DC Prep PCS

DC Prep PCS is a public charter school network in Washington, DC, serving 2,181 students across 6 schools—3 elementary campuses serving pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade and 3 middle schools serving grades 4 through 8. The network ranks 12th out of 46 DC districts, placing in the 74th percentile with 4 stars, though there is wide variation between campuses.

The standout school is Edgewood Middle School, which ranks 11th of 67 DC middle schools (84th percentile) and leads the network in both ELA (45.9%) and math (34.8%) proficiency. It also has the lowest student-teacher ratio at 9.6 and previously earned a 5-star rating. Among elementary schools, Benning Elementary School is the strongest, posting all-grades ELA proficiency of 39.0% and math of 31.2%, both above DC averages. Anacostia Middle School is the most inconsistent: its 6th grade math proficiency of 46.0% is the network's best grade-level result, yet its 5th grade ELA sits at just 18.6%.

Families should be aware of a few concerns. Anacostia Elementary School posts the network's lowest scores, with 3rd grade ELA at just 19.1% versus the DC average of 31.1%. Edgewood Elementary School also trails significantly in ELA at 20.6%. Science is a network-wide weakness—all three middle schools score below the DC average, with proficiency ranging from 6.0% to 8.3% versus 13.4% district-wide. Higher spending does not guarantee better results: Anacostia Middle School spends the most per student ($32,907) but posts mid-tier scores, while Benning Middle School spends the least ($26,762) yet achieves competitive outcomes. Overall, DC Prep PCS is a solidly performing network carried largely by Edgewood Middle, and its biggest opportunity lies in replicating that school's success while addressing early literacy gaps and the elementary-to-middle-school math transition.