,481 students across 115 schools in Washington, D.C., including 79 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 20 high schools, and 2 alternative schools spanning pre-K through 12th grade. The district reveals stark contrasts in academic performance: the simple average of school-level ELA proficiency is about 37.8% and math proficiency about 31.2%, while the district-reported figures are 44.1% and 33.3%, respectively. Top schools achieve proficiency rates two to three times the district average, while many schools east of the Anacostia River report math proficiency below 5%, creating one of the most unequal school systems in the region.

Standout elementary schools include Ross Elementary, ranking #1 with 84.4% ELA and 87.1% math proficiency, followed by Janney Elementary, Lafayette Elementary, Key Elementary, and Maury Elementary — all earning 5-star ratings. Deal Middle School is the top middle school with 81.0% ELA and 73.7% math proficiency. At the high school level, School Without Walls High School posts the highest ELA proficiency in the entire dataset at 95.9%, while Benjamin Banneker High School combines 85.6% ELA proficiency with a 100% graduation rate and relatively modest spending of $21,072 per student. McKinley Technology High School leads comprehensive high schools with a 98.2% graduation rate.

Several important patterns emerge from the data. First, spending alone does not explain performance: Anacostia High School spends $46,589 per student yet posts just 8.9% ELA proficiency, while high-performing schools like Deal Middle School, Janney Elementary School, and Benjamin Banneker High School achieve top results with $21,000–$26,000 per student. Second, science proficiency is a quiet crisis, with district 8th grade science at just 10.8% and several schools below 2%. Third, graduation rates can mask low academic readiness — Ballou High School posts an 88.9% graduation rate but only 3.0% math proficiency. Finally, smaller specialized schools are outperforming large comprehensive high schools, though MacFarland Middle School shows rapid improvement, jumping from rank #37 to #21.