Idea Pcs

Q: Is Idea Pcs a good school?

Idea Pcs ranks 19 th of 34 District Of Columbia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Idea Pcs is a public charter high school in Washington, DC, serving 307 students in grades 9-12. The school has a predominantly African American student body, and is part of the District of Columbia Public Schools district, which is ranked 32 out of 47 districts in DC and has a 2-star rating.

Idea Pcs consistently underperforms the district and state averages on standardized tests, with only 15.9% of students proficient or better in English II and just 1.9% proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 33.5% and 19.9% respectively for the district. The school's statewide ranking has declined over the years, and it now ranks 20 out of 34 DC high schools with a 2-star rating, down from 3 stars previously. Idea Pcs also struggles to support the academic achievement of African American and special education students, ranking 22 out of 28 and 8 out of 10 DC high schools in those subgroups, respectively, both with a 1-star rating.

Despite relatively high spending of $39,420 per student, Idea Pcs is not achieving commensurate academic outcomes. When compared to nearby schools like Bard High School Early College DC, Phelps Architecture Construction and Engineering High School, and Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, Idea Pcs generally underperforms in terms of academic achievement, school ranking, and graduation rates.

Detail:

Public, Charter 9-12

1027 45th Street NE
Washington, DC 20019

(202) 399-4750

District: Idea Pcs

SchoolDigger Rank:
19^th of 34 District Of Columbia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $39,420

Student/teacher ratio: 11.0

Number of students: 309

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.2%

Hispanic:

5.2%

Two or more races:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.9%

See top rated District Of Columbia high schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Idea Pcs ranks worse than 55.9% of high schools in District Of Columbia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.17. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (94.2%), Hispanic (5.2%), two or more races (0.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Idea Pcs is 11. (See more...)

Compare Idea Pcs employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Idea Pcs is $39,420.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Idea Pcs:

SchoolDigger ranks Idea Pcs 19^th of 34 District Of Columbia public high schools. (See Idea Pcs in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

Idea Pcs:

SchoolDigger ranks Idea Pcs 31^st of 47 District Of Columbia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Idea Pcs

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Rank History for all students at Idea Pcs

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile
2010	52.29	15^th	30	50.0%
2011	35.36	18^th	31	41.9%
2012	38.96	17^th	31	45.2%
2014	71.75	11^th	35	68.6%
2015	41.25	14^th	29	51.7%
2016	44.80	9^th	31	71.0%
2017	39.52	16^th	34	52.9%
2018	36.56	13^th	34	61.8%
2019	39.33	14^th	34	58.8%
2023	25.01	27^th	34	20.6%
2024	29.17	19^th	34	44.1%

See the entire list of District Of Columbia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Idea Pcs

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile
2018	34.73	21^st	26	19.2%
2019	27.65	17^th	25	32.0%
2024	30.63	8^th	10	20.0%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Idea Pcs

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.60	21^st	30	30.0%
2024	34.70	14^th	28	50.0%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Idea Pcs

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	29.03	21^st	32	34.4%
2019	41.27	13^th	31	58.1%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Idea Pcs

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	43.73	14^th	33	57.6%
2019	47.38	13^th	31	58.1%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Idea Pcs

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	49.34	12^th	33	63.6%
2019	38.59	18^th	32	43.8%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Idea Pcs

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile
2018	43.62	16^th	34	52.9%
2019	45.10	15^th	33	54.5%
2023	25.04	23^rd	27	14.8%
2024	25.53	21^st	28	25.0%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Office of the State Superintendent of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Office of the State Superintendent of Education

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Enrollment information for Idea Pcs

