Powell Elementary School

Summary:

Powell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Washington, DC, serving 484 students in grades PK-5. The school has a diverse student population, with a majority Hispanic enrollment (74.79%) and smaller percentages of White (10.95%), African American (10.74%), Asian (0.83%), and multiracial (2.07%) students.

While Powell Elementary School serves a unique student population, its academic performance lags behind nearby schools and the District of Columbia averages. On standardized tests, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics range from 31.8% to 40.3% and 17.5% to 34.8%, respectively, compared to District of Columbia averages of 28.2% to 33.9% and 26.4% to 29.9%. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated between 32nd and 71st out of 97 to 128 DC elementary schools, and its SchoolDigger rating has ranged from 2 to 3 stars out of 5. Notably, the school's performance varies significantly among different student subgroups, with its Hispanic students ranking 11th out of 30 DC elementary schools in English Language Arts, while its English Language Learner students rank 15th out of 18.

Compared to nearby schools, such as John Lewis Elementary School, Bancroft Elementary School, and Bruce-Monroe Elementary School at Park View, Powell Elementary School generally underperforms on standardized tests and has a lower statewide ranking. This suggests that the school may need to examine how resources are allocated and utilized to support the academic and social-emotional needs of its diverse student population, in order to improve overall student outcomes.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1350 Upshur St. NW
       Washington, DC  20011


(202) 671-6270

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
42nd of 126 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $29,097 Help


Students who attend Powell Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Roosevelt High School

Student/teacher ratio:  10.4 Help
Number of students:  484

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
74.8%
White:
11.0%
African American:
10.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

 Compare Powell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Powell Elementary School ranks better than 66.7% of elementary schools in District Of Columbia. It also ranks 30th among 75 ranked elementary schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.71. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (74.8%), White (11%), African American (10.7%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Powell Elementary School is 10.4. 42 elementary schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Powell Elementary School employs 46.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Powell Elementary School is $29,097. 44 elementary schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Powell Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Powell Elementary School 42nd of 126 District Of Columbia public elementary schools. (See Powell Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Hispanic students:


District of Columbia Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks District of Columbia Public Schools 26th of 47 District Of Columbia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Powell Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 41.33 61st 111 45.0%
2011 57.13 33rd 111 70.3%
2012 54.36 45th 112 59.8%
2014 62.13 40th 109 63.3%
2015 54.65 32nd 97 67.0%
2016 35.59 58th 99 41.4%
2017 42.85 57th 108 47.2%
2018 35.21 71st 120 40.8%
2019 47.59 57th 122 53.3%
2022 32.19 61st 97 37.1%
2023 42.53 60th 128 53.1%
2024 54.71 42nd 126 66.7%
See the entire list of District Of Columbia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.29 22nd 25 12.0%
2019 26.79 22nd 25 12.0%
2022 16.57 20th 21 4.8%
2024 33.89 15th 18 16.7%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.58 27th 35 22.9%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 56.56 13th 53 75.5%
2024 65.06 12th 55 78.2%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.64 72nd 110 34.5%
2019 44.93 62nd 117 47.0%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.31 43rd 90 52.2%
2019 47.82 44th 91 51.6%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia Elementary Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.54 71st 113 37.2%
2019 49.47 52nd 113 54.0%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 49.49 47th 106 55.7%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Powell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.22 23rd 29 20.7%
2019 30.05 25th 30 16.7%
2022 14.96 17th 18 5.6%
2023 27.28 16th 22 27.3%
2024 46.77 11th 30 63.3%
See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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.

Powell Elementary 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 Powell Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1 252 2 23 0 n/a n/a 0 278
1989 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 277 277
1990 0 242 0 39 0 n/a n/a 0 281
1991 0 238 0 39 0 n/a n/a 0 277
1992 0 207 2 70 0 n/a n/a 0 279
1993 0 184 3 82 0 n/a n/a 0 269
1994 0 182 2 95 0 n/a n/a 0 279
1995 0 160 5 114 0 n/a n/a 0 279
1996 0 160 5 114 0 n/a n/a 0 279
1997 0 150 3 134 0 n/a n/a 0 287
1998 0 143 3 163 0 n/a n/a 0 309
1999 1 115 1 193 0 n/a n/a 0 310
2000 0 119 0 204 0 n/a n/a 0 323
2001 0 111 0 223 0 n/a n/a 0 334
2002 1 110 4 207 0 n/a n/a 0 322
2003 1 110 4 207 0 n/a n/a 0 322
2004 0 93 3 222 0 n/a n/a 0 318
2005 1 90 5 205 0 n/a n/a 0 301
2006 0 59 8 191 0 n/a n/a 0 258
2007 0 66 7 205 0 n/a n/a 0 278
2008 0 61 6 240 0 n/a n/a 0 307
2009 0 64 3 251 0 n/a n/a 0 318
2010 0 44 0 175 0 n/a n/a 0 219
2011 3 41 2 237 0 0 3 0 286
2012 3 44 2 257 0 0 5 0 311
2013 8 46 3 329 0 0 5 0 391
2014 13 38 6 338 0 0 11 0 406
2015 21 47 5 364 0 0 9 0 446
2016 27 69 3 399 0 0 14 0 512
2017 37 63 4 416 3 0 11 0 534
2018 37 65 5 427 0 0 14 0 548
2019 59 63 6 395 0 0 12 0 535
2020 62 57 8 391 0 0 11 0 529
2021 69 53 10 377 0 0 8 0 517
2022 67 59 5 352 0 0 8 1 492
2023 53 52 4 362 0 0 10 3 484

