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Patterson Elementary School

Q: Is Patterson Elementary School a good school?

Patterson Elementary School ranks 66 th of 128 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

66^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 128 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 48% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Patterson Elementary School is a public elementary school in Washington, DC, serving 253 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 the state.

Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio and increasing per-student spending, Patterson Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of DC elementary schools, with only 26.2% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 42.5% for DCPS and 37.6% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low in 5th grade, where only 12% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts and 10.4% in Mathematics. Nearby schools, such as Simon Elementary, King Elementary, and Leckie Education Campus, also perform below the district and state averages in academic achievement.

However, some nearby charter schools, like Center City PCS - Congress Heights, have significantly higher academic performance, with proficiency rates exceeding the district and state averages. This suggests that the additional resources and support provided to students at Patterson Elementary School may not be effectively translating into improved student outcomes, and the school may need to implement more targeted interventions and strategies to address the root causes of its underperformance.

238

Students ?

8.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$36,386

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4399 South Capitol Terr. SW
Washington, DC 20032

(202) 939-5280

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Patterson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hart Middle School
High:	Ballou High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.5%

Hispanic:

2.1%

Two or more races:

0.4%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Patterson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 1st percentile in 2014 → 48th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 47 percentile points since 2014

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (22% vs 32% meeting standards)

!English Language Arts scores 11 pts below the District Of Columbia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg37%

District Of Columbia avg32%

66^th of 128

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▲ up 27 pts since 2015

From bottom 22% (2015) to bottom 48% (2025)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

41^st 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	37.0	66 of 128	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.8	59 of 126	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	28.1	90 of 128	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.6	75 of 97	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	108 of 122	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.5	113 of 120	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	20.2	92 of 108	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.4	92 of 99	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	23.1	76 of 97	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	9.0	108 of 109	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	22.5	90 of 112	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.8	90 of 111	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	33.7	75 of 111	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	48.8	47 of 108	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	21.6	54 of 63	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.4	38 of 60	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.0	28 of 35	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.9	96 of 106	9.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.0	93 of 100	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	26.3	76 of 91	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.2	81 of 90	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	16.1	109 of 117	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	104 of 110	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	65.3	20 of 92	78.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	22.1	98 of 113	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.1	102 of 113	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)78th percentile+30 vs school

African American (2025)56th percentile+8 vs school

At Risk (2019)16th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2019)13th percentile~ school

Female (2019)7th percentile-5 vs school

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

English Language Arts26%-11 vs state

Mathematics18%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Patterson 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 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
Patterson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4399 South Capitol Terr. SW	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-5280	238	29	8.2		0 (0.0%)	232 (97.5%)	5 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	37	66^th of 128 public elementary schools	48.4%		42.8	59^th of 126 public elementary schools	53.2%	7			20.0	44.8	12.0				26.2	22.6	24.1					17.6	$36,386	$4,949	$31,436
Leckie Education Campus	Public	PK, KG-8	4201 M.L. King Ave. SW	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 645-3330	453	39	11.7		9 (2.0%)	417 (92.1%)	15 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (2.0%)	21.7	102^nd of 128 public elementary schools	20.3%		42.8	60^th of 126 public elementary schools	52.4%	42	5.0		20.0	30.2	21.1	9.8	33.3	23.3	23.3	13.3	17.8	12.5	5.0	13.6	6.8	11.5	$27,023	$4,571	$22,452
Ingenuity Prep PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4600 Livingston Road SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Ingenuity Prep PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-0391	797	96	8.3		0 (0.0%)	784 (98.4%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	24.4	96^th of 128 public elementary schools	25.0%		31.9	80^th of 126 public elementary schools	36.5%	16		2.1	13.9	23.8	27.4	22.7	41.0	31.0	26.1	22.2	12.8	9.6	5.3	11.5	11.3	12.1	$31,208	$5,675	$25,533
Hendley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	425 Chesapeake St. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 645-3450	276	29	9.5		0 (0.0%)	249 (90.2%)	24 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	15.1	122^nd of 128 public elementary schools	4.7%		15.6	124^th of 126 public elementary schools	1.6%	2			12.1	14.0	10.5				12.4	18.2	10.0					9.9	$33,572	$4,783	$28,790
Learn Dc Pcs	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	100 Duncan Street SW	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Learn Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 949-0930	290	22	12.9		80 (27.6%)	98 (33.8%)	68 (23.4%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	37 (12.8%)	57	40^th of 128 public elementary schools	68.8%					(n/a)			28.6	47.6					38.1	23.8	47.6					35.7	$36,915	$11,306	$25,609
Simon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	401 Mississippi Ave. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 645-3360	231	26	8.8		0 (0.0%)	208 (90.0%)	21 (9.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	18.3	112^th of 128 public elementary schools	12.5%		22.3	110^th of 126 public elementary schools	12.7%	2			6.9	12.1	24.0				13.8	10.3		12.0				8.0	$32,922	$5,054	$27,868
Early Childhood Academy PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	885 Barnaby Street SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Early Childhood Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 373-0035	281	17	16.5		0 (0.0%)	260 (92.5%)	10 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.9%)								(n/a)			45.0						45.0	27.5						27.5	$35,223	$4,033	$31,190
Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS - Wahler Place Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	908 Wahler Place SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-1307	409	32	12.7		0 (0.0%)	387 (94.6%)	13 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	28.5	87^th of 128 public elementary schools	32.0%		20.9	116^th of 126 public elementary schools	7.9%	29			13.3	25.5	16.7	32.4			21.5	24.4	13.7		14.7			14.5	$37,143	$4,265	$32,878
Center City PCS - Congress Heights	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	220 Highview Place SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Center City PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-7070	251	20	12.4		5 (2.0%)	223 (88.8%)	11 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.4%)	58.5	37^th of 128 public elementary schools	71.1%		61.9	32^nd of 126 public elementary schools	74.6%	5	19.1	12.2	50.0	37.5	52.4	45.5	38.1	60.0	47.0	12.5	33.3	28.6	40.9	47.6	70.0	37.9	$28,266	$4,846	$23,419
King Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 6th St. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-4900	193	25	7.7		0 (0.0%)	192 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	17.3	115^th of 128 public elementary schools	10.2%		29.6	86^th of 126 public elementary schools	31.7%	29			13.6	13.6	12.5				13.2	13.6	13.6	9.4				11.8	$32,988	$4,837	$28,152

Frequently Asked Questions about Patterson Elementary School

How many students attend Patterson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 238 students attended Patterson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Patterson Elementary School?

Students at Patterson Elementary School are 97% African American, 2% Hispanic.

Is Patterson Elementary School a good school?

Patterson Elementary School ranks 66^th of 128 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Patterson Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Hart Middle School
High : Ballou High School

What district is Patterson Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

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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.