Data Sources & Methodology

Source: Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) — annual DC STAR (DC School-based Assessments and Reporting) assessment results.

What the numbers mean: ELA (English Language Arts) and Math proficiency rates represent the percentage of tested students who scored "proficient" or above on the statewide standardized assessment for the most recent available school year. We display these as a whole-number percentage (e.g., 62%).

School year: The data reflects the 2023–2024 school year assessments, published by OSSE in fall 2024. This is the most recent full-year dataset publicly available at time of publication (December 2025).

Important caveats:

• Proficiency rates measure grade-level achievement, not growth or value-added. A school serving a high-need population may show strong growth without reaching the proficiency threshold.
• Schools with fewer than 10 tested students in a grade have suppressed scores to protect student privacy; these appear as "—" or 0% in our interface.
• PK3/PK4 programs are not assessed by STAR; early childhood proficiency data is not available.
• Year-to-year comparisons can be affected by changes in test design, participation rates, and cohort composition.

Primary source: OSSE DC STAR Assessment Results

Source: MySchoolDC — the DC school lottery system operated by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Data is published annually after lottery results are released.

What "match rate" means: The match rate is the percentage of applicants who were offered a seat at a given school during the most recent lottery cycle (2024–2025 applications, results released spring 2025). A 45% match rate means roughly 45 out of every 100 applicants received an offer.

What "waitlist length" means: The number of students placed on the school's waitlist after initial offers were made. A long waitlist doesn't necessarily mean seats won't open — many families receive multiple offers and decline some, moving waitlisted students up.

Important caveats:

• Match rates vary significantly by grade level and by whether an applicant qualifies for the Equitable Access (EA) priority. We display school-level averages, not grade-specific rates.
• High demand schools have low match rates — but low demand schools may not be lower quality; some are simply less well-known or newer.
• Match rates change each year based on the applicant pool. A school's rate can shift 20+ percentage points between cycles.
• Neighborhood ("in-boundary") students at DCPS schools receive a priority that effectively guarantees a seat, which affects the lottery match rate for out-of-boundary applicants.

Primary source: MySchoolDC.org — public lottery results data

Source: OSSE annual enrollment audit data (2023–2024 school year).

What's included: Student enrollment by race/ethnicity (Black, Hispanic, White, Asian, Multiracial, and other federally defined categories), students identified as at-risk (a DC-specific designation), students receiving special education services, and English Learner (EL) students.

How percentages are calculated: Each demographic figure is the percentage of enrolled students in that category as of the official enrollment count date for the school year. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not sum to 100% due to rounding and students who identify with multiple categories.

DC "At-Risk" designation: DC uses a local definition of "at-risk" that includes students who are homeless, in foster care, qualify for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or SNAP programs, or have been adjudicated by the Family Court. This is a DC-specific metric not comparable to federal "economically disadvantaged" data from other states.

Important caveats:

• Demographics reflect enrollment, not outcomes. A school's racial composition is a descriptive fact, not a quality judgment.
• Small schools may have demographic categories suppressed by OSSE when fewer than 10 students are in a group.

Primary source: OSSE Enrollment Data

Source: OSSE educator workforce data (2023–2024 school year), published as part of DC's annual school report cards.

Teacher retention rate: The percentage of teachers who returned to the same school from the prior school year. A 90% retention rate means 9 out of 10 teachers from the previous year were still teaching at that school. High retention is generally associated with school stability and strong school culture, though it is not a direct measure of teacher quality.

Teacher experience levels: We categorize teachers into three experience brackets as reported by OSSE:

• Novice (0–2 years): Teachers in their first two years of teaching.
• Developing (2–5 years): Teachers with two to five years of experience.
• Veteran (5+ years): Teachers with more than five years of experience.

Teacher demographics: Race/ethnicity breakdown of the school's teaching staff, as reported to OSSE. This data helps families understand staff diversity. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Student-to-teacher ratio: Total enrolled students divided by the number of classroom teachers (not all staff) as reported in the enrollment audit. This is a rough indicator of class sizes and does not account for aides, co-teachers, or pull-out services.

School leader experience: A qualitative description of the principal's or head of school's tenure at the current school, sourced from MySchoolDC school profiles and school websites. New leadership can indicate transition or growth; long tenure often correlates with stability.

Primary source: OSSE Educator Workforce Data

Source: MySchoolDC school profiles (2024–2025 school year listings), supplemented by individual school websites.

What's included: Specialized academic and enrichment programs offered at each school, including: Montessori, Dual Language / Bilingual, International Baccalaureate (IB), STEM, Advanced Placement (AP), Arts Integration, Blended Learning, Career and Technical Education (CTE), Extended Day, Extended Year, JROTC, Single Gender programs, and more.

How programs are verified: We list programs as officially described by the school on MySchoolDC or the school's own website. We do not independently audit whether programs are actively running or fully implemented in any given year. Parents should confirm program details directly with the school during open house visits.

Before/after care: Indicated as "yes" or "no" based on MySchoolDC profile data. Availability, hours, and cost vary by school and are subject to change.

Uniform policy: Indicated as "required" or "not required" based on MySchoolDC profile data and school websites.

Primary source: MySchoolDC School Profiles

Source: WMATA Metro system maps and Google Maps API (when enabled).

Transit accessibility flag: Each school is marked "transit accessible" if it is within approximately 0.5 miles of a Metrorail station or has direct Metrobus service. This is a binary indicator sourced from WMATA route data and school addresses.

Nearest Metro station: The closest Metrorail station to the school's address, based on geographic proximity. Walking time and route quality are not factored in — a school may be near a station but require crossing a busy road or navigating a complex route.

Commute time estimates (when shown): Estimated travel times by car, transit, or bicycle from a user-provided home address are calculated using the Google Maps Distance Matrix API at the time of request. These are estimates based on typical traffic conditions and are subject to change based on time of day, construction, and other factors. Commute estimates are intended as a starting point for planning, not a precise guarantee.

Current status: Real-time commute estimates via Google Maps are currently paused due to API cost considerations. The transit accessibility flag and nearest station data remain available for all schools.

DC Parents School Guide is an independent informational resource. We are not affiliated with DCPS, any charter school network, MySchoolDC, or any school advocacy organization. We do not accept paid placements, sponsorships, or any form of compensation that could affect how schools are presented.

No endorsements: We do not rank schools as "best" or "worst" in an absolute sense, and we do not recommend specific schools to families. All sorting, filtering, and ranking features are controlled entirely by the parent based on criteria they select. The platform never implies that one school is superior to another.

Language rules: We use neutral, descriptive language throughout the platform. We do not use value-laden terms like "failing," "elite," or "underperforming." Data labels describe what they measure, not what they mean for your child.

What we flag as context, not judgment: We surface caveats alongside data (e.g., that high match rates at brand-new schools may reflect low demand, not low quality) to help parents interpret numbers correctly — not to steer them toward or away from any school.

Corrections: If you believe any data on the platform is incorrect, please contact us at info@dcparentsschoolguide.com. We will review and correct errors promptly.