Barcroft Elementary

Barcroft Elementary is a PK–5 school in Arlington County Public Schools serving 495 students in the Arlington, VA area. The school has a 1-star rating and ranks 856th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools for 2025–26 — a significant drop from its 2-star, near-median performance in 2023–24. Barcroft spends about $18,500 per student and has a low student-teacher ratio of 10.8, yet its SOL proficiency rates trail the district average in every subject and grade level measured this year.

The gaps are most pronounced in younger grades: just 48.1% of 3rd graders were proficient in math versus 80.9% districtwide, and 3rd grade reading was 57.9% versus 75.2% districtwide. However, results vary sharply by cohort — 5th grade math reached 73.6% proficiency, and in 2023–24, 5th grade reading actually exceeded the district average. Nearby schools like Escuela Key Elementary (ranked 180th) and Claremont Immersion (ranked 259th) outperform Barcroft despite spending less per student. Even Randolph Elementary, with a similar poverty rate, ranks higher. Barcroft does beat Glen Forest Elementary in Fairfax County Public Schools in most subjects, though Glen Forest serves a far higher-poverty population.

Subgroup trends tell a mixed story. Barcroft’s African American students ranked 11th out of 579 schools statewide in 2022–23 — an exceptional result suggesting the school can be highly effective for specific groups. More recently, however, outcomes for English Language Learners (7th percentile) and low-income students (11th percentile) have fallen sharply, which is concerning given that about 57% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Chronic absenteeism rose to 13.7%, above the district rate of 12.1%. With strong resources already in place, Barcroft’s biggest challenge is turning those resources into consistent, schoolwide growth — especially for its youngest students and the subgroups currently struggling most.