Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

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.

Brightwood Elementary School

Q: Is Brightwood Elementary School a good school?

Brightwood Elementary School ranks 73 rd of 124 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

73^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Brightwood Elementary School is a District of Columbia Public Schools elementary school in the Brightwood neighborhood of Washington, DC, serving 646 students from Pre-K through Grade 5. The school currently ranks 73rd out of 124 DC elementary schools (41st percentile, 2 stars) for 2025-2026, down from its 2018-2019 ranking of 37th (70th percentile, 4 stars). Brightwood is well-resourced, spending $32,855 per student and maintaining a very low student-teacher ratio of 9:1.

Academically, Brightwood's proficiency rates trail both district and state averages. In English Language Arts, only 20.8% of students are proficient, compared to the DCPS average of 44.1% and the state average of 39.6%. Math proficiency stands at 25.5%, below the DCPS average of 33.3% and the state average of 28.2%. Among nearby schools, Brightwood is the lowest-performing in ELA by a wide margin: Whittier Elementary School posts 69.3% proficiency, Barnard Elementary School 46.6%, John Lewis Elementary School 44.8%, and Takoma Elementary School 27.0%. Math proficiency also declines sharply as students progress, falling from 35.9% in 3rd grade to just 15.3% by 5th grade — half the state average.

Brightwood's high spending and small class sizes have not translated into strong test scores — several nearby schools that spend less per student achieve far higher proficiency. Charter options such as Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS (53.8% ELA) and Center City PCS - Brightwood (43.0% ELA) also outperform the school. That said, there are bright spots: Brightwood ranks 10th out of 80 DC elementary schools (88th percentile) for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds, and it was historically a strong performer with at-risk students. The school has also shown signs of recovery, improving from the 24th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 41st percentile in 2025-2026, with ELA proficiency nearly doubling from 11.8% to 20.8%. Still, it remains well below its pre-pandemic performance, and outcomes for African American students have fallen from the 92nd percentile statewide in 2018-2019 to the 30th percentile today.

646

Students ?

9.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$32,246

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1300 Nicholson St. NW
Washington, DC 20011

(202) 722-5670

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Brightwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ida B. Wells Middle School
High:	Coolidge High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.0%

African American:

28.6%

White:

1.9%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Brightwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 41st percentile in 2015 → 41st in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (23% vs 34% meeting standards)

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

!English Language Arts scores 19 pts below the District Of Columbia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school23%

District avg39%

District Of Columbia avg34%

73^rd of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

47^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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	73 of 124	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.1	97 of 128	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.1	77 of 126	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.4	76 of 128	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.1	76 of 97	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.0	37 of 122	69.7%	★★★★☆
2018	58.6	41 of 120	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.0	45 of 108	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	33.4	61 of 99	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.4	57 of 97	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.8	65 of 109	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	31.6	78 of 112	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	33.4	76 of 111	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.4	69 of 111	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	28.3	67 of 96	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.0	78 of 108	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	88.2	8 of 106	92.5%	★★★★★
2018	69.9	21 of 100	79.0%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2022	72.0	4 of 27	85.2%	★★★★☆
2019	88.3	5 of 91	94.5%	★★★★★
2018	84.6	10 of 90	88.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2024	40.8	12 of 18	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.8	9 of 19	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	23.2	19 of 21	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.7	6 of 25	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	61.1	4 of 25	84.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	62.2	39 of 117	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.2	43 of 110	60.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	32.9	12 of 22	45.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	24.2	26 of 32	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.8	20 of 30	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.9	14 of 22	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.6	15 of 18	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	54.4	9 of 30	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	62.6	6 of 29	79.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	76.4	10 of 80	87.5%	★★★★☆
2025	35.4	66 of 92	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.6	35 of 55	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.7	25 of 53	52.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	58.5	39 of 113	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.1	39 of 113	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	42.2	22 of 45	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.8	14 of 35	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	44.4	37 of 75	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.1	44 of 72	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	29.0	38 of 56	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	24.9	37 of 48	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	26.3	38 of 49	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	36.0	40 of 57	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.3	25 of 57	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	29.5	42 of 57	26.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.8	25 of 56	55.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)88th percentile+46 vs school

At Risk (2022)85th percentile+64 vs school

Female (2019)67th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2019)65th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2019)51st percentile-19 vs school

Hispanic (2026)45th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)33rd percentile-6 vs school

African American (2026)30th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics26%-3 vs state

English Language Arts21%-19 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Brightwood Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Brightwood Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Brightwood Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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
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
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
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
John Lewis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1335 Farragut St NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 576-6226	509	48	10.6	100.0%	136 (26.7%)	209 (41.1%)	130 (25.5%)	13 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.7%)	66.2	34^th of 124 public elementary schools	72.6%		57.3	39^th of 128 public elementary schools	69.5%	5	50.0	47.5	33.3				44.8	60.3	49.2	31.7				49.1	$25,945	$2,688	$23,257
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
Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5000 14th Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 726-6200	572	54	10.6	24.9%	243 (42.5%)	89 (15.6%)	164 (28.7%)	16 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.1%)	77.1	23^rd of 124 public elementary schools	81.5%		80.3	20^th of 128 public elementary schools	84.4%	3		63.0	58.8				53.8	49.3		47.1				45.6	$23,687	$820	$22,867
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
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
Roots PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	15 Kennedy Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Roots PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 882-8073	80	8	10.6	87.7%	0 (0.0%)	80 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	9.1						23.5							17.7	$31,494	$7,618	$23,876
Barnard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	430 Decatur St. NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 576-1100	573	57	10.0	100.0%	61 (10.6%)	224 (39.1%)	263 (45.9%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.5%)	74.4	25^th of 124 public elementary schools	79.8%		61.4	32^nd of 128 public elementary schools	75.0%	7	42.5	50.7	46.3				46.6	59.1	64.2					53.5	$29,584	$2,480	$27,104

Frequently Asked Questions about Brightwood Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Brightwood Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Ida B. Wells Middle School
High : Coolidge High School

What is the racial makeup of Brightwood Elementary School?

Students at Brightwood Elementary School are 69% Hispanic, 29% African American, 2% White.

Is Brightwood Elementary School a good school?

Brightwood Elementary School ranks 73^rd of 124 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Brightwood Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 646 students attended Brightwood Elementary School.

What district is Brightwood Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

Rate Brightwood Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

DCDistrict Of Columbia Elementary School Rankings

DCDistrict Of Columbia District Rankings

Schools in Washington, DC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Brightwood Elementary School!

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.