Summary:
Creative Minds International PCS is the only school in the Creative Minds International PCS district, a public charter elementary school in Washington, DC, serving grades PK through 8 with 530 students. The school has consistently ranked in the lower-middle tier of DC schools, holding a 2-star rating for three consecutive years with percentile ranks between the 40th and 44th percentile. Its 2025–2026 rank of 72 out of 124 schools represents a slight recovery from the prior year, but overall performance has plateaued.
In English Language Arts, Creative Minds International PCS outperforms its own district but trails the state, with an all-grades proficiency rate of 31.2% versus 39.6% statewide. The school shows a notable strength in 3rd grade ELA at 36.6%, which matches the state average, but a sharp drop-off occurs in 5th grade, where proficiency falls to just 14.7%—a 20-point decline from 4th grade and far below the state's 39.9%. Mathematics is a more serious concern: all-grades math proficiency is only 16.2% compared to 28.2% across DC. Particularly alarming is 5th grade math, where just 6.1% of students are proficient versus 30.1% statewide. Science performance is a bright spot, essentially matching the state average at 14.29%.
From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, ELA proficiency improved by 2.2 points while math declined by 2.5 points, suggesting the school's focus may be shifting toward literacy. The school spends $33,517 per student and maintains a favorable 10.1:1 student-teacher ratio, yet these resources have not translated into strong test results, particularly in mathematics. For parents, this school offers solid early literacy instruction but raises concerns about the 5th-grade transition year and persistent math challenges. The most urgent priorities should be addressing the 5th-grade ELA drop, improving math proficiency across all grades, and breaking through the current ranking plateau.
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