Discovery Elementary

Summary:

Discovery Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Arlington County, Virginia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 523 students. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic achievement and a diverse student population.

Discovery Elementary's students demonstrate significantly higher proficiency rates on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests compared to the Arlington County and Virginia state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 96.43% of 3rd-grade students at Discovery Elementary were proficient or better in SOL Mathematics, compared to 76.71% in Arlington County and 70.11% statewide. The school's diverse student population, with 72.08% White, 8.99% Hispanic, 5.16% Asian, and 12.62% two or more races, is notable compared to nearby schools like Jamestown Elementary and Nottingham Elementary, which have higher percentages of White students.

Discovery Elementary's exceptional performance extends to various student subgroups, with the school ranking highly in the state for female, male, Hispanic, and multi-racial students. The school's consistent high performance across multiple academic measures and student subgroups, along with its higher per-student spending compared to the state and district averages, contribute to its reputation as a model of excellence in elementary education within the Arlington County Public Schools district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

5241 36th Street North
Arlington, VA 22207

(703) 288-2685

District: Arlington County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
46^th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,419

Students who attend Discovery Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Williamsburg Middle
High:	Yorktown High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 523

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.1%

Two or more races:

12.6%

Hispanic:

9.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 2.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Elementary ranks better than 95.9% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 7^th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Arlington County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.05. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Discovery Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Arlington County Public Schools District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Elementary is $11,419. 18 elementary schools in the Arlington County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Elementary 46^th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Discovery Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Arlington County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Arlington County Public Schools 26^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Discovery Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile
2017	89.17	40^th	1099	96.4%
2018	87.17	58^th	1097	94.7%
2019	85.46	77^th	1105	93.0%
2021	88.18	101^st	1103	90.8%
2022	86.94	100^th	1109	91.0%
2023	87.44	82^nd	1114	92.6%
2024	90.05	46^th	1114	95.9%

See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	82.68	32^nd	245	86.9%
2024	78.45	45^th	247	81.8%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Female students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	87.38	69^th	1100	93.7%
2024	89.30	40^th	1098	96.4%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	56.04	162^nd	324	50.0%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	84.55	118^th	1093	89.2%
2024	88.10	60^th	1101	94.6%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	75.84	113^th	564	80.0%
2024	85.78	49^th	580	91.6%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	79.15	123^rd	984	87.5%
2024	82.56	88^th	979	91.0%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department 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: Virginia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Discovery Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2016	406	13	33	32	1	0	44	529
2017	440	18	39	41	1	0	52	591
2018	460	12	44	48	0	0	57	621
2019	418	13	36	62	0	0	65	594
2020	417	14	31	61	1	2	77	603
2021	364	10	26	58	1	2	75	536
2022	357	9	29	48	0	0	70	513
2023	377	4	27	47	2	0	66	523

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 Discovery Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	529	37.0	14.2	3.4
2017	591	38.7	15.2	3.4
2018	621	38.0	16.3	3.5
2019	594	38.5	15.4	4.9
2020	603	36.9	16.3	3.3
2021	536	33.3	16.0	n/a
2022	513	32.1	15.9	3.9
2023	523	37.0	14.1	2.9

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 Discovery Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	529	37.0	14.2	3.4
2017	591	38.7	15.2	3.4
2018	621	38.0	16.3	3.5
2019	594	38.5	15.4	4.9
2020	603	36.9	16.3	3.3
2021	536	33.3	16.0	n/a
2022	513	32.1	15.9	3.9
2023	523	37.0	14.1	2.9

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 Discovery Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$10,409 (100.0%)	$10,409
2020	$00 (0.0%)	$10,288 (100.0%)	$10,288
2021	$00 (0.0%)	$11,419 (100.0%)	$11,419

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Elementary

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 77^th of 1105 Elementary schools	Ranks 82^nd of 1114 Elementary schools	0.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)	94	94.5	0.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Arlington County Public Schools)	87	79.2	7.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	82	69.1	12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)	80	91.8	11.8%
3rd Grade English Reading (Arlington County Public Schools)	78	76.4	1.6%
3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)	71	66.1	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)	95	92.2	2.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Arlington County Public Schools)	87	78.4	8.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	83	69.7	13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)	90	93.4	3.4%
4th Grade English Reading (Arlington County Public Schools)	81	79.3	1.7%
4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	75	72.7	2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)	96	82.8	13.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Arlington County Public Schools)	88	77.8	10.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	81	67	14%
5th Grade Science (Discovery Elementary)	95	77.8	17.2%
5th Grade Science (Arlington County Public Schools)	82	72.7	9.3%
5th Grade Science (Virginia)	79	66	13%
5th Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)	93	89.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Reading (Arlington County Public Schools)	84	80	4%
5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	78	71.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	594	523	12%
African American	13	4	69.2%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	36	27	25%
Hispanic	62	47	24.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	418	377	9.8%
Two or More Races	65	66	1.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	4.9%	2.9%	2%

