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DC Scholars PCS

Q: Is DC Scholars PCS a good school?

DC Scholars PCS ranks 83 rd of 128 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

83^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 128 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 35% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

DC Scholars PCS is a public charter elementary and middle school serving 491 students in grades PK-8 in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, DC. While the school is ranked 21 out of 46 school districts in the city and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, it has consistently lower proficiency rates in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics compared to the overall District of Columbia scores.

In the 2024-2025 school year, DC Scholars PCS had an ELA proficiency rate of 25.9% compared to the district's 37.6%, and a Math proficiency rate of 24.7% compared to the district's 26.4%. The school's performance also varies significantly across grade levels, with 8th grade ELA and Math scores being the highest (45.5% and 38.6%, respectively) and 3rd grade scores being the lowest (8.6% in ELA and 20% in Math). Interestingly, some nearby schools, such as Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS - East End, have higher proficiency rates in both ELA and Math compared to DC Scholars PCS.

Despite the school's higher spending per student, which has increased from $17,137 in 2020-2021 to $26,085 in 2023-2024, and its relatively low student-teacher ratio, DC Scholars PCS has seen a steady decline in its statewide ranking, from 32 out of 109 DC elementary schools in 2013-2014 to 81 out of 128 in 2024-2025. This suggests that the school may be facing challenges in effectively serving its student population, particularly for certain subgroups, such as African American and low socioeconomic status students.

478

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,085

Per pupil spending ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5601 East Capitol Street SE
Washington, DC 20019

(202) 559-6138

District: DC Scholars PCS

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.2%

Two or more races:

2.1%

Hispanic:

1.7%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare DC Scholars PCS to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 15th percentile in 2022 → 35th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 35th (2025) from a 15th-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (24% vs 31% meeting standards)

!Science scores 14 pts below the District Of Columbia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school24%

District avg24%

District Of Columbia avg31%

Elementary school

83^rd of 128

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 35%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to bottom 35% (2025)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

21^st of 69

District Of Columbia public middle schools ?

Top 30%▲ up 39 pts since 2018

From bottom 31% (2018) to top 30% (2025)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 46DC Scholars 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
2025	30.7	83 of 128	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.2	103 of 126	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	108 of 128	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.4	82 of 97	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.0	74 of 122	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.1	53 of 120	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.3	40 of 108	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.6	35 of 99	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	40.7	47 of 97	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	69.0	32 of 109	70.6%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	39.6	63 of 108	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.7	44 of 63	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.2	52 of 60	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.5	55 of 106	48.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.6	38 of 100	62.0%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	37.0	60 of 91	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	68.3	26 of 90	71.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	39.8	68 of 117	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.8	46 of 110	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	48.7	47 of 92	48.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.6	34 of 55	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.1	46 of 53	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	28.6	80 of 113	29.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.9	60 of 113	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	58.9	21 of 69	69.6%	★★★★☆
2024	37.8	44 of 70	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.1	42 of 69	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.3	52 of 59	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.2	55 of 75	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.8	50 of 72	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	71.1	15 of 68	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	36.6	23 of 36	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.0	42 of 55	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.8	38 of 55	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	23.7	44 of 50	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.5	31 of 46	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	34.3	37 of 52	28.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.5	38 of 53	28.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	88.4	4 of 64	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	51.9	20 of 49	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.6	21 of 44	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	25.9	43 of 53	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.7	39 of 49	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)49th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2019)42nd percentile+3 vs school

African American (2025)42nd percentile+7 vs school

At Risk (2019)34th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2019)29th percentile-10 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)94th percentile+24 vs school

African American (2025)78th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2019)29th percentile~ school

Male (2019)19th percentile-8 vs school

At Risk (2019)12th percentile-15 vs school

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

English Language Arts26%-12 vs state

Mathematics25%~ state avg

Science7%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near DC Scholars PCS

