Education
The Metro Washington area owes much of its well-respected business, political development, and economic development to a single driving force: education.
People here wax proud when they speak of our outstanding educational infrastructure, and with good reason: Few metro areas can hold a candle to our high-quality and diverse public and private schools, not to mention the concentration of internationally renowned colleges, universities, and research institutions.
This chapter highlights the educational opportunities found throughout the area, beginning with the public school systems and a selection of private institutions. The final section briefly describes the area’s major colleges and universities, nearly all of which offer programs for working adults. To obtain a free, detailed report describing a school system in a specific area, visit www.homefair.com, or contact any Realtor.
1. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 502-7300
Address: 1990 K St.
Description: Includes enrollment by grade, race/ethnicity, gender, and availability of free and/or reduced-price meal programs.At the Pennsylvania Department of Education website (portal.state.pa.us, choose the tab on the left-hand side of the page that says “Data and Statistics”), you can find the following information for individual public schools in the Philadelphia area: SAT scores and high school graduation and post-secondary education rates.
2. National Association For The Education Of Young Children
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (800) 424-2460
Address: 1509 16th Street
Description: Child care providers register with the nonprofit National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) voluntarily and must meet a strict set of guidelines to receive accreditation. Contact NAEYC via phone or snail mail or visit their Web site to receive a list of the Portland child care providers they accredit. NAEYC also offers a slew of other resources for families and providers and advocates for quality child care. Their Web site provides links to articles on parenting and child development and the latest on federal and local legislative trends related to children.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Address: 8115 Gatehouse Road
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Address: 14201 School Lane
5. Capitol Hill Day School
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 547-2244
Address: 210 South Carolina Avenue SE
Description: Founded in 1968, this independent, coed school for 230 children in prekindergarten through eighth grade offers an integrated curriculum with a hands-on emphasis. Students study such specialty subjects as Spanish, French, art, and music. The school encourages both self-reliance and care for others.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Address: 1524 35th Street NW
7. Gonzaga College High School
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 336-7100
Address: 19 I Street NW
Description: Founded in 1821, this Jesuit-sponsored boys’ academy is one of the city’s oldest schools. About 930 students in ninth through twelfth grade attend the day school, which offers a college preparatory curriculum, including advanced placement courses. Of the school’s seniors, 99 percent go on to college. Gonzaga also is known for its sports program. The campus, situated in the heart of the city, proves easily accessible by bus and Metrorail.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Address: 4759 Reservoir Road NW
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Address: 601 50th Street NE
10. Sheridan School
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 362-7900
Address: 4400 36th Street NW
Description: Founded in 1927, this small, coed elementary school (kindergarten through eighth grade) follows traditional liberal arts instruction in a familylike, values-oriented atmosphere. The 215 students, divided into one class per grade in kindergarten through fourth, learn through a “central subject” approach, in which a single topic such as anthropology is used to integrate the curriculum. Two teachers instruct each class. Program highlights include the annual science fair, visits to the school’s 130-acre Mountain Campus next to Shenandoah National Park, a French trip for seventh and eighth graders, and an extended-day program loaded with extracurricular activities. The Sheridan campus is in North Cleveland Park, a residential neighborhood not far from the Tenleytown Metro station.
11. Sidwell Friends School
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 537-8100
Address: 3825 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Description: Sidwell Friends, affiliated with the Society of Friends, was founded in 1883 and has since become one of the preeminent college-prep schools in D.C. The coed day school enrolls 1,100 students on its two campuses, a Bethesda location for prekindergarten through fourth graders and a 14-acre District site for grades 5 through 12. The school follows a demanding liberal arts curriculum, including required studies in fine arts, foreign languages, math, and science. Extracurricular activities, such as interscholastic sports, also play an important role in student life. Personalized community service programs are required of all graduates. First Daughter Chelsea Clinton graduated from Sidwell Friends in 1997.
12. St. Anselm’S Abbey School
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 269-2350
Address: 4501 South Dakota Avenue NE
Description: Part of the sprawling academic complex that radiates from Catholic University, St. Anselm’s is a college-prep school for sixth- through twelfth-grade boys of all faiths. About 265 students attend the school, founded in 1942 and operated by the Benedictine monks of St. Anselm’s Abbey. The school boasts a small average student/teacher ratio of eight to one. The curriculum includes challenging programs in music, drama, visual arts, publications, and athletics. The Brookland/CUA Metro is nearby.
13. St. John’S College High School
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 363-2316
Address: 2607 Military Road NW
Description: Run by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the religious order that founded the school in 1851, St. John’s enrolls approximately 1,100 students. The Catholic, coed college-prep high school is known for balancing academics with comprehensive extracurricular activities, such as an Army JROTC program and competitive league team sports. St. John’s takes pride in its computer center, and the school boasts a new gym and a renovated arts center. The 27-acre campus borders scenic Rock Creek Park.
14. St. Patrick’S Episcopal Day School
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 342-2805
Address: 4700 Whitehaven Parkway NW
Description: This Episcopal day school, founded in 1956, touts traditional elementary school programs in the arts, music, and science, along with reinforcement of spiritual values. With 487 students in nursery school through eighth grade, the school is the city’s largest independent elementary. The average class size is 15, and the school boasts a 1-to-7 teacher/student ratio. Special features include three science labs, three music rooms, three computer labs, three libraries, a video technology center, art center, and several outdoor playing areas. The school is near Georgetown, between Foxhall Road and MacArthur Boulevard.
15. Washington International School
City: Washington, DC
Category: Education
Telephone: (202) 243-1800
Address: 3100 Macomb Street NW
Description: It’s only fitting that an international city claims a bold international college-prep school. The coed academy enrolls more than 800 students, from prekindergarten through twelfth grade, and promotes diversity. The students and their families represent more than 90 countries. A globalized curriculum, including bilingual studies, is the bread and butter of this independent day school. Nearly all eleventh- and twelfth-grade students follow the challenging International Baccalaureate curriculum, and most graduates continue their education. The teacher/student ratio is 1 to 8.2.