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

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

Ida B. Wells Middle School

Q: Is Ida B. Wells Middle School a good school?

Ida B. Wells Middle School ranks 38 th of 69 District Of Columbia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Ida B. Wells Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 521 students attended Ida B. Wells Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Ida B. Wells Middle School?

Students at Ida B. Wells Middle School are 50% African American, 45% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Two or more races.

Q: What high school do graduates of Ida B. Wells Middle School attend?

Students who attend Ida B. Wells Middle School usually go on to attend Coolidge High School

Public Grades 6-8

38^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 69 District Of Columbia Middle Schools

Better than 45% of District Of Columbia middle schools

Summary

Ida B. Wells Middle School is a public middle school located in Washington, DC, serving 540 students in grades 6-8. 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.

Ida B. Wells Middle School consistently ranks in the middle range (around 35th out of 69-70 DC middle schools) for overall student performance on the DC CAPE assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics, with proficiency rates ranging from 16.5% to 38.7% in ELA and 2.3% to 20.1% in Math across different grade levels. The school's performance is below the DCPS and DC-wide averages in both subjects. However, the school performs relatively better for its African American student subgroup, ranking around 15th-24th out of DC middle schools. Ida B. Wells Middle School has a higher per-student spending compared to the district and state averages, with spending increasing from $22,925 in 2020-2021 to $26,104 in 2023-2024, and the student-teacher ratio has improved from 13.1 in 2021-2022 to 11.4 in 2023-2024.

Ida B. Wells Middle School's performance is generally on par with or slightly better than the nearby MacFarland Middle School and Brookland Middle School, which have similar demographic profiles and district rankings. However, the school lags behind high-performing public charter middle schools in the area, such as Washington Latin PCS and Friendship PCS - Ideal Middle, which consistently outperform Ida B. Wells Middle School and the district averages in both ELA and Math. The school's performance for its Hispanic and English Language Learner student subgroups is particularly concerning, with these students ranking in the bottom half or bottom third of DC middle schools.

521

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,104

Per pupil spending ?

405 Sheridan St. NW
Washington, DC 20011

(202) 671-0693

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Ida B. Wells Middle School usually attend:

High:

Coolidge High School

Feeder schools for Ida B. Wells Middle School:

Elementary:	Brightwood Elementary School
	LaSalle-Backus Elementary School
	Takoma Elementary School
	Whittier Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.3%

Hispanic:

45.3%

White:

1.9%

See top rated District Of Columbia middle schools

Compare Ida B. Wells Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 63rd percentile in 2022 → 45th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the District Of Columbia average (41% vs 31% meeting standards)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2022

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg36%

District Of Columbia avg31%

38^th of 69

District Of Columbia public middle schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 18 pts since 2022

From top 37% (2022) to bottom 45% (2025)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 14Middle 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	36.8	38 of 69	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.0	35 of 70	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.8	34 of 69	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.0	22 of 59	62.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	59.1	24 of 68	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.6	15 of 42	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.3	20 of 36	44.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.7	15 of 27	44.4%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2022	47.4	16 of 34	52.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2024	27.2	5 of 6	16.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	4 of 7	42.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.5	4 of 6	33.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	12 of 19	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.5	15 of 17	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.1	9 of 14	35.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.9	9 of 14	35.7%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2024	41.8	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2023	35.9	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2022	26.1	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	51.4	27 of 64	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.3	24 of 49	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	15 of 44	65.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	16.7	17 of 18	5.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.5	6 of 6	0.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)65th percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)58th percentile+13 vs school

At Risk (2022)53rd percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2025)37th percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)17th percentile-33 vs school

