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

Johnson Middle School

Public Grades 6-8
67th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 68 District Of Columbia Middle Schools
Better than 1% of District Of Columbia middle schools
Summary

Johnson Middle School is a District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) middle school in southeast Washington, DC, serving 307 students in grades 6 through 8. The school currently ranks 66th out of 67 DC middle schools for 2025–2026, placing it in the 1st percentile with a zero-star rating. This is not a one-year anomaly: Johnson has ranked at or near the very bottom of DC's middle school rankings for more than a decade, never exceeding the 12th percentile over the past ten years of available data.

Academically, Johnson's test scores are far below district and state averages. Only 11.8% of students are proficient in English Language Arts, compared with a 44.1% district average, and just 3.6% are proficient in math, versus a 33.3% district average. Every nearby school with reported data outperforms Johnson in ELA, including other DCPS middle schools like Sousa Middle School (20.1%), Hart Middle School (21.7%), and even Kramer Middle School (15.0%). In math, the contrast is even sharper: DC Prep PCS - Anacostia Middle School posts 27.8% math proficiency and Friendship PCS - Southeast Middle reaches 13.7% — both many times higher than Johnson's 3.6%. These nearby charter schools serve students from the same part of the city, demonstrating that much stronger achievement is possible in this community.

One genuine bright spot is Johnson's special education program, which earned a 4-star rating and ranked in the 67th percentile in 2024–2025 — well above the school's overall rating. At the same time, Johnson spends more than $26,000 per student and has a favorable student-teacher ratio near 11.8, yet results remain far below neighboring schools with similar or only slightly higher spending, such as KIPP DC - AIM Academy PCS and Digital Pioneers Academy PCS - Johenning. Compounding the concern, Johnson's ELA and math scores declined from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026 while district averages and many nearby schools improved, meaning the school is falling further behind rather than closing the gap.

307
Students ?
11.8
Student/teacher ratio ?
$29,002
Per pupil spending ?
100%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1400 Bruce Pl. SE
       Washington, DC  20020

(202) 939-3140

District: District of Columbia Public Schools


Students who attend Johnson Middle School usually attend:

High:    Ballou High School

Feeder schools for Johnson Middle School:

Elementary:    Garfield Elementary School
    Malcolm X Elementary School at Green
    Turner Elementary School
Racial breakdown:

African American:
98.0%
Hispanic:
1.6%
White:
0.3%
 See top rated District Of Columbia middle schools

 Compare Johnson Middle School to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 5th percentile in 2014 → 1st in 2026
Strengths
✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (8% vs 34% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)
!English Language Arts scores 28 pts below the District Of Columbia average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school8%
District avg39%
District Of Columbia avg34%
67th of 68
District Of Columbia public middle schools ?
Bottom 1%▼ down 3 pts since 2016
See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
13th of 14Middle Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools
19th 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankDistrict Of Columbia percentileRating
202612.567 of 681.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202515.966 of 694.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202415.767 of 704.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202312.168 of 691.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201918.866 of 7512.0%★☆☆☆☆
201818.166 of 728.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201716.454 of 563.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201617.346 of 484.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201518.847 of 494.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20148.654 of 575.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20129.556 of 571.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20118.656 of 571.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20107.355 of 561.8%☆☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankDistrict Of Columbia percentileRating
202612.062 of 620.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202514.566 of 682.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202413.241 of 422.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201920.349 of 5510.9%★☆☆☆☆
201819.148 of 5512.7%★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankDistrict Of Columbia percentileRating
201926.242 of 5016.0%★☆☆☆☆
201825.437 of 4619.6%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankDistrict Of Columbia percentileRating
201917.047 of 529.6%★☆☆☆☆
201818.348 of 539.4%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankDistrict Of Columbia percentileRating
202612.052 of 520.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202518.260 of 646.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202419.647 of 494.1%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankDistrict Of Columbia percentileRating
201923.445 of 5315.1%★☆☆☆☆
201820.640 of 4918.4%★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankDistrict Of Columbia percentileRating
202560.56 of 1866.7%★★★★☆
201931.727 of 3215.6%★☆☆☆☆
201829.325 of 2913.8%★☆☆☆☆
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)
Special Education (2025)67th percentile+62 vs school
At Risk (2019)16th percentile+4 vs school
Male (2019)15th percentile+3 vs school
Female (2019)10th percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)<1st percentile~ school
African American (2026)<1st percentile~ school
By subject vs District Of Columbia (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts12%-28 vs state
Mathematics4%-25 vs state

★
No ratings yet
Be the first to rate Johnson Middle School and help other families decide.
Rate Johnson Middle 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 Johnson Middle School

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private






Frequently Asked Questions about Johnson Middle School

In the 2024-25 school year, 307 students attended Johnson Middle School.

Students who attend Johnson Middle School usually go on to attend Ballou High School

Johnson Middle School ranks in the bottom 1.5% of District Of Columbia middle schools.

Students at Johnson Middle School are 98% African American, 2% Hispanic.

Rate Johnson Middle School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Johnson Middle 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.

Diagnostics