The top reported proficiency rate is 14% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Simon Es
Simon Elementary School sits on Mississippi Avenue in Southeast Washington, part of the District of Columbia Public Schools system. It is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, and its enrollment is small for an elementary school serving that full grade band. The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller Hispanic presence and virtually no other racial or ethnic groups represented. The school does not have charter or magnet status.
On the most recent DC state assessments, Simon's proficiency results are low. In math, the share of third-through-eighth-grade students meeting or exceeding expectations was in the single digits. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was somewhat higher but still well below what most families would hope to see. Science results, drawn from an earlier testing cycle for fifth grade only, were near the bottom of the reported range, with no students scoring proficient on that assessment. Participation in testing was high, which means the results reflect nearly the full student body rather than a skewed subset. These numbers are sobering, and a parent considering Simon may want to look into what academic supports and interventions the school has in place, and how leadership plans to move results forward. The data we received does not include multi-year trend information, so we cannot say whether performance is improving, declining, or stable over time.
Several important data points were missing from what we received. Free-or-reduced-price lunch counts were not reported, so we cannot characterize the economic need of the student body from the data, though the surrounding community context offers some signal. Special population data, including individualized education program rates and English learner rates, were also absent. Staffing, attendance, discipline, and course-access information was not provided. Programs offered by the school, such as extracurriculars or specialized instruction, were not available in the data we reviewed. We note these gaps rather than guess at what might fill them.
The housing market around the school tells a story of a community under pressure. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit well below the District of Columbia as a whole and also below the national benchmark. Values have been declining year over year, while rents have moved in the opposite direction, rising modestly. Renting remains far more affordable than buying on a monthly basis in this area, with the estimated mortgage payment running substantially higher than typical rent. For families considering the neighborhood, this means the rental market may be the more accessible entry point, while ownership carries costs that look high relative to local incomes.
Simon sits within DCPS, the city's traditional public school district, and several district-wide developments bear on the experience families can expect. Publicly reported district information indicates that DCPS implemented a new cell phone policy beginning in the current school year, restricting phone use during the school day to promote distraction-free learning across all schools. The district is also operating under a multi-year strategic plan focused on academic success, student connection to school, and preparation for what comes next. In January, DCPS opened a new middle school addition at Leckie Education Campus in Ward 8, which is in Southeast Washington and may be relevant for families thinking about the transition after elementary school, though we do not have information about Simon's specific feeder pathway.
The locale brief we received describes Washington as a whole rather than the immediate neighborhood around Simon. What we can say from the school's address is that it sits in the Southeast quadrant, in a part of the city where housing costs are lower than the District average and where the surrounding community has seen home values soften even as rents have risen. We looked for neighborhood-specific context but the available brief covered the city broadly, so we leave it there rather than extrapolate.
Simon is a small, community-rooted elementary school serving a predominantly Black student population in Southeast Washington. Its academic results are currently weak across all tested subjects. Families drawn to the school's size, location, and community ties will want to ask direct questions about academic improvement plans, available student supports, and what the classroom experience looks like day to day.
See more original research from School Decision →