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Shepherd Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

12^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 128 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 91% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Shepherd Elementary School is a public elementary school in Washington, DC, serving 363 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) district, which is ranked 22 out of 46 districts in DC and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shepherd Elementary consistently outperforms the DCPS and DC-wide averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, 72.7% of Shepherd students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 42.5% for DCPS and 37.6% for DC overall. In Mathematics, 62.7% of Shepherd students were proficient or better, compared to 30.8% for DCPS and 26.4% for DC. Shepherd Elementary has been a top-performing school in DC, ranking between 8th and 17th out of over 100 DC elementary schools for the past several years, and earning a 4- or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shepherd Elementary significantly outperforms the nearby Center City PCS - Brightwood, Whittier Elementary School, and Takoma Elementary School in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency. This consistent high performance suggests Shepherd Elementary has effective teaching practices and a supportive learning environment that enables students to excel. The school's relatively high per-student spending of $24,639 in 2023-2024 may also contribute to its strong academic outcomes.

394

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,639

Per pupil spending ?

27.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7800 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20012

(202) 576-6140

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Shepherd Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Deal Middle School
High:	Jackson-Reed High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.9%

White:

31.5%

Two or more races:

14.0%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Shepherd Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 86th percentile in 2014 → 91st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the District Of Columbia average (65% vs 31% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2014

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school65%

District avg36%

District Of Columbia avg31%

12^th of 128

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Top 9%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From top 18% (2015) to top 9% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 76Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

23^rd of 46District of Columbia Public Schools among District Of Columbia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	94.5	12 of 128	90.6%	★★★★★
2024	96.8	8 of 126	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	93.5	14 of 128	89.1%	★★★★☆
2022	87.0	16 of 97	83.5%	★★★★☆
2019	84.0	17 of 122	86.1%	★★★★☆
2018	83.9	21 of 120	82.5%	★★★★☆
2017	84.6	16 of 108	85.2%	★★★★☆
2016	78.9	18 of 99	81.8%	★★★★☆
2015	79.5	17 of 97	82.5%	★★★★☆
2014	85.5	15 of 109	86.2%	★★★★☆
2012	90.3	12 of 112	89.3%	★★★★★
2011	87.2	14 of 111	87.4%	★★★★☆
2010	80.3	25 of 111	77.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	97.7	3 of 108	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	98.5	2 of 63	96.8%	★★★★★
2022	89.2	2 of 35	94.3%	★★★★★
2019	91.9	4 of 106	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	91.7	7 of 100	93.0%	★★★★★

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2018	77.7	16 of 90	82.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	79.2	20 of 117	82.9%	★★★★☆
2018	84.3	19 of 110	82.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	84.3	14 of 113	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	79.4	22 of 113	80.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2024	71.2	7 of 26	73.1%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2025)97th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2019)88th percentile~ school

Female (2019)83rd percentile-3 vs school

At Risk (2018)82nd percentile~ school

White (2024)73rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts73%+35 vs state

Mathematics63%+36 vs state

Science50%+30 vs state

4.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, February 11, 2019

Wonderful teachers and principal and an involved parent community. I feel so lucky my baby goes here! Close Quote

