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Test scores delayed: 2025-2026 science scores will be released by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education in October, at which point rankings will be updated.

Shepherd Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

12^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Shepherd Elementary School in Washington, DC, serves 394 students in grades PK through 5 and is part of District of Columbia Public Schools. In the 2025–2026 school year, Shepherd ranked 12th out of 124 DC elementary schools, placing it in the 90th percentile with a 5-star rating. The school's academic performance far exceeds district and state averages: 72.3% of students are proficient in ELA compared to 44.1% districtwide, and 66.1% are proficient in math versus 33.3% districtwide. Science achievement is particularly impressive, with 50% of 5th graders proficient compared to just 23.7% for the district.

Compared to nearby schools, Shepherd stands out dramatically. Just 0.9 miles away, Takoma Elementary posts only 27.0% ELA proficiency and 24.0% math proficiency — less than half of Shepherd's rates. Brightwood Elementary, 1.7 miles away, is similarly low at 20.8% ELA. The closest competitor is Whittier Elementary, which ranks 14th in the city with 69.3% ELA proficiency, slightly below Shepherd on literacy but ahead on math at 72.9%. Shepherd also outpaces nearby charter options, including Sela PCS (46.3% ELA) and Breakthrough Montessori PCS, which rank in the middle of the pack citywide.

Perhaps most notable is how Shepherd achieves these results. The school spends less per student ($24,639) than every nearby school with available data, including Whittier ($28,473) and Takoma ($28,743), and maintains a higher student–teacher ratio. This efficiency, combined with a decade of consistent excellence — Shepherd has ranked in the 80th–94th percentile every year since 2014–2015 — points to strong instructional practices and school culture rather than extraordinary resources. Shepherd also delivers exceptional outcomes for African American students, ranking in the 96th percentile statewide for this subgroup. For parents seeking a proven, high-performing elementary school in DC, Shepherd is a standout choice.

394

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,042

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 — 82nd percentile in 2015 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the District Of Columbia average (69% vs 34% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg39%

District Of Columbia avg34%

12^th of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 74Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

19^th 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
2026	93.7	12 of 124	90.3%	★★★★★
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
2026	96.8	4 of 96	95.8%	★★★★★
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 (2026)96th percentile+6 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 (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts72%+33 vs state

Mathematics66%+38 vs state

4.7

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Friday, August 21, 2026

Excellent school. Close Quote

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

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DC CAPE English Language Arts (2026)							DC CAPE Mathematics (2026)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2016)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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	27.9%	124 (31.5%)	177 (44.9%)	30 (7.6%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (14.0%)	93.7	12^th of 124 public elementary schools	90.3%		94.5	12^th of 128 public elementary schools	90.6%		74.5	75.0	68.3				72.3	74.5		70.0				66.1	$24,042	$2,077	$21,965
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	100.0%	53 (11.0%)	253 (52.4%)	153 (31.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)	35.7	67^th of 124 public elementary schools	46.0%		47.2	47^th of 128 public elementary schools	63.3%	20	32.8	25.0	22.2				27.0	36.2	15.6	20.0				24.0	$30,205	$2,455	$27,750
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%)	36.2	66^th of 124 public elementary schools	46.8%		33.4	76^th of 128 public elementary schools	40.6%	10	12.5	42.8	41.4				30.5	18.8		13.8				16.6	$30,225	$2,253	$27,972
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	74.6%	1 (0.4%)	157 (58.4%)	103 (38.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)								(n/a)					82.6	55.6	43.0	53.9	45.9				33.4	38.0	$28,502	$2,177	$26,325
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	100.0%	64 (14.2%)	251 (55.8%)	108 (24.0%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.6%)	92.5	14^th of 124 public elementary schools	88.7%		72	23^rd of 128 public elementary schools	82.0%	9	51.3	83.0	72.9				69.3	77.0	76.2	64.8				72.9	$28,710	$2,421	$26,289
Friendship PCS - Online Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-8	6200 Kansas Avenue NE	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	Yes	(202) 729-8287	366	15	24.4	98.5%	6 (1.6%)	314 (85.8%)	26 (7.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.4%)	26.5	82^nd of 124 public elementary schools	33.9%		13.7	125^th of 128 public elementary schools	2.3%	43		14.3	10.0	41.2	36.6	45.0	27.6	3.5	3.0	2.8	25.0	10.3	12.5	9.5	$30,610	$1,704	$28,906
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	100.0%	12 (1.9%)	185 (28.6%)	446 (69.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	31.5	73^rd of 124 public elementary schools	41.1%		24.1	97^th of 128 public elementary schools	24.2%	24	18.1	22.6	21.1				20.8	35.9	24.7	15.3				25.5	$32,246	$2,458	$29,788
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	21.9%	77 (14.5%)	287 (54.2%)	137 (25.8%)	7 (1.3%)	7 (1.3%)	3 (0.6%)	12 (2.3%)	32.4	72^nd of 124 public elementary schools	41.9%		33.3	77^th of 128 public elementary schools	39.8%	5	36.6	34.8	14.7	25.7	34.2	38.3	31.2		15.6	6.1		15.0	12.1	16.2	$36,168	$1,786	$34,382
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)	19.0							38.0							$36,223	$2,479	$33,744
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	64.5%	18 (5.6%)	61 (18.9%)	232 (71.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	17	109^th of 124 public elementary schools	12.1%		19.3	108^th of 128 public elementary schools	15.6%	1	7.7	16.6					12.0	11.5	12.5					12.0	$36,666	$2,087	$34,578

Frequently Asked Questions about Shepherd Elementary School

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.

How many students attend Shepherd Elementary School?

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

What district is Shepherd Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

Is Shepherd Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Shepherd Elementary School ranks in the top 9.7% of District Of Columbia elementary schools.

Rate Shepherd Elementary School!

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Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataSep 2, 2026

2025–26 DC CAPE test scoresAug 20, 2026

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

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.