Dunbar High School

Summary:

Dunbar High School is a public high school in Washington, DC, serving 868 students in grades 9-12. With over 92% of its student body identifying as African American, Dunbar is part of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) district, which is ranked 26 out of 47 districts in DC and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dunbar High School has consistently underperformed compared to district and state averages on standardized tests, with only 14.8% and 0.7% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics, respectively, in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's four-year graduation rate of 80.9% in 2022-2023 is also lower than the district and state averages. Dunbar ranks 30 out of 34 DC high schools and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is one of the lowest-performing schools in the area. The school's performance on various student subgroups, such as African American students, special education students, and low socioeconomic status students, is generally lower than the district and state averages.

Compared to nearby high-performing schools like Benjamin Banneker High School and McKinley Technology High School, Dunbar High School's academic performance and overall ranking are significantly lower. Despite having a relatively high per-student spending of $27,545 in 2022-2023, the school's challenges appear to be multifaceted, with factors such as racial and socioeconomic disparities, resource allocation, and the needs of specific student subgroups all playing a role in its underperformance.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 101 N St. NW
       Washington, DC  20001


(202) 698-3762

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
30th of 34 District Of Columbia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $27,545 Help


Feeder schools for Dunbar High School:

Elementary:    Bunker Hill Elementary School
    Burroughs Elementary School
    Langdon Elementary School
    Langley Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Brookland Middle School
    McKinley Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.9 Help
Number of students:  984

Racial breakdown:

African American:
89.0%
Hispanic:
10.2%
White:
0.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated District Of Columbia high schools

 Compare Dunbar High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Dunbar High School ranks worse than 88.2% of high schools in District Of Columbia. It also ranks 14th among 17 ranked high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.12. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Dunbar High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (89%), Hispanic (10.2%), Asian (0.3%). (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dunbar High School is 12.9. 12 high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Dunbar High School employs 75.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dunbar High School is $27,545. 12 high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dunbar High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dunbar High School 30th of 34 District Of Columbia public high schools. (See Dunbar High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
African American students:


District of Columbia Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks District of Columbia Public Schools 27th of 47 District Of Columbia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Dunbar High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 31.30 18th 30 40.0%
2011 20.26 22nd 31 29.0%
2012 23.42 22nd 31 29.0%
2014 33.19 23rd 35 34.3%
2015 28.82 23rd 29 20.7%
2016 25.07 24th 31 22.6%
2017 24.84 28th 34 17.6%
2018 26.65 27th 34 20.6%
2019 28.90 24th 34 29.4%
2022 24.78 26th 30 13.3%
2023 28.40 23rd 34 32.4%
2024 22.12 30th 34 11.8%
See the entire list of District Of Columbia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.76 20th 26 23.1%
2019 35.15 10th 25 60.0%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 34.07 17th 30 43.3%
2024 26.27 23rd 28 17.9%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.06 23rd 32 28.1%
2019 26.08 25th 31 19.4%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.55 23rd 33 30.3%
2019 30.40 25th 31 19.4%
2022 29.37 14th 19 26.3%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.51 29th 33 12.1%
2019 28.77 24th 32 25.0%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.25 27th 34 20.6%
2019 29.48 26th 33 21.2%
2023 27.34 20th 27 25.9%
2024 21.03 27th 28 3.6%
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.

Dunbar High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Office of the State Superintendent of Education

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Enrollment information for Dunbar High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 1432 6 3 1 n/a n/a 0 1442
1989 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1316 1316
1990 0 1137 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1143
1991 0 996 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 999
1992 1 844 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 847
1993 1 783 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 785
1994 0 740 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 743
1995 0 518 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 519
1996 0 518 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 519
1997 0 579 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 582
1998 0 641 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 643
1999 1 663 4 6 0 n/a n/a 0 674
2000 0 690 1 6 0 n/a n/a 0 697
2001 0 765 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 769
2002 2 920 4 5 0 n/a n/a 0 931
2003 2 920 4 5 0 n/a n/a 0 931
2004 1 897 3 10 1 n/a n/a 0 912
2005 0 873 4 11 1 n/a n/a 0 889
2006 0 817 2 11 1 n/a n/a 0 831
2007 0 789 4 13 1 n/a n/a 0 807
2008 0 888 7 17 1 n/a n/a 0 913
2009 0 900 2 18 1 n/a n/a 0 921
2010 1 822 2 12 0 n/a n/a 0 837
2011 1 745 2 18 0 0 0 0 766
2012 2 572 3 11 2 0 3 0 593
2013 1 489 0 9 1 0 4 0 504
2014 1 612 1 14 0 0 0 0 628
2015 0 635 1 15 1 0 1 0 653
2016 3 623 0 26 0 0 1 0 653
2017 3 555 0 26 0 0 0 0 584
2018 4 588 1 22 0 1 1 0 617
2019 2 638 3 21 0 1 2 0 667
2020 2 619 1 22 0 1 3 0 648
2021 0 635 1 26 0 1 3 0 666
2022 2 683 4 38 0 0 1 0 728
2023 2 802 2 60 0 0 1 1 868
2024 3 876 3 100 0 0 0 2 984