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 Powell Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 278 15.0 18.5 59.4
1989 277 21.0 13.1 59.6
1990 281 13.0 21.6 67.3
1991 277 14.0 19.7 79.8
1992 279 13.0 21.4 78.5
1993 269 16.0 16.8 77.7
1994 279 14.0 19.9 90.3
1995 279 10.0 27.9 95
1996 279 10.0 27.9 95
1997 287 11.0 26.1 94.8
1998 309 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 310 22.0 14.1 n/a
2000 323 25.0 12.9 72.1
2001 334 31.0 10.8 83.2
2002 322 n/a n/a 89.8
2003 322 n/a n/a 89.8
2004 318 22.0 14.5 83
2005 301 31.0 9.7 91
2006 258 28.0 9.2 96.9
2007 278 31.0 9.0 88.8
2008 307 4.0 76.8 80.8
2009 318 33.3 9.5 91.5
2010 219 32.0 6.8 94.5
2011 286 30.0 9.5 99
2012 311 32.0 9.7 41.5
2013 391 35.0 11.1 47.3
2014 406 40.0 10.1 99.3
2015 446 45.0 9.9 100
2016 512 45.0 11.3 100
2017 534 53.0 10.0 n/a
2018 548 47.0 11.6 n/a
2019 535 46.0 11.6 n/a
2020 529 46.5 11.3 n/a
2021 517 48.0 10.7 n/a
2022 492 48.7 10.0 n/a
2023 484 46.5 10.4 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 Powell Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 278 15.0 18.5 59.4
1989 277 21.0 13.1 59.6
1990 281 13.0 21.6 67.3
1991 277 14.0 19.7 79.8
1992 279 13.0 21.4 78.5
1993 269 16.0 16.8 77.7
1994 279 14.0 19.9 90.3
1995 279 10.0 27.9 95
1996 279 10.0 27.9 95
1997 287 11.0 26.1 94.8
1998 309 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 310 22.0 14.1 n/a
2000 323 25.0 12.9 72.1
2001 334 31.0 10.8 83.2
2002 322 n/a n/a 89.8
2003 322 n/a n/a 89.8
2004 318 22.0 14.5 83
2005 301 31.0 9.7 91
2006 258 28.0 9.2 96.9
2007 278 31.0 9.0 88.8
2008 307 4.0 76.8 80.8
2009 318 33.3 9.5 91.5
2010 219 32.0 6.8 94.5
2011 286 30.0 9.5 99
2012 311 32.0 9.7 41.5
2013 391 35.0 11.1 47.3
2014 406 40.0 10.1 99.3
2015 446 45.0 9.9 100
2016 512 45.0 11.3 100
2017 534 53.0 10.0 n/a
2018 548 47.0 11.6 n/a
2019 535 46.0 11.6 n/a
2020 529 46.5 11.3 n/a
2021 517 48.0 10.7 n/a
2022 492 48.7 10.0 n/a
2023 484 46.5 10.4 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 Powell Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,436 (12.3%) $17,408 (87.7%) $19,845
2020 $2,434 (11.8%) $18,168 (88.2%) $20,603
2021 $2,900 (13.0%) $19,327 (87.0%) $22,227
2022 $4,933 (19.1%) $20,897 (80.9%) $25,830
2023 $3,931 (13.5%) $25,166 (86.5%) $29,097

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Powell Elementary 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 57th of 122 Elementary schoolsRanks 60th of 128 Elementary schools
 0.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Powell Elementary School)34.231.4
 2.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (District of Columbia Public Schools)43.237.4
 5.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (District Of Columbia)41.830.6
 11.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Powell Elementary School)31.717.1
 14.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (District of Columbia Public Schools)35.832.3
 3.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (District Of Columbia)33.126.1
 7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Powell Elementary School)34.419.7
 14.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (District of Columbia Public Schools)39.734.8
 4.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (District Of Columbia)38.529.2
 9.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Powell Elementary School)35.825
 10.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (District of Columbia Public Schools)41.441.3
 0.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (District Of Columbia)38.234.7
 3.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Powell Elementary School)39.619.3
 20.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (District of Columbia Public Schools)33.428.8
 4.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (District Of Columbia)32.425.4
 7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Powell Elementary School)17.535.7
 18.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (District of Columbia Public Schools)36.438.1
 1.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (District Of Columbia)35.533.7
 1.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students535484
 9.5%
African American6352
 17.5%
American Indian00
Asian64
 33.3%
Hispanic395362
 8.4%
Pacific Islander00
White5953
 10.2%
Two or More Races1210
 16.7%


Schools Near Powell Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Powell Elementary School

Students who attend Powell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Roosevelt High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 484 students attended Powell Elementary School.

Powell Elementary School ranks 42nd of 126 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Powell Elementary School are 75% Hispanic, 11% White, 11% African American, 2% Two or more races.


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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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