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	3	158	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	161
2002	7	220	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	232
2003	7	220	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	232
2004	30	305	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	346
2005	17	334	2	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	367
2006	12	380	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	401
2007	8	364	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	377
2008	5	432	1	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	446
2009	3	504	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	513
2010	1	460	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	468
2011	0	389	0	0	0	0	0	0	389
2012	0	361	0	1	0	0	0	0	362
2013	0	295	0	0	2	0	1	0	298
2014	0	199	0	0	0	0	0	0	199
2015	0	212	0	5	0	0	0	0	217
2016	0	275	0	4	2	0	0	0	281
2017	0	253	0	9	0	0	0	0	262
2018	0	294	0	11	1	0	0	0	306
2019	1	316	0	9	1	0	0	0	327
2020	0	282	0	5	1	0	1	0	289
2021	0	309	0	5	1	0	1	0	316
2022	0	322	0	8	1	0	3	0	334
2023	0	293	0	12	2	0	0	0	307
2024	0	291	0	16	0	0	1	1	309

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Idea Pcs

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	161	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	232	n/a	n/a	65.1
2003	232	n/a	n/a	65.1
2004	346	31.0	11.2	n/a
2005	367	n/a	n/a	64.9
2006	401	45.0	8.9	n/a
2007	377	55.0	6.9	69.8
2008	446	44.0	10.1	67.5
2009	513	56.0	9.2	69
2010	468	39.0	12.0	85.7
2011	389	41.0	9.4	88.9
2012	362	42.0	8.6	86.2
2013	298	33.0	9.0	75.2
2014	199	24.0	8.2	98.5
2015	217	23.0	9.4	100
2016	281	32.0	8.7	98.9
2017	262	39.0	6.7	n/a
2018	306	32.0	9.5	n/a
2019	327	37.0	8.8	n/a
2020	289	31.0	9.3	n/a
2021	316	27.0	11.7	n/a
2022	334	30.0	11.1	n/a
2023	307	33.0	9.3	n/a
2024	309	28.0	11.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Idea Pcs

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	161	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	232	n/a	n/a	65.1
2003	232	n/a	n/a	65.1
2004	346	31.0	11.2	n/a
2005	367	n/a	n/a	64.9
2006	401	45.0	8.9	n/a
2007	377	55.0	6.9	69.8
2008	446	44.0	10.1	67.5
2009	513	56.0	9.2	69
2010	468	39.0	12.0	85.7
2011	389	41.0	9.4	88.9
2012	362	42.0	8.6	86.2
2013	298	33.0	9.0	75.2
2014	199	24.0	8.2	98.5
2015	217	23.0	9.4	100
2016	281	32.0	8.7	98.9
2017	262	39.0	6.7	n/a
2018	306	32.0	9.5	n/a
2019	327	37.0	8.8	n/a
2020	289	31.0	9.3	n/a
2021	316	27.0	11.7	n/a
2022	334	30.0	11.1	n/a
2023	307	33.0	9.3	n/a
2024	309	28.0	11.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Idea Pcs

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2020	$2,232 (7.8%)	$26,218 (92.2%)	$28,450
2021	$6,002 (21.7%)	$21,667 (78.3%)	$27,668
2022	$8,673 (28.8%)	$21,482 (71.2%)	$30,156
2023	$10,717 (27.2%)	$28,704 (72.8%)	$39,420

Data source: District Of Columbia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Idea Pcs

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 14^th of 34 High schools	Ranks 27^th of 34 High schools	38.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Geometry (Idea Pcs)	9.4	2.2	7.2%
10th Grade Geometry (Idea Pcs)	9.3	2.2	7.1%
10th Grade Geometry (District Of Columbia)	12.2	6.7	5.5%
End of Course English II (Idea Pcs)	20.6	12.3	8.3%
End of Course English II (Idea Pcs)	20.4	12.3	8.1%
End of Course English II (District Of Columbia)	33.7	33.8	0.1%
End of Course Geometry (Idea Pcs)	7.6	1.8	5.8%
End of Course Geometry (Idea Pcs)	7.5	1.8	5.7%
End of Course Geometry (District Of Columbia)	17.2	12.8	4.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	327	307	6.1%
African American	316	293	7.3%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	9	12	33.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	1	0	100%
Two or More Races	0	0

