Summary:
Digital Pioneers Academy PCS is a Washington, DC charter district that operates just one high school, Digital Pioneers Academy PCS - Capitol Hill, located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood at 709 12th Street SE. Serving grades 9 through 12 with 387 students and a 15.7:1 student-teacher ratio, this campus is the sole high school in the network, meaning its performance directly drives the district's high school results.
The school posted a graduation rate of 82.7% in 2024-25, which is above both the district average of 81.0% and the DC state average of 78.7%. However, academic proficiency is a concern. In 2025-26, just 26.9% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and only 9.3% were proficient in mathematics, compared to state averages of 39.6% and 28.2%. End-of-course exams tell a similar story: Algebra I proficiency was 9.6%, Geometry was 9.0%, English I was 28.3%, and English II was 25.3%—all below state averages. The school's ranking also slipped from 10th out of 35 DC high schools with a 4-star rating in 2024-25 to 17th out of 36 with a 3-star rating in 2025-26.
Notably, the school spends a very high $32,602 per student, yet test scores remain below district and state averages and declined year-over-year: ELA proficiency fell from 34.6% to 26.9%, and math proficiency dropped from 11.1% to 9.3%. English II saw the steepest decline, falling from 39.2% to 25.3%. ELA is the relative strength, but both subjects need improvement. The graduation rate suggests students are on track to earn diplomas, but low proficiency scores—especially in math—raise questions about college and career readiness. With no other high school in the network to compare against, all accountability for the district's high school outcomes rests on this single campus.
Thank you for your feedback!