Schools Near Discovery Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Mathematics (2024)				SOL Science (2024)	SOL English Reading (2024)				SOL VA Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Discovery Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5241 36th Street North	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 288-2685	523	37	14.1	2.9%	377 (72.1%)	4 (0.8%)	47 (9.0%)	27 (5.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (12.6%)	90	46^th of 1114 public elementary schools	95.9%		87.4	82^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	92.6%	36	96.4	94.7	92.2		85.6	89.3	93.4	93.3		82.9	$11,419	$00	$11,419
Nottingham Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5900 Little Falls Road	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5290	409	32	12.6	4.6%	300 (73.3%)	5 (1.2%)	32 (7.8%)	18 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (13.2%)	92	24^th of 1114 public elementary schools	97.8%		93.3	17^th of 1114 public elementary schools	98.5%	7	90.3	90.8	97.9		93.6	91.8	93.5	93.6		94.7	$12,359	$00	$12,359
Jamestown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 N Delaware St	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5275	482	42	11.5	4.6%	349 (72.4%)	10 (2.1%)	41 (8.5%)	29 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (11.0%)	92.1	20^th of 1114 public elementary schools	98.2%		93.8	11^th of 1114 public elementary schools	99.0%	9	100.0	94.9	96.3		92.5	95.7	94.9	95.0		81.8	$13,185	$00	$13,185
Chesterbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1753 Kirby Rd	Mclean	22101	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 714-8200	527	36	14.6	1.9%	345 (65.5%)	8 (1.5%)	48 (9.1%)	83 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.2%)	90.5	41^st of 1114 public elementary schools	96.3%		92.5	23^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	97.9%	18	90.8	89.1	89.1	96.7	85.0	92.0	96.8	86.8	98.8		$9,195	$297	$8,898
Tuckahoe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6550 26th St N	Arlington	22213	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5288	442	36	12.4	2.7%	325 (73.5%)	8 (1.8%)	39 (8.8%)	24 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.2%)	93.8	8^th of 1114 public elementary schools	99.3%		89.3	57^th of 1114 public elementary schools	94.9%	49	94.3	100.0	94.0		89.6	90.0	98.7	97.0		96.1	$12,948	$129	$12,819
Haycock Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6616 Haycock Rd	Falls Church	22043	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 531-4000	872	53	16.6	3.3%	392 (45.0%)	16 (1.8%)	68 (7.8%)	309 (35.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (10.0%)	95.5	4^th of 1114 public elementary schools	99.6%		95.9	2^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	99.8%	2	92.6	98.0	100.0	96.4	99.3	93.9	98.0	97.9	99.3		$8,629	$183	$8,446
Cardinal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1644 N. McKinley Road	Arlington	22205	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5280	704	67	10.5	6.4%	536 (76.1%)	28 (4.0%)	47 (6.7%)	25 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (9.7%)	92.6	15^th of 1114 public elementary schools	98.7%		91.9	25^th of 1114 public elementary schools	97.8%	10	91.7	90.5	97.0		90.1	94.4	93.0	94.6		98.2	$10,149	$00	$10,149
Kent Gardens Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	1717 Melbourne Dr	Mclean	22101	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 394-5600	1,023	61	16.9	3.5%	550 (53.8%)	29 (2.8%)	83 (8.1%)	267 (26.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (9.2%)	92	23^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	97.9%		92.9	21^st of 1114 public elementary schools	98.1%	2	96.0	89.0	90.0	93.4	90.7	89.9	91.3	96.9	94.8		$8,526	$194	$8,332
Glebe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1770 N. Glebe Road	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-6280	530	38	14.0	13.2%	307 (57.9%)	27 (5.1%)	91 (17.2%)	53 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (9.8%)	91.3	31^st of 1114 public elementary schools	97.2%		93.4	15^th of 1114 public elementary schools	98.7%	16	85.4	96.3	95.2		91.6	88.1	92.7	95.1		97.4	$12,665	$62	$12,604
Taylor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2600 N Stuart St	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-6275	539	57	9.4	8.0%	346 (64.2%)	24 (4.5%)	60 (11.1%)	42 (7.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	65 (12.1%)	89.6	54^th of 1114 public elementary schools	95.2%		85.7	110^th of 1114 public elementary schools	90.1%	56	87.5	90.4	92.6		90.3	84.3	94.0	94.6		90.4	$11,658	$77	$11,581

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Elementary

What schools do graduates of Discovery Elementary attend?

Students who attend Discovery Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Williamsburg Middle
High : Yorktown High

What district is Discovery Elementary in?

Arlington County Public Schools

Is Discovery Elementary a good school?

Yes! Discovery Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 46^th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools.

How many students attend Discovery Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 523 students attended Discovery Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Elementary?

Students at Discovery Elementary are 72% White, 13% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 5% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department 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.