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Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts

Q: Is Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts a good school?

Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts ranks 12 th of 35 District Of Columbia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 8-12

12^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 35 District Of Columbia High Schools

Better than 66% of District Of Columbia high schools

Summary

Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts is a public charter high school in Washington, DC, serving grades 8-12 with a total enrollment of 309 students. The school is ranked 16 out of 46 districts in DC and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, with a focus on providing students with specialized education in journalism and media arts.

Academically, Richard Wright PCS consistently ranks in the top half of DC high schools, indicating strong overall performance. However, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (29.6%) and Mathematics (3.5%) are significantly lower than the district averages (37.6% and 26.4%, respectively). The school performs better in end-of-course exams, with 33.9% proficiency in English II and 5.3% in Geometry, compared to district averages of 38.3% and 14.2%. The school maintains a four-year graduation rate around 75-79%, on par with the district average.

In terms of student subgroup performance, Richard Wright PCS performs well for African American students, ranking 9th out of 30 DC high schools. However, the school's performance for female students and students with low socioeconomic status is relatively lower, ranking 17th and 13th out of DC high schools, respectively. The school's performance for special education students is a strength, ranking 8th out of 25 DC high schools. With significantly higher spending per student ($32,581 in 2023-2024) and a relatively low student-teacher ratio of around 12-13, the school allocates substantial resources to support its specialized curriculum and educational program.

300

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$32,581

Per pupil spending ?

Free/discounted lunch ?

475 School Street SW
Washington, DC 20024

(202) 388-1011

District: Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.7%

Hispanic:

1.3%

White:

1.0%

See top rated District Of Columbia high schools

Compare Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 57th percentile in 2014 → 66th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2014

✓Above the District Of Columbia median (66th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Mathematics scores 23 pts below the District Of Columbia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg30%

District Of Columbia avg32%

12^th of 35

District Of Columbia public high schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 17 pts since 2015

From bottom 48% (2015) to top 34% (2025)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 46Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts 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	45.1	12 of 35	65.7%	★★★★☆
2024	40.9	12 of 34	64.7%	★★★★☆
2023	32.9	15 of 34	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.1	14 of 30	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.0	15 of 34	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.6	12 of 34	64.7%	★★★★☆
2017	46.4	13 of 34	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	43.4	10 of 31	67.7%	★★★★☆
2015	39.9	15 of 29	48.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	51.5	15 of 35	57.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	50.7	10 of 32	68.8%	★★★★☆
2023	34.9	14 of 27	48.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.6	12 of 18	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.1	17 of 33	48.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.6	15 of 34	55.9%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	50.3	11 of 31	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.8	6 of 33	81.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	35.4	17 of 31	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.8	15 of 32	53.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	51.2	12 of 32	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.0	12 of 28	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.2	13 of 30	56.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	41.1	15 of 32	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.9	16 of 33	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	47.8	8 of 25	68.0%	★★★★☆

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)69th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2019)68th percentile+12 vs school

At Risk (2019)65th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2019)53rd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2019)45th percentile-11 vs school

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

English II34%-4 vs state

English Language Arts30%-8 vs state

English I28%-10 vs state

Geometry5%-9 vs state

Mathematics4%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts

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)					DC CAPE English II (2025)	DC CAPE Algebra I (2025)	DC CAPE Geometry (2025)	DC CAPE English I (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 End of Course	DC Science Science All Grades	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 5th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 6th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 7th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 8th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	DC CAPE English II End of Course	DC CAPE Algebra I End of Course	DC CAPE Geometry End of Course	DC CAPE English I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts	Public, Charter	8-12	475 School Street SW	Washington	20024	District Of Columbia	Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 388-1011	300	26	11.7		3 (1.0%)	293 (97.7%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45.1	12^th of 35 public high schools	65.7%		40.9	12^th of 34 public high schools	64.7%									20.0	29.6					3.5	33.9		5.3	28.2	$32,581	$3,041	$29,539
Basis Dc Pcs	Public, Charter	5-12	410 8th Street NW	Washington	20004	District Of Columbia	Basis Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 804-6390	692	50	13.8		337 (48.7%)	120 (17.3%)	74 (10.7%)	50 (7.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (15.2%)	98.8	2^nd of 35 public high schools	94.3%		96.7	1^st of 34 public high schools	97.1%	1	56.8	34.4	63.9	49.8	61.5	75.6	81.3	84.4	77.9	56.8	60.2	80.2	78.5	67.7	89.7	86.0	51.8	92.8	$17,412	$431	$16,981
Girls Global Academy PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	733 8th Street NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	Girls Global Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 600-4822	183	26	7.1		1 (0.5%)	153 (83.6%)	23 (12.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)	35.3	19^th of 35 public high schools	45.7%		30.5	17^th of 34 public high schools	50.0%	2									26.2						20.0			30.2	$31,657	$1,785	$29,872
Goodwill Excel Center PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	1776 G Street NW	Washington	20006	District Of Columbia	Goodwill Excel Center PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 839-3650	440	29	15.1		2 (0.5%)	413 (93.9%)	20 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)								(n/a)																			$25,051	$62	$24,989
Digital Pioneers Academy PCS - Capitol Hill	Public, Charter	9-12	709 12th Street SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	Digital Pioneers Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 677-3522	387	25	15.7		0 (0.0%)	380 (98.2%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	47.2	10^th of 35 public high schools	71.4%					(n/a)									34.6					11.1	39.2	11.8	8.9	30.9	$32,602	$3,566	$29,036
Dunbar High School	Public	9-12	101 N St. NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-3762	892	87	10.2		3 (0.3%)	781 (87.6%)	100 (11.2%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	18.4	33^rd of 35 public high schools	5.7%		22.1	30^th of 34 public high schools	11.8%	3									12.5					3.5	11.7	3.3	1.8	11.3	$26,283	$4,309	$21,975
School Without Walls High School	Public	9-12	2130 G St. NW	Washington	20037	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 645-9690	606	38	16.1		296 (48.8%)	138 (22.8%)	78 (12.9%)	31 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (9.4%)	99.4	1^st of 35 public high schools	97.1%		92.9	2^nd of 34 public high schools	94.1%	1			70.6											75.3		55.5	72.6		$33,484	$3,826	$29,659
Kingsman Academy PCS	Public, Charter	6-12	1375 E Street NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	Kingsman Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 547-1028	346	18	19.7		0 (0.0%)	343 (99.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)								(n/a)																			$39,438	$4,041	$35,396
Benjamin Banneker High School	Public	9-12	1600 9th St. NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6320	703	43	16.3		65 (9.2%)	482 (68.6%)	122 (17.4%)	11 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.1%)	93.4	3^rd of 35 public high schools	91.4%		88	3^rd of 34 public high schools	91.2%				32.8						92.3					60.9	90.3	73.0	53.2	94.7	$21,072	$4,233	$16,838
Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	2427 Martin Luther King Jr Av	Washington	20020	District Of Columbia	Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 563-6862	373	34	10.9		0 (0.0%)	372 (99.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.4	18^th of 35 public high schools	48.6%		29.1	20^th of 34 public high schools	41.2%	2									24.9					3.4	30.4			19.4	$38,343	$5,409	$32,935

Frequently Asked Questions about Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts

Is Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts a good school?

Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts ranks 12^th of 35 District Of Columbia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts?

Students at Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts are 98% African American, 1% Hispanic.

What district is Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts in?

Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts

How many students attend Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 300 students attended Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts.

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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.