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 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
DC Scholars PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	5601 East Capitol Street SE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	DC Scholars PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 559-6138	478	35	13.6		0 (0.0%)	455 (95.2%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	30.7	83^rd of 128 public elementary schools	35.2%		24.2	103^rd of 126 public elementary schools	18.3%	20	6.7	8.6	20.8	12.5	31.8	30.4	45.5	26.0	20.0	18.9	12.5	34.1	21.7	38.6	24.8	$26,085	$4,286	$21,799
Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS - East End	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5600 East Capitol Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 975-2100	353	28	12.6		22 (6.2%)	263 (74.5%)	35 (9.9%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.9%)	29.3	85^th of 128 public elementary schools	33.6%		32.9	78^th of 126 public elementary schools	38.1%	7	12.9	26.7	21.9	24.4				24.4	28.9	9.8	9.8				16.5	$25,595	$1,001	$24,594
KIPP DC - Quest Academy PCS	Public, Charter	1-4	5300 Blaine Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-6811	388	27	14.2		0 (0.0%)	375 (96.6%)	10 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.1	117^th of 128 public elementary schools	8.6%		22.9	106^th of 126 public elementary schools	15.9%	11		12.6	14.3					13.3	13.6	9.0					11.6	$26,514	$4,399	$22,114
KIPP DC - Arts and Technology Academy PCS	Public, Charter	PK-K	5300 Blaine Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-6811	244	18	13.3		0 (0.0%)	238 (97.5%)	5 (2.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																$21,670	$3,168	$18,501
Drew Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5600 Eads St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6040	223	26	8.7		3 (1.3%)	206 (92.4%)	14 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.8	113^th of 128 public elementary schools	11.7%		22.5	109^th of 126 public elementary schools	13.5%	4		6.3	23.1	14.3				13.9		7.7						$33,835	$5,325	$28,510
C.W. Harris Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 53rd St. SE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 645-3188	251	30	8.5		2 (0.8%)	230 (91.6%)	15 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	25.4	92^nd of 128 public elementary schools	28.1%		21.9	112^th of 126 public elementary schools	11.1%	20		25.8	27.3	15.8				22.5	16.1	15.2	10.5				13.7	$30,497	$5,260	$25,237
Nalle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	219 50th St. SE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6280	287	34	8.5		6 (2.1%)	226 (78.7%)	51 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	25.7	91^st of 128 public elementary schools	28.9%		26.9	98^th of 126 public elementary schools	22.2%	7		15.4	31.4	20.0				22.2	10.3	22.9	8.3				14.3	$28,461	$4,538	$23,923
DC Wildflower PCS - The Riverseed School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-1	913 55th St NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	DC Wildflower PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 350-1335	45	3	15.0		0 (0.0%)	44 (97.8%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																$54,145	$13,235	$40,910
Burrville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	801 Division Ave. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6020	232	20	11.6		2 (0.9%)	217 (93.5%)	13 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31.3	82^nd of 128 public elementary schools	35.9%		21.8	113^th of 126 public elementary schools	10.3%	31			16.7	31.8				16.3	17.9		9.1				9.6	$29,860	$4,777	$25,084
Lorraine H. Whitlock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	533 48th Pl NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6060	162	19	8.7		0 (0.0%)	144 (88.9%)	16 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	31.8	81^st of 128 public elementary schools	36.7%		34.5	73^rd of 126 public elementary schools	42.1%	8		12.5	40.7	11.1				23.2	20.8	18.5					16.2	$39,570	$5,570	$34,000

Frequently Asked Questions about DC Scholars PCS

What is the racial makeup of DC Scholars PCS?

Students at DC Scholars PCS are 95% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend DC Scholars PCS?

In the 2024-25 school year, 478 students attended DC Scholars PCS.

Is DC Scholars PCS a good school?

DC Scholars PCS ranks 83^rd of 128 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is DC Scholars PCS in?

DC Scholars PCS

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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.