The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Raymond Es
Raymond Elementary School sits on Spring Road in Northwest Washington, a regular public school in the District of Columbia Public Schools system serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The enrollment is mid-sized for a DC elementary, with a fairly even distribution across the early grades and a somewhat larger pre-kindergarten cohort, which suggests the school is an entry point for families in the surrounding neighborhood.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with each group making up roughly half or slightly under half of the school. White and Asian students together account for only a small sliver of enrollment. Whether this composition matters to a family depends on what they are looking for; some parents value a school reflecting the neighborhood's diversity, while others may weigh peer demographics differently. The school's free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, and IEP and English-learner rates were also missing, so I cannot characterize the level of economic need or the share of students receiving special-education or language services. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these figures.
On the most recent DC state assessment for grades three through eight, Raymond's proficiency results are low. In math, roughly a fifth of tested students met or exceeded expectations. In English language arts, about a third did. Science results, drawn from an earlier assessment year and limited to fifth grade, were lower still, with only about a tenth of tested students reaching proficiency. These are plain facts from the state's reporting. Proficiency rates at this level indicate that many students are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks, and a parent considering Raymond would reasonably want to understand what interventions and supports the school has in place for students working below proficiency. The school's participation rate in science testing was high, which is a basic positive sign that the school is engaged with state accountability, but the proficiency results themselves are a soft spot worth probing.
No trend data was available, so I cannot say whether Raymond's results are improving, holding steady, or declining. The state's assessment-change flags did not indicate any cut-score or test-name changes that would complicate year-over-year comparison, but the data simply was not provided.
Because Raymond is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate and no AP or dual-credit course access to discuss. These measures do not apply to a school serving only pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Program offerings beyond what the state reports were not available in the data, so I cannot describe any specialized academic tracks, extracurriculars, or enrichment programs the school may offer. Discipline, staffing, and attendance data were also absent. A parent should visit the school or its website to learn about day-to-day culture, teacher experience, and classroom resources.
The surrounding housing market is expensive by national standards though somewhat more moderate relative to the District's own benchmark. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit well above the national level but below the DC state figure by a modest margin, and values have dipped slightly year over year. Rents are substantial, and the estimated monthly cost of ownership at current mortgage rates far exceeds typical rent, which reflects the broader challenge of buying into this part of the city. A family renting in the boundary area would find costs absorb a considerable share of income; a family looking to buy would face a steep price-to-income ratio. The affordability picture is tight but not unusual for Northwest Washington.
The District of Columbia Public Schools system is implementing several changes that will touch Raymond. Beginning in the current school year, DCPS rolled out a district-wide cell phone policy tied to the Heads Up! Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act, restricting phone use during the school day across all schools. The district is also operating under a five-year strategic plan called A Capital Commitment, which focuses on academic success, student connection to school, and post-graduation readiness. These are system-level initiatives, and a parent would want to ask how they are being implemented at Raymond specifically.
Raymond is a neighborhood elementary in a city where civic and institutional life is spread across many distinct neighborhoods rather than concentrated in a single downtown. The school's Spring Road location places it in a residential part of Northwest, away from the monumental core, which for an elementary family means a more grounded streetscape and community context. The city itself is heavily shaped by the federal government, with a cosmopolitan population and a transit network connecting DC to Maryland and Virginia suburbs.
What the data shows is a school with low proficiency results, a student body that is almost entirely Hispanic and Black, and a housing market that is costly for most families. What it does not show is equally important: no economic-need indicator, no special-population rates, no staffing or program details, no trend information. A family evaluating Raymond should treat the academic numbers as a starting question, not a final answer, and ask the school directly about supports, teaching quality, and the full picture of student life.
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