The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mckinley Ms
McKinley Middle School sits on T Street NE in Washington, D.C., part of the District of Columbia Public Schools system. It is a regular public school serving grades six through eight, with an enrollment that is small for a middle school in this district. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic share and only a handful of students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. No white students are reported in the current enrollment. The school's free-or-reduced-price lunch rate, special-education enrollment, and English-learner counts were not available in the data we reviewed, so we cannot speak to those dimensions of the student population.
On state assessments, McKinley's results are weak across the board. In math, only a small fraction of tested students met or exceeded expectations in the most recent year. English language arts was stronger by comparison but still showed well under a third of students reaching proficiency. Science results from an earlier testing year for eighth graders were even lower, landing in the lowest reported range with very few proficient students. Participation in science testing was high, so the low results are not a function of students sitting out the exam. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what academic supports and interventions the school has in place, particularly in math and science, and how the staff approaches grade-level catch-up for students arriving below proficiency.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. No data on course access, staffing ratios, attendance, discipline, or Title I status was available for McKinley, which leaves a gap in understanding the day-to-day school environment and the resources directed toward it.
Washington, D.C. is a federal-government-driven city, publicly reported as a place where government jobs anchor the economy and embassies, international organizations, think tanks, and lobbying firms add to the professional base. The city was designed under the L'Enfant Plan, with broad diagonal avenues, traffic circles, and a quadrant system radiating from the Capitol. McKinley's location on T Street NE places it in the Capitol Hill area, close to the monumental core and the National Mall, within a city that is densely built and transit-served by Metrorail and Metrobus. For families considering the area, the housing market near the school's zip code carries typical home values above the District's broader benchmark and well above national figures, with recent year-over-year declines in both home values and rents. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home in this zip code is substantially higher than typical rent, meaning renting may be the more accessible option for families looking at this zone, though rent still takes up a notable share of income.
Within DCPS, a few publicly reported district-level changes may touch McKinley families. The district implemented a new cell phone policy beginning in the current school year, restricting phone use during the school day under the Heads Up Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act. DCPS is also operating under a five-year strategic plan called A Capital Commitment, which aims to improve academic outcomes, student connectedness, and post-secondary readiness across the district's schools. A new middle school addition opened at Leckie Education Campus in Ward 8, expanding middle-grade capacity in Southeast Washington, though that does not directly affect McKinley's campus.
What the data shows is a small, predominantly Black and Hispanic middle school in a well-located D.C. neighborhood, with proficiency rates that are low across all tested subjects and several key data points missing. Families considering McKinley would benefit from asking the school directly about its academic intervention programs, how it serves students performing below grade level, and what enrichment or support structures exist beyond what the state assessment results capture.
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