Discovery Elementary

Summary:

Discovery Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Arlington County, Virginia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 523 students. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic achievement and a diverse student population.

Discovery Elementary's students demonstrate significantly higher proficiency rates on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests compared to the Arlington County and Virginia state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 96.43% of 3rd-grade students at Discovery Elementary were proficient or better in SOL Mathematics, compared to 76.71% in Arlington County and 70.11% statewide. The school's diverse student population, with 72.08% White, 8.99% Hispanic, 5.16% Asian, and 12.62% two or more races, is notable compared to nearby schools like Jamestown Elementary and Nottingham Elementary, which have higher percentages of White students.

Discovery Elementary's exceptional performance extends to various student subgroups, with the school ranking highly in the state for female, male, Hispanic, and multi-racial students. The school's consistent high performance across multiple academic measures and student subgroups, along with its higher per-student spending compared to the state and district averages, contribute to its reputation as a model of excellence in elementary education within the Arlington County Public Schools district.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 5241 36th Street North
       Arlington, VA  22207


(703) 288-2685

District: Arlington County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
46th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,419 Help


Students who attend Discovery Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Williamsburg Middle
High:    Yorktown High

Student/teacher ratio:  13.4 Help
Number of students:  523

Racial breakdown:

White:
68.1%
Two or more races:
14.3%
Hispanic:
9.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  4.2% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Discovery Elementary ranks better than 95.9% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 7th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Arlington County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.05. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.1%), two or more races (14.3%), Hispanic (9.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 4.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary is 13.4. 15 elementary schools in the Arlington County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Discovery Elementary employs 39 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Elementary is $11,419. 18 elementary schools in the Arlington County Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Elementary 46th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Discovery Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Arlington County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Arlington County Public Schools 26th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Discovery Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Discovery Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 89.17 40th 1099 96.4%
2018 87.17 58th 1097 94.7%
2019 85.46 77th 1105 93.0%
2021 88.18 101st 1103 90.8%
2022 86.94 100th 1109 91.0%
2023 87.44 82nd 1114 92.6%
2024 90.05 46th 1114 95.9%
See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 82.68 32nd 245 86.9%
2024 78.45 45th 247 81.8%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Female students at Discovery Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 87.38 69th 1100 93.7%
2024 89.30 40th 1098 96.4%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Discovery Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 56.04 162nd 324 50.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 84.55 118th 1093 89.2%
2024 88.10 60th 1101 94.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 75.84 113th 564 80.0%
2024 85.78 49th 580 91.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 79.15 123rd 984 87.5%
2024 82.56 88th 979 91.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Discovery Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
0%

0%

100%

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No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Discovery Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2016 406 13 33 32 1 0 44 0 529
2017 440 18 39 41 1 0 52 0 591
2018 460 12 44 48 0 0 57 0 621
2019 418 13 36 62 0 0 65 0 594
2020 417 14 31 61 1 2 77 0 603
2021 364 10 26 58 1 2 75 0 536
2022 357 9 29 48 0 0 70 0 513
2023 377 4 27 47 2 0 66 0 523
2024 356 7 35 50 0 0 75 0 523

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Discovery Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2016 529 37.0 14.2 3.4
2017 591 38.7 15.2 3.4
2018 621 38.0 16.3 3.5
2019 594 38.5 15.4 4.9
2020 603 36.9 16.3 3.3
2021 536 33.3 16.0 n/a
2022 513 32.1 15.9 3.9
2023 523 37.0 14.1 2.9
2024 523 39.0 13.4 4.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Discovery Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2016 529 37.0 14.2 3.4
2017 591 38.7 15.2 3.4
2018 621 38.0 16.3 3.5
2019 594 38.5 15.4 4.9
2020 603 36.9 16.3 3.3
2021 536 33.3 16.0 n/a
2022 513 32.1 15.9 3.9
2023 523 37.0 14.1 2.9
2024 523 39.0 13.4 4.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Discovery Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $00 (0.0%) $10,409 (100.0%) $10,409
2020 $00 (0.0%) $10,288 (100.0%) $10,288
2021 $00 (0.0%) $11,419 (100.0%) $11,419

Data source: Virginia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 77th of 1105 Elementary schoolsRanks 82nd of 1114 Elementary schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)9494.5
 0.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Arlington County Public Schools)8779.2
 7.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8269.1
 12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)8091.8
 11.8%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Arlington County Public Schools)7876.4
 1.6%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)7166.1
 4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)9592.2
 2.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Arlington County Public Schools)8778.4
 8.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8369.7
 13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)9093.4
 3.4%
   4th Grade English Reading (Arlington County Public Schools)8179.3
 1.7%
   4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7572.7
 2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)9682.8
 13.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Arlington County Public Schools)8877.8
 10.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8167
 14%
5th Grade Science (Discovery Elementary)9577.8
 17.2%
   5th Grade Science (Arlington County Public Schools)8272.7
 9.3%
   5th Grade Science (Virginia)7966
 13%
5th Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)9389.7
 3.3%
   5th Grade English Reading (Arlington County Public Schools)8480
 4%
   5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7871.4
 6.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students594523
 12%
African American134
 69.2%
American Indian02
Asian3627
 25%
Hispanic6247
 24.2%
Pacific Islander00
White418377
 9.8%
Two or More Races6566
 1.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients4.9%2.9%
 2%


Schools Near Discovery Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Elementary

Students who attend Discovery Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Williamsburg Middle
High : Yorktown High

Students at Discovery Elementary are 68% White, 14% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 1% African American.

In the 2023-24 school year, 523 students attended Discovery Elementary.

Yes! Discovery Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 46th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department 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.





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