Schools Near Shepherd Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				DC Science Science (2025)			DC CAPE English Language Arts (2025)							DC CAPE Mathematics (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC Science Science 5th Grade	DC Science Science 8th Grade	DC Science Science All Grades	DC CAPE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 4th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 5th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 6th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 7th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 8th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts All Grades	DC CAPE Mathematics 3rd Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 4th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 5th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 6th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 7th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 8th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Shepherd Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7800 14th St NW	Washington	20012	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 576-6140	394	30	13.1		124 (31.5%)	177 (44.9%)	30 (7.6%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (14.0%)	94.5	12^th of 128 public elementary schools	90.6%		96.8	8^th of 126 public elementary schools	93.7%	4	50.0			66.7	78.8	70.2				72.7	64.6	60.6	63.8				62.7	$24,639	$3,945	$20,694
Takoma Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7010 Piney Branch Rd. NW	Washington	20012	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6050	483	49	9.8		53 (11.0%)	253 (52.4%)	153 (31.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)	47.2	47^th of 128 public elementary schools	63.3%		44.3	57^th of 126 public elementary schools	54.8%	10	31.3			25.4	30.9	35.4				30.0	25.4	29.1	35.4				29.4	$28,743	$4,206	$24,537
Breakthrough Montessori PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	6923 Willow Street NW	Washington	20012	District Of Columbia	Breakthrough Montessori PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 864-1979	383	23	16.6		127 (33.2%)	181 (47.3%)	28 (7.3%)	14 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.4%)	33.4	76^th of 128 public elementary schools	40.6%		42.7	61^st of 126 public elementary schools	51.6%	15	15.4			24.3	37.1	33.3	16.7			29.2	18.9	13.9					13.3	$27,545	$1,128	$26,417
Center City PCS - Brightwood	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	6008 Georgia Avenue NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Center City PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 723-3322	269	29	9.4		1 (0.4%)	157 (58.4%)	103 (38.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	54	42^nd of 128 public elementary schools	67.2%		56.6	40^th of 126 public elementary schools	68.3%	2	19.2		9.8	20.8	37.5	34.6	40.9	47.8	52.0	38.9	25.0	50.0	30.8	40.9	26.1	40.0	35.4	$27,658	$4,846	$22,812
Whittier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6201 5th St. NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 576-6156	450	45	9.9		64 (14.2%)	251 (55.8%)	108 (24.0%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.6%)	72	23^rd of 128 public elementary schools	82.0%		66.6	28^th of 126 public elementary schools	77.8%	5	18.4			58.3	52.4	34.7				48.2	58.3	66.7	40.8				54.7	$28,473	$4,532	$23,941
Friendship PCS - Online Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-8	1351 Nicholson Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	Yes	(202) 729-8287	366	15	24.4		6 (1.6%)	314 (85.8%)	26 (7.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.4%)	13.7	125^th of 128 public elementary schools	2.3%		22.6	107^th of 126 public elementary schools	15.1%	18				6.5		15.2	6.3	26.0	24.5	14.9			9.1		6.0		4.0	$39,525	$4,926	$34,599
Brightwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Nicholson St. NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 722-5670	646	71	9.0		12 (1.9%)	185 (28.6%)	446 (69.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	24.1	97^th of 128 public elementary schools	24.2%		33.1	77^th of 126 public elementary schools	38.9%	20	10.1			10.9	12.2	12.7				11.8	30.4	16.9	18.1				22.3	$32,855	$4,092	$28,762
Creative Minds International PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3700 North Capitol Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Creative Minds International PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 588-0370	530	52	10.1		77 (14.5%)	287 (54.2%)	137 (25.8%)	7 (1.3%)	7 (1.3%)	3 (0.6%)	12 (2.3%)	33.3	77^th of 128 public elementary schools	39.8%		36.4	70^th of 126 public elementary schools	44.4%	7	17.1	10.7	14.3	21.4	41.3	23.7	24.1	30.4	37.9	29.0	21.4	21.7	18.9	11.5	20.9	17.9	18.7	$33,517	$2,039	$31,478
Friendship PCS - Ideal Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	6130 North Capitol Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 518-3928	212	17	12.4		1 (0.5%)	196 (92.5%)	14 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)				24.4						24.4	19.5						19.5	$32,742	$4,884	$27,859
Capital City PCS - Lower School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	100 Peabody Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Capital City PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 808-9800	323	27	12.1		18 (5.6%)	61 (18.9%)	232 (71.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	19.3	108^th of 128 public elementary schools	15.6%		27	97^th of 126 public elementary schools	23.0%	11					18.0					11.2	12.5	14.0					13.3	$32,709	$3,361	$29,349

Frequently Asked Questions about Shepherd Elementary School

What district is Shepherd Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

How many students attend Shepherd Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 394 students attended Shepherd Elementary School.

Is Shepherd Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Shepherd Elementary School ranks in the top 9.4% of District Of Columbia elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Shepherd Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Shepherd Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Deal Middle School
High : Jackson-Reed High School

What is the racial makeup of Shepherd Elementary School?

Students at Shepherd Elementary School are 45% African American, 31% White, 14% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.