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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.

KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS

Public, Charter Grades 1-4

95^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 23% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

KIPP DC – Lead Academy PCS is a public charter elementary school in Washington, DC's Shaw neighborhood serving 343 students in grades 1–4 as part of the KIPP DC PCS network. Because it only covers grades 1–4, its test results come from just two tested grades (3rd and 4th), which can make scores swing more widely from year to year. The school has experienced a dramatic performance reversal over the past several years: from 2015–2016 through 2018–2019, it consistently ranked in the top 20 schools in DC with 4-star ratings, but since 2021–2022 it has fallen to the bottom quarter of DC schools, now ranking 95th of 124 with a 1-star rating for 2025–2026.

The school's biggest challenge is reading. In 2025–2026, just 13.7% of KIPP DC – Lead Academy PCS students scored proficient in English language arts, well below the DC average of 39.6% and far behind nearby schools including Garrison Elementary School (46.2%), Seaton Elementary School (40.0%), Thomson Elementary School (37.7%), and Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS - J.F. Cook (43.2%). Math is a relative bright spot by comparison: 19.4% proficiency in 2025–2026 was above the KIPP DC PCS district average of 15.2%, and in 2024–2025 the school reached 27.4%—slightly above the DC state average that year.

This decline is school-specific, not part of a broader neighborhood trend, as nearby schools have largely held steady or improved. Spending does not explain the gap either: at $27,417 per student, Lead Academy's funding is in line with higher-performing neighbors like Garrison Elementary School ($27,364) and Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS - J.F. Cook ($27,285), and well below some lower-performing nearby schools like Thomson Elementary School ($30,791) and Friendship PCS - Armstrong Elementary ($33,146). Given the school's history of strong results, the current performance is particularly striking, and families comparing elementary options in this cluster will want to look closely at reading outcomes.

343

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$29,080

Per pupil spending ?

99.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

421 P Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

(202) 469-3300

District: KIPP Dc Pcs

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.3%

Hispanic:

3.8%

White:

0.3%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2016 → 23rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (17% vs 34% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 61 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg19%

District Of Columbia avg34%

95^th of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 23%▼ down 60 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to bottom 23% (2026)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the KIPP Dc Pcs

33^rd of 46KIPP Dc Pcs 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	19.7	95 of 124	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.4	80 of 128	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.1	96 of 126	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.7	99 of 128	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.6	88 of 97	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	79.2	20 of 122	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	87.8	17 of 120	85.8%	★★★★☆
2017	79.1	19 of 108	82.4%	★★★★☆
2016	84.3	16 of 99	83.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	58 of 96	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.4	52 of 108	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	90.6	5 of 106	95.3%	★★★★★
2018	95.7	2 of 100	98.0%	★★★★★

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	83.3	6 of 91	93.4%	★★★★★
2018	94.3	3 of 90	96.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	81.6	16 of 117	86.3%	★★★★☆
2018	86.7	17 of 110	84.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	36 of 80	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.6	50 of 92	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.8	41 of 55	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	45 of 53	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	70.8	25 of 113	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	83.3	17 of 113	85.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	54.9	15 of 45	66.7%	★★★★☆
2018	65.1	9 of 35	74.3%	★★★★☆

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)

At Risk (2019)93rd percentile+10 vs school

Female (2019)86th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2019)78th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2019)67th percentile-17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile+32 vs school

African American (2026)40th percentile+16 vs school

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

Mathematics19%-9 vs state

English Language Arts14%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS

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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
KIPP DC - Grow Academy PCS	Public, Charter	PK-K	421 P Street NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 986-4769	224	17	12.8	99.1%	2 (0.9%)	217 (96.9%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)															$31,753	$3,216	$28,537
KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS	Public, Charter	1-4	421 P Street NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 469-3300	343	29	11.6	99.3%	1 (0.3%)	327 (95.3%)	13 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19.7	95^th of 124 public elementary schools	23.4%		32.4	80^th of 128 public elementary schools	37.5%	15	14.4	12.8					13.7	18.0						19.4	$29,080	$3,900	$25,180
Friendship PCS - Armstrong Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	111 O Street NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 518-3928	239	23	10.3	99.5%	0 (0.0%)	230 (96.2%)	9 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	24.5							27.7							$37,128	$3,012	$34,117
Center City PCS - Shaw	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	711 N Street NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	Center City PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 234-1093	202	25	8.2	84.0%	2 (1.0%)	133 (65.8%)	61 (30.2%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	14.9	115^th of 124 public elementary schools	7.3%		23.6	98^th of 128 public elementary schools	23.4%	17	6.2	8.3		14.9	13.6	18.6	11.5	6.1	8.3	14.3		13.6	11.2	11.5	$31,549	$2,214	$29,335
Seaton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1503 10th St. NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 673-7215	390	43	9.1	100.0%	88 (22.6%)	121 (31.0%)	147 (37.7%)	24 (6.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	60.6	40^th of 124 public elementary schools	67.7%		41.7	53^rd of 128 public elementary schools	58.6%	13	45.4	43.8	27.7				40.0	65.9	40.7	27.5				47.6	$30,570	$2,365	$28,205
Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS - J.F. Cook	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	30 P Street NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 750-7060	563	49	11.4	30.5%	142 (25.2%)	166 (29.5%)	203 (36.1%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.2%)	66.1	35^th of 124 public elementary schools	71.8%		57.6	38^th of 128 public elementary schools	70.3%	3	31.4	52.1	49.9				43.2	47.7	43.8	44.5				45.6	$30,837	$2,869	$27,968
Cleveland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1825 8th St. NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-4380	301	35	8.6	100.0%	12 (4.0%)	152 (50.5%)	127 (42.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.0%)	27.3	80^th of 124 public elementary schools	35.5%		36.6	69^th of 128 public elementary schools	46.1%	11		20.0	41.4				25.5	17.1	6.7					17.0	$32,257	$2,543	$29,714
Walker-Jones Education Campus	Public	PK, KG-8	1125 New Jersey Ave. NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-5934	292	36	8.1	100.0%	1 (0.3%)	275 (94.2%)	9 (3.1%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	27.6	79^th of 124 public elementary schools	36.3%		28	89^th of 128 public elementary schools	30.5%	10	3.0		18.2	37.5	29.6	39.1	23.9		14.9			14.9	4.4	9.7	$33,367	$2,760	$30,606
Garrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 S St. NW	Washington	20009	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 673-7263	395	41	9.6	100.0%	99 (25.1%)	186 (47.1%)	80 (20.3%)	17 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	69.3	29^th of 124 public elementary schools	76.6%		67.4	29^th of 128 public elementary schools	77.3%		47.7	46.6	44.4				46.2	61.4	42.2	40.0				47.8	$29,606	$2,426	$27,180
Thomson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 L St. NW	Washington	20005	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 898-4660	259	32	8.2	100.0%	23 (8.9%)	78 (30.1%)	129 (49.8%)	11 (4.2%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.0%)	47.2	53^rd of 124 public elementary schools	57.3%		50.2	45^th of 128 public elementary schools	64.8%	8	29.6	27.3					37.7	44.4	32.3					31.4	$31,708	$2,413	$29,295

Frequently Asked Questions about KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS

Is KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS a good school?

KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS ranks in the bottom 23.4% of District Of Columbia elementary schools.

What district is KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS in?

KIPP Dc Pcs

How many students attend KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS?

In the 2024-25 school year, 343 students attended KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS.

What is the racial makeup of KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS?

Students at KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS are 95% African American, 4% Hispanic.

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Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewSep 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.