Roots PCS vs Janney ES

Janney ES ranks #3 of 240 schools in the District of Columbia, placing it just above Roots PCS, which ranks #6 of 240 — both schools sit in the top 3% of all DC schools. On the 10-point overall scale, Janney ES scores 9.5 to Roots PCS's 9.2, a gap of 0.3 points. For most families, either school represents an exceptional outcome by citywide standards, but the internal composition of those scores tells a more differentiated story.

The academic gap is the sharpest difference between the two schools. Janney ES earns a perfect 10.0/10 for academic achievement against Roots PCS's 8.7/10 — a 1.3-point deficit that reflects a meaningful gap in measured proficiency. Roots PCS more than reverses the picture on growth, however, scoring a perfect 10.0/10 for student progress against Janney ES's 9.3/10. Families who prioritize how much students gain year-over-year relative to their starting point will find Roots PCS's growth score particularly compelling; families focused on absolute proficiency levels will favor Janney ES's academic ceiling.

The two schools differ substantially in scale and structure. Roots PCS is a charter school enrolling just 80 students, while Janney ES is a traditional neighborhood public school with 684 students — more than eight times the enrollment. Roots PCS's student-teacher ratio of 10.0:1 is tighter than Janney ES's 12.7:1, a direct consequence of its smaller footprint. The intimacy of an 80-student school means most children and families know each other; Janney ES's larger community brings broader peer diversity, a fuller range of extracurricular opportunities, and the resources that come with a larger DCPS facility. Both schools sit 3.9 miles apart and serve identical grade bands, PK through 5th grade.

Beyond demographics and ratios, the charter-versus-neighborhood-public distinction shapes the daily experience in practical ways. Roots PCS operates independently of DCPS, which typically means a specific instructional model driving its high growth numbers — worth investigating on a school visit. Janney ES draws from its Ward 3 attendance zone, meaning guaranteed enrollment for in-boundary families without a lottery process. Out-of-boundary families considering Roots PCS should verify current seat availability and application timelines before planning around either school.