The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 5% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Paul Pcs
Paul PCS is a public charter school district in Washington, DC, serving grades five through twelve across two campuses: Paul PCS - MS for the middle grades and Paul PCS - International HS for the high school grades. The enrollment is moderate for a DC charter network, with the student body concentrated in grades six through eleven. The fifth-grade cohort is very small, which means the state results for that grade rest on a handful of test-takers and should be read with that in mind.
The district's student population is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with each group making up roughly half of the enrollment. A small number of Asian, white, and multiracial students round out the roster. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, English learner status, and special education enrollment was not available, so the picture of economic disadvantage and language support needs is incomplete. A parent evaluating fit would want to ask the school directly about those services.
On the 2024-25 DCCAPE assessment, ELA results were mixed but showed real strengths in the middle grades. Seventh grade stood out, with nearly half of tested students reaching proficiency, and sixth grade landed in a moderate range. The fifth-grade ELA result was high, but with only a small number of students tested, that figure is less stable. Eighth-grade ELA dropped off noticeably from the seventh-grade level, which is a pattern a parent may want to look into further with the school.
Math results were the clearest soft spot. Sixth-grade proficiency was low, seventh grade improved to a moderate band, and eighth grade fell to a very low range, with only a small number of students scoring proficient. The fifth-grade math result was reported as a range that sat below the district's own ELA figures. Across the board, math performance trailed ELA, and the decline from seventh to eighth grade in both subjects suggests the upper middle school transition is a place where academic support may be stretched. Science results from the prior assessment cycle showed very low proficiency in eighth grade, though that data comes from an earlier year and a different testing window.
No graduation rate was provided in the available data, which is a gap for a district that includes a high school campus. A parent considering Paul PCS - International HS should ask the school for its most recent graduation and college-enrollment figures directly. Information on Advanced Placement, dual-credit, career pathways, and other program offerings was not available in the data provided. The district brief noted that public search results surfaced general enrollment and program descriptions but did not identify specific parent-relevant changes such as curriculum overhauls, facility shifts, or governance actions with lasting impact.
Housing and community context for the district was not available in the payload. Because Paul PCS is a DC charter rather than a neighborhood-boundary district, families apply through the city's lottery system and are not tied to a specific attendance zone, which makes housing proximity a matter of preference rather than requirement.
What the data supports is a picture of a small-to-mid-sized DC charter network with a predominantly Black and Hispanic student body, relatively stronger ELA outcomes than math, and a visible drop-off in eighth grade that warrants attention. The high school side is largely uncaptured by the available metrics. For a family weighing this option, the most useful next step would be visiting both campuses, asking about math intervention and eighth-grade transition support, and requesting graduation and post-secondary outcomes directly from the school.
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