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Center City PCS - Shaw

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

115^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Center City PCS - Shaw is a small public charter school in Washington, DC's Shaw neighborhood, serving 202 students in grades PK-8. The school is part of the Center City PCS network, which ranks 30th out of 46 DC districts. Historically a mid-tier school, Center City PCS - Shaw declined sharply in recent years, falling to 115th out of 124 DC schools (7th percentile) with a 0-star rating in 2025-26 — a major drop from its previous 3-star ratings.

Academically, the school is now among the lowest-performing in the immediate area. In 2025-26, only 11.5% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and 11.5% in math, far below state averages of 39.6% ELA and 28.2% math. Early elementary grades are especially weak: 3rd grade ELA proficiency was just 6.2% and math 6.1%. Nearby schools paint a very different picture — School-Within-School at Goding posted 76.3% ELA and 76.4% math, while Garrison Elementary School scored 46.2% ELA and 47.8% math. Even KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS outperformed Center City in 3rd grade math (18.0% vs. 6.1%). Center City now ranks below every nearby school with a state ranking, including Walker-Jones Education Campus, Seaton Elementary School, and Thomson Elementary School.

The decline is especially notable because resources are not the issue. Center City spends $29,970 per student — more than Garrison Elementary School ($27,364), Seaton Elementary School ($28,778), and School-Within-School at Goding ($27,522) — while maintaining a low student-teacher ratio of 8.2:1. The school previously showed real strength in serving at-risk students, ranking in the 80th percentile as recently as 2021-22, but that strength has not been maintained. Middle school grades are relatively stronger — 8th grade ELA at 18.6% and math at 11.2% — but still far below state averages, and the school trails its own network average in nearly every subject. For parents exploring options in Shaw, nearby schools such as School-Within-School at Goding, Garrison Elementary School, and Seaton Elementary School are delivering far stronger academic outcomes with less spending per student.

202

Students ?

8.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$29,970

Per pupil spending ?

84%

Free/discounted lunch ?

711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

(202) 234-1093

District: Center City PCS

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.8%

Hispanic:

30.2%

Two or more races:

1.5%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Center City PCS - Shaw to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2014 → 7th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (12% vs 34% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 51 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg26%

District Of Columbia avg34%

Elementary school

115^th of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 51 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to bottom 7% (2026)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

60^th of 67

District Of Columbia public middle schools ?

Bottom 10%▼ down 73 pts since 2016

From top 17% (2016) to bottom 10% (2026)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Center City PCS

30^th of 46Center City 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	14.9	115 of 124	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	23.6	98 of 128	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.9	53 of 126	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.8	58 of 128	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.2	32 of 97	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.7	61 of 122	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.9	56 of 120	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	50.6	41 of 99	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	28.8	63 of 97	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.6	46 of 109	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	32.6	76 of 112	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	29.0	83 of 111	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.5	82 of 111	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	14.6	94 of 96	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	37.5	69 of 108	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.3	14 of 63	77.8%	★★★★☆
2023	51.0	27 of 60	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	84.2	3 of 35	91.4%	★★★★★
2019	49.1	50 of 106	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.9	48 of 100	52.0%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2022	71.7	5 of 27	81.5%	★★★★☆
2019	69.5	18 of 91	80.2%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	18 of 90	80.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2022	57.5	7 of 21	66.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	39.1	69 of 117	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.2	64 of 110	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	20.8	29 of 32	9.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	54.5	8 of 30	73.3%	★★★★☆
2018	49.8	11 of 29	62.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	39.9	58 of 92	37.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	36.5	68 of 113	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.4	64 of 113	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	19.0	60 of 67	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.5	32 of 69	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.0	25 of 70	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.8	36 of 69	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.5	16 of 59	72.9%	★★★★☆
2019	55.1	26 of 75	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.2	17 of 72	76.4%	★★★★☆
2016	73.6	8 of 48	83.3%	★★★★☆
2014	51.9	31 of 57	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	44.7	31 of 57	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	41.7	32 of 57	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	27.0	42 of 56	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	26.7	49 of 61	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	53.8	27 of 68	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	85.7	6 of 42	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	63.5	10 of 36	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	93.7	2 of 27	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	50.8	25 of 55	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.6	22 of 55	60.0%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2022	60.3	9 of 34	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	65.3	14 of 50	72.0%	★★★★☆
2018	74.9	8 of 46	82.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	53.7	24 of 52	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.2	14 of 53	73.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	43.3	8 of 15	46.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.6	6 of 14	57.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	54.5	24 of 64	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	56.2	19 of 53	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.3	13 of 49	73.5%	★★★★☆

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

At Risk (2022)81st percentile+14 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)67th percentile~ school

Female (2019)41st percentile-9 vs school

Male (2019)40th percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)37th percentile+14 vs school

Hispanic (2025)9th percentile-14 vs school

African American (2026)2nd percentile-5 vs school

Middle school

At Risk (2022)74th percentile~ school

Male (2019)64th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile+9 vs school

Female (2019)54th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2019)47th percentile-19 vs school

African American (2026)20th percentile+9 vs school

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

English Language Arts12%-28 vs state

Mathematics12%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Center City PCS - Shaw

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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 (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 (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 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
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		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	$29,970	$4,846	$25,124
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		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	$28,778	$4,227	$24,551
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		2 (0.9%)	217 (96.9%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														$29,986	$4,863	$25,123
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		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	$27,417	$4,052	$23,365
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		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	$30,791	$4,471	$26,320
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		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						$33,146	$5,355	$27,792
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		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	$30,490	$4,676	$25,815
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		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	$28,438	$4,545	$23,893
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		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	$27,364	$4,225	$23,138
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		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	$27,285	$1,455	$25,830

Frequently Asked Questions about Center City PCS - Shaw

What is the racial makeup of Center City PCS - Shaw?

Students at Center City PCS - Shaw are 66% African American, 30% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Center City PCS - Shaw?

In the 2024-25 school year, 202 students attended Center City PCS - Shaw.

Is Center City PCS - Shaw a good school?

Center City PCS - Shaw ranks in the bottom 7.3% of District Of Columbia elementary schools.

What district is Center City PCS - Shaw in?

Center City PCS

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Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2025–26 DC CAPE test scoresNewAug 20, 2026

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

2024–25 DC CAPE test scoresAug 21, 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.