Special Education (2025)6th percentile-39 vs school

Homeless (2024)<1st percentile-50 vs school

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

Science100%+92 vs state

English Language Arts36%~ state avg

Mathematics16%-10 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Ida B. Wells Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Ida B. Wells 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 Ida B. Wells Middle 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 (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 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 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
Ida B. Wells Middle School	Public	6-8	405 Sheridan St. NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-0693	521	51	10.2		10 (1.9%)	262 (50.3%)	236 (45.3%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	36.8	38^th of 69 public middle schools	44.9%		43	35^th of 70 public middle schools	50.0%	3		1.3				38.7	38.3	31.4	36.1			20.1	16.7	2.3	16.5	$26,104	$4,919	$21,185
Capital City PCS - Middle School	Public, Charter	5-8	100 Peabody Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Capital City PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 808-9800	344	40	8.6		18 (5.2%)	61 (17.7%)	250 (72.7%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)	30.5	43^rd of 69 public middle schools	37.7%		36.7	46^th of 70 public middle schools	34.3%	3	13.6		9.3		16.0	17.4	25.9	23.2	20.6		7.5	9.3	22.6		11.4	$32,709	$3,361	$29,349
Paul PCS - Middle School	Public, Charter	5-8	5800 8th Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Paul PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 291-7499	328	30	11.1		0 (0.0%)	132 (40.2%)	191 (58.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	46.1	29^th of 69 public middle schools	58.0%		48.1	28^th of 70 public middle schools	60.0%	1	17.7				52.9	28.4	45.5	27.2	35.3		23.5	13.4	19.4		13.4	$32,812	$4,765	$28,048
Friendship PCS - Ideal Middle	Public, Charter	4-8	6130 North Capitol Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 518-3928	172	14	12.2		0 (0.0%)	158 (91.9%)	13 (7.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.1	20^th of 69 public middle schools	71.0%		60.2	20^th of 70 public middle schools	71.4%		14.8		8.5	19.0	28.6	45.5	42.9	57.6	37.8	16.7	25.0	29.4	7.1	23.5	20.5	$32,742	$4,884	$27,859
Washington Latin PCS - Middle School	Public, Charter	5-8	5200 2nd Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Washington Latin PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 223-1111	389	26	15.0		194 (49.9%)	99 (25.4%)	57 (14.7%)	10 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	92.1	4^th of 69 public middle schools	94.2%		97.8	3^rd of 70 public middle schools	95.7%	1	40.6	18.4	29.4		67.7	74.2	83.7	72.4	74.5		41.7	57.7	61.3		58.4	$23,849	$838	$23,011
Social Justice PCS	Public, Charter	5-8	333 Kennedy Street NE	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Social Justice PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 968-5380	97	16	6.2		0 (0.0%)	80 (82.5%)	15 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	49	27^th of 69 public middle schools	60.9%		39.5	41^st of 70 public middle schools	41.4%	14						30.4	25.0	54.8	35.2				9.7	29.0	14.4	$35,598	$7,315	$28,283
MacFarland Middle School	Public	6-8	4400 Iowa Ave. NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6033	486	55	8.8		13 (2.7%)	190 (39.1%)	270 (55.6%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	37	37^th of 69 public middle schools	46.4%		42.4	36^th of 70 public middle schools	48.6%	1		4.6				24.1	36.1	37.6	32.6			16.8	17.8	17.0	26.6	$29,496	$4,524	$24,972
E.L. Haynes PCS - Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3600 Georgia Avenue NW	Washington	20010	District Of Columbia	E.L. Haynes PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 667-4446	329	36	9.1		7 (2.1%)	77 (23.4%)	243 (73.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22.6	55^th of 69 public middle schools	20.3%		36.7	48^th of 70 public middle schools	31.4%	7		2.9				24.3	25.4	16.7	22.1			13.5	22.9		17.4	$31,522	$3,520	$28,002
Brookland Middle School	Public	6-8	1150 Michigan Ave NE	Washington	20017	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 759-1999	381	36	10.5		5 (1.3%)	291 (76.4%)	79 (20.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	24.6	50^th of 69 public middle schools	27.5%		27.2	56^th of 70 public middle schools	20.0%	6		1.6				28.0	29.2	27.7	28.3			8.4	8.3	6.3	8.4	$25,193	$4,628	$20,564
Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science PCS	Public, Charter	6-8	405 Howard Road Place NW	Washington	20059	District Of Columbia	Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science P	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 806-7725	271	32	8.4		0 (0.0%)	255 (94.1%)	14 (5.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.1	40^th of 69 public middle schools	42.0%		41.9	37^th of 70 public middle schools	47.1%	3						31.5	34.5	25.6	30.4			25.0	11.8	8.8	14.5	$37,402	$4,726	$32,677

Frequently Asked Questions about Ida B. Wells Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Ida B. Wells Middle School?

Students at Ida B. Wells Middle School are 50% African American, 45% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Two or more races.

Is Ida B. Wells Middle School a good school?

Ida B. Wells Middle School ranks 38^th of 69 District Of Columbia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Ida B. Wells Middle School attend?

Students who attend Ida B. Wells Middle School usually go on to attend Coolidge High School

How many students attend Ida B. Wells Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 521 students attended Ida B. Wells Middle School.

What district is Ida B. Wells Middle School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

Rate Ida B. Wells Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

DCDistrict Of Columbia Middle 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 Ida B. Wells Middle School!

Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

2024–25 DC CAPE test scoresAug 21, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataAug 12, 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.