Summary:
KIPP Dc Pcs operates 19 public charter schools in Washington, D.C., serving roughly 7,151 students from early childhood through high school, including 11 elementary schools (5 of them PK–K academies without test data), 6 middle schools, and 2 high schools. The network ranks 33rd out of 46 D.C. districts, placing it in the 28th percentile with a 2-star rating. While proficiency rates across the network generally trail D.C. state averages—especially in math—individual campuses vary widely, and a few are genuine standouts.
The top high school is KIPP DC - College Preparatory PCS, ranked 16th of 36 high schools (56th percentile, 3 stars), with the network's best high school ELA proficiency (31.9%), an 86.4% graduation rate, and an improving trajectory. At the elementary level, KIPP DC - Promise Academy PCS is the only network school above the D.C. state average in a tested subject, posting 36.3% math proficiency versus 28.2% statewide and ranking 59th of 124 elementary schools. Among middle schools, KIPP DC - KEY Academy PCS leads the network at 34th of 67, with the highest middle school ELA (31.1%) and math (20.8%) scores. KIPP DC - Northeast Academy PCS and KIPP DC - Quest Academy PCS are the most improved, with strong year-over-year gains.
The most striking concern is the math pipeline: elementary students at Promise Academy test at 36.3%, but middle school math drops to 20.8% at KEY Academy, and high school math nearly disappears at 5.8% at College Preparatory and just 2.7% at KIPP DC - Legacy College Preparatory PCS. Meanwhile, graduation rates at both high schools (86.4%) exceed the state average (78.7%), which raises questions about college readiness. Large gaps also exist within the network: elementary math ranges from 36.3% at Promise to 14.7% at KIPP DC - Heights Academy PCS, and high school ELA spans from 31.9% at College Prep to 21.5% at Legacy. Notably, spending does not predict success—Promise spends near the network median ($26,266) with a higher student–teacher ratio, while KIPP DC - Pride Academy PCS spends the most ($41,366 per student) as a PK–K school with no test data.
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