Schools Near Idea Pcs

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				DC CAPE English Language Arts (2024)			DC CAPE Mathematics (2024)			DC CAPE English II (2024)	DC CAPE Algebra I (2024)			DC CAPE Geometry (2024)			DC CAPE English I (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC CAPE English Language Arts 6th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 7th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 8th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 6th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 7th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 8th Grade	DC CAPE English II End of Course	DC CAPE Algebra I 8th Grade	DC CAPE Algebra I 9th Grade	DC CAPE Algebra I End of Course	DC CAPE Geometry 9th Grade	DC CAPE Geometry 10th Grade	DC CAPE Geometry End of Course	DC CAPE English I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Idea Pcs	Public, Charter	9-12	1027 45th Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Idea Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 399-4750	309	28	11.0		0 (0.0%)	291 (94.2%)	16 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	29.2	19^th of 34 public high schools	44.1%		25	27^th of 34 public high schools	20.6%	8							15.9			1.9		5.9	4.0	19.0	$39,420	$10,717	$28,704
Ron Brown College Preparatory High School	Public	9-12	4800 Meade St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 729-4343	161	29	5.5		0 (0.0%)	152 (94.4%)	5 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.5%)	26.5	23^rd of 34 public high schools	32.4%		18	33^rd of 34 public high schools	2.9%	10							17.9							12.5	$53,510	$5,447	$48,064
Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy	Public, Charter	6-12	3701 Hayes Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-2230	399	43	9.2		1 (0.3%)	357 (89.5%)	35 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	36.7	15^th of 34 public high schools	55.9%		36	11^th of 34 public high schools	67.6%	4	13.5	22.8	23.5	5.5	10.7	5.3	27.3	25.0		4.9				26.2	$31,072	$5,914	$25,159
Friendship PCS - Collegiate Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	4095 Minnesota Avenue NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 396-5500	715	68	10.5		1 (0.1%)	693 (96.9%)	15 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38.3	14^th of 34 public high schools	58.8%		33.7	14^th of 34 public high schools	58.8%								24.5		5.3	5.2	11.8	11.4	10.1	23.5	$28,468	$5,598	$22,870
H.D. Woodson High School	Public	9-12	540 55th St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-2030	544	51	10.6		1 (0.2%)	508 (93.4%)	34 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.9	26^th of 34 public high schools	23.5%		22.6	30^th of 34 public high schools	11.8%	4							12.4		2.1	2.1				17.0	$33,680	$4,403	$29,277
The SEED PCS of Washington DC	Public, Charter	9-12	4300 C Street SE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Seed Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 248-7773	252	21	12.0		0 (0.0%)	242 (96.0%)	10 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														6.5	$65,302	$6,557	$58,746
Maya Angelou PCS - High School	Public, Charter	9-12	5600 East Capitol Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Maya Angelou PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 379-4335	224	21	10.6		1 (0.4%)	221 (98.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.1	33^rd of 34 public high schools	2.9%		21.1	31^st of 34 public high schools	8.8%	2							5.1			2.6					$44,866	$7,326	$37,540
Phelps Architecture Construction and Engineering High School	Public	9-12	704 26th St. NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 729-4360	310	30	10.1		3 (1.0%)	276 (89.0%)	26 (8.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	41.1	11^th of 34 public high schools	67.6%		29.6	21^st of 34 public high schools	38.2%	10							39.4		7.2	7.1	6.7		2.5	38.0	$32,298	$3,866	$28,432
Eastern High School	Public	9-12	1700 East Capitol St. NE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-4500	866	78	11.1		21 (2.4%)	779 (90.0%)	53 (6.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.0%)	23.6	28^th of 34 public high schools	17.6%		31.5	19^th of 34 public high schools	44.1%	9							21.2				1.2	1.0	1.0	9.3	$27,913	$4,070	$23,843
DC Department of Corrections	Public	9-12	1901 D Street SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	DC Jail Education Program	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 698-4932	41	12	3.4		0 (0.0%)	40 (97.6%)	1 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Idea Pcs

Is Idea Pcs a good school?

Idea Pcs ranks 19^th of 34 District Of Columbia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Idea Pcs?

Students at Idea Pcs are 94% African American, 5% Hispanic.

What district is Idea Pcs in?

Idea Pcs

How many students attend Idea Pcs?

In the 2023-24 school year, 309 students attended Idea Pcs.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.