The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in Math. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on H.d. Cooke Es
H.D. Cooke Elementary School sits on 17th Street NW in Washington, D.C., serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. It is a neighborhood elementary school in a city where civic and institutional life spreads across many neighborhoods rather than concentrating in a single downtown. The school's enrollment is moderate for a D.C. elementary, with a sizable pre-kindergarten cohort relative to the upper grades. Its student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a large Black population as well, and very small numbers of white, Asian, multiracial, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The school's demographic mix reflects the broader cosmopolitan character of the city, which publicly reported sources describe as racially and ethnically diverse, shaped by the federal government, international organizations, embassies, and the associated ecosystem of think tanks, nonprofits, and lobbying firms.
On state assessments, H.D. Cooke's results are low. In the most recent reported year, math proficiency for grades three through eight was around a seventh of tested students meeting or exceeding expectations, and English language arts proficiency was essentially the same. An earlier fifth-grade science assessment showed an even smaller share of students reaching proficiency. These are soft numbers, stated as fact. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, including what supports and interventions are in place and how the school is working to move students toward grade-level benchmarks. The school participates in the DCPS system's "A Capital Commitment 2023-2028" strategic plan, which focuses on academic success, student connectedness, and preparation for what comes next across the district's schools. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, DCPS also implemented a district-wide cell phone policy restricting phone use during the school day, tied to the Heads Up! Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act.
Several data fields that parents often look for were not available in the provided materials. Free or reduced-price lunch counts were missing, as were individualized education program rates and English learner rates. No discipline, course access, staffing, or attendance data was provided. No program offerings were listed. No neighbor comparison or county-level positioning was available. The absence of these fields means a fuller picture of school climate, student support services, and peer institutions would need to come from the school directly or from DCPS.
The housing market around H.D. Cooke, measured at the zip code level, sits near the middle of what is an expensive city. Typical home values run above the national figure but close to the broader D.C. benchmark, and rents are substantial as well. Both home values and rents have seen modest year-over-year declines. For families considering the area, ownership carries a considerably higher monthly cost than renting at current mortgage rates, and the neighborhood's location within a dense, transit-served city means access to the wider region is available through Metro and bus. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and the grade band explains that absence.
See more original research from School Decision →