The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Doswell E. Brooks Elementary
Doswell E. Brooks Elementary is a regular public school in Capitol Heights, Maryland, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of Prince George’s County Public Schools. It occupies a small, single-building campus in this modest, predominantly residential town on the border of Washington, D.C. The school population is small for an elementary school, and the student body is primarily Black and Hispanic, with a smaller share of white and other backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, placing the school in a high-poverty context. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed.
State assessment results from the 2024-25 school year offer a clear picture of academic performance. On the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), the share of students meeting the proficient or above threshold was below state averages in every tested grade and subject. In English language arts, proficiency rates hovered around a third of students across grades three, four, and five. In mathematics, the rates were notably lower, ranging from roughly a tenth to under a tenth of students depending on the grade. Fifth-grade science results, from the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA), were similarly low. The school has only single-year testing data available, so no trend can be drawn. A parent evaluating this school would want to look into what academic supports are in place, such as tutoring, intervention programs, or extended learning time, since the proficiency levels suggest many students are not meeting grade-level benchmarks.
The school’s setting in Capitol Heights adds important context. Capitol Heights is a small incorporated town that developed as a working-class suburb of Washington, D.C. Its population has been stable for decades, and its central commercial district has been in decline since the 1970s. The town government has designated the area around the Metro station as an Enterprise Zone to encourage economic revitalization, but major private employers within the town limits are not evident from available sources. Housing stock consists largely of modest single-family homes on small lots, with home values and rents that are moderate for the D.C. metropolitan area. The town’s streets are suburban in character, and most residents likely commute outside for employment. The overall economic context is one of limited local commercial activity and a reliance on the regional job market.
Doswell Brooks Elementary feeds into middle and high schools that serve different sections of Capitol Heights as part of the Prince George’s County system. The district itself has recently adopted a district-wide literacy initiative aligned with the science of reading, which will affect how reading is taught at this school. The district also completed a boundary review in 2024 that may adjust attendance zones for the 2025-26 school year, so families should verify current feeder patterns. A budget increase for the 2025 fiscal year directed more funding toward teacher salaries and student support services, potentially influencing class sizes and program availability at the elementary level.
For a family considering this school, the significant factors are the low academic proficiency rates, the high poverty level among the student population, and the modest, commuter-oriented community context. The school offers a regular elementary program without specialized magnet or charter designations reported. Parents will want to investigate the specific interventions and instructional strategies the school uses to support students who are not yet meeting proficiency, and to understand how the district’s new literacy curriculum is being implemented here.
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