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 Dunbar High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1442 77.0 18.7 4.9
1989 1316 79.0 16.6 5.4
1990 1143 90.0 12.7 12.6
1991 999 83.0 12.0 18.2
1992 847 67.0 12.6 19.4
1993 785 60.0 13.1 30.8
1994 743 57.0 13.0 31.1
1995 519 51.0 10.2 64.9
1996 519 51.0 10.2 64.9
1997 582 39.0 14.9 37.6
1998 643 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 674 38.0 17.7 n/a
2000 697 42.0 16.6 50.5
2001 769 42.0 18.3 38
2002 931 n/a n/a 46.6
2003 931 n/a n/a 46.6
2004 912 56.0 16.3 45.5
2005 889 n/a n/a 61.2
2006 831 50.0 16.6 47.9
2007 807 59.0 13.7 60
2008 913 116.0 7.9 63.1
2009 921 63.9 14.4 71.9
2010 837 66.0 12.6 91.8
2011 766 51.0 15.0 99.6
2012 593 47.0 12.6 68.5
2013 504 38.5 13.0 66.3
2014 628 41.5 15.1 99.5
2015 653 42.0 15.5 100
2016 653 56.0 11.6 100
2017 584 57.5 10.1 n/a
2018 617 48.5 12.7 n/a
2019 667 49.5 13.4 n/a
2020 648 51.3 12.6 n/a
2021 666 42.0 15.8 n/a
2022 728 46.0 15.8 n/a
2023 868 60.5 14.3 n/a
2024 984 75.9 12.9 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 Dunbar High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1442 77.0 18.7 4.9
1989 1316 79.0 16.6 5.4
1990 1143 90.0 12.7 12.6
1991 999 83.0 12.0 18.2
1992 847 67.0 12.6 19.4
1993 785 60.0 13.1 30.8
1994 743 57.0 13.0 31.1
1995 519 51.0 10.2 64.9
1996 519 51.0 10.2 64.9
1997 582 39.0 14.9 37.6
1998 643 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 674 38.0 17.7 n/a
2000 697 42.0 16.6 50.5
2001 769 42.0 18.3 38
2002 931 n/a n/a 46.6
2003 931 n/a n/a 46.6
2004 912 56.0 16.3 45.5
2005 889 n/a n/a 61.2
2006 831 50.0 16.6 47.9
2007 807 59.0 13.7 60
2008 913 116.0 7.9 63.1
2009 921 63.9 14.4 71.9
2010 837 66.0 12.6 91.8
2011 766 51.0 15.0 99.6
2012 593 47.0 12.6 68.5
2013 504 38.5 13.0 66.3
2014 628 41.5 15.1 99.5
2015 653 42.0 15.5 100
2016 653 56.0 11.6 100
2017 584 57.5 10.1 n/a
2018 617 48.5 12.7 n/a
2019 667 49.5 13.4 n/a
2020 648 51.3 12.6 n/a
2021 666 42.0 15.8 n/a
2022 728 46.0 15.8 n/a
2023 868 60.5 14.3 n/a
2024 984 75.9 12.9 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 Dunbar High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,585 (12.9%) $17,420 (87.1%) $20,005
2020 $2,738 (12.1%) $19,965 (87.9%) $22,702
2021 $3,539 (15.3%) $19,625 (84.7%) $23,164
2022 $4,714 (19.0%) $20,082 (81.0%) $24,797
2023 $3,904 (14.2%) $23,641 (85.8%) $27,545

Data source: District Of Columbia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dunbar High School

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 24th of 34 High schoolsRanks 23rd of 34 High schools
 2.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade Geometry (Dunbar High School)0.71.6
 0.9%
   10th Grade Geometry (District of Columbia Public Schools)13.17.9
 5.2%
   10th Grade Geometry (District Of Columbia)12.26.7
 5.5%
End of Course English II (Dunbar High School)15.821.1
 5.3%
   End of Course English II (District of Columbia Public Schools)38.636.9
 1.7%
   End of Course English II (District Of Columbia)33.733.8
 0.1%
End of Course Geometry (Dunbar High School)0.51.3
 0.8%
   End of Course Geometry (District of Columbia Public Schools)20.114.2
 5.9%
   End of Course Geometry (District Of Columbia)17.212.8
 4.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students667868
 30.1%
African American638802
 25.7%
American Indian00
Asian32
 33.3%
Hispanic2160
 185.7%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White22
Two or More Races21
 50%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Dunbar High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 984 students attended Dunbar High School.

Dunbar High School ranks in the bottom 11.8% of District Of Columbia high schools.

Students at Dunbar High School are 89% African American, 10% Hispanic.


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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.





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