Ross Elementary School

1730 R Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20009

School District

District Of Columbia Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:9
Type

public

School Map for District Of Columbia Public Schools

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 16, 2023

As a parent, in-class parent volunteer, parent chaperone (had to clear an FBI background check and get finger printed), PTA representative, I was very excited about Ross. But what I saw over 4 years, was deliberate withholding of FAPE from dozens of students especially those with any kind of dyslexia or learning disability. Why would the smallest school in DCPS, in Ward 2, always under enrolled, withhold reading supports to students eligible for an IEP? Ross leadership would not hear that 1 in 5 people have dyslexia. That people with dyslexia are super bright thinkers, and are more able to adapt because that is what they always have to do. Ross refused to offer supports to its teachers and supports that would not have come out of the Ross school budget. Ross leadership is focused on raising money from the the parents of the lower grades to pay for everything in the school. Dyslexia is usually recognized and or diagnosed btwn 2-5 grades when the work gets harder, and yet it can be detected as early as pre-k. Ross refused phonics and to give teacher training in Child Find- a federal and state law. Why would Ross NOT even support its own teachers in academic expertise? People want to teach as a small school, so why is there an intense turnover rate of teachers at Ross? For 10 years, Ross leadership refused to place a parent representative on the Personnel Committee so that the parents could have input on teacher hirings. Why? Parents, PTA, and LSAT signed a petition and sent it around to OSSE and others for Ross leadership in order to force a placement of a parent on this committee. This letter also demanded that Ross leadership hire non-white teachers, to hire racially diverse, teachers, representative of DCPS. Why did this have to happen? Ross could be a vanguard of change. It could be an incredible school for reading and writing, and why not? With this focus, students from 2-5th grades would stay rather than leave in a mass exodus in 3rd and 4th grades and/or leaving the DCPS system altogether. DC Council passed The Decoding Dyslexia bill- Ross Leadership should take everything in that bill and run with it!! It should become the top example for how the measures in that bill can turn around an entire school especially after 3 yrs of COVID school shutdown, Canvas, Teams, etc...(spring 2020, SY 2020-2021, fall 2021).
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2023

Worst school ever. A violation in the school. A lot of bullies, and administration close their eyes on that.
Submitted by parent on March 04, 2022

Ross Elementary School is an exemplary school in every way. As a PK4 parent I especially appreciate the emphasis on social-emotional skills, which are the most important to our family. I wish every child in our city and country could go to a school that is as good a fit for their family and child's needs as Ross is for ours!Principal Searl, our son's PK4 teacher Ms. Chelak, and the teachers and staff do a remarkable job, truly extraordinary. I don't know how they do it, but our family is glad every day that they do. I hope they know how appreciated they are!
Submitted by parent on August 12, 2020

Our experience here was dreadful. Our daughter was ridiculed by teachers and the principal. She was bullied by students who parroted the horrible things they heard teachers say to her. Additionally, the PTA collects thousands of dollars from each family every year, effectively running an exclusive private school disguising as a public school. All the “community” here cares about is protecting its little rich-kid Haven by any means necessary - so they encourage families with students who need additional support for any reason to transfer. They want to keep Ross at the top of the list for student achievement on standardized tests and matriculation.
Submitted by parent on November 23, 2015

My daughter has been a student at Ross since Pre-K4 - before there was a Pre-K3. It is a great learning environment where children feel safe. The learning environment is fun and allows for creativity. I look forward to the rest of this year - continuing to work with a great principal and a very dedicated staff. I will miss this school once my daughter moves on to middle school.
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2014

It's my daughter's second year at Ross and she is growing so much. The environement and staff are excellent. We are truly happy that she is a Ross student and that we are also part of the Ross family.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2014

Ross is warm, supportive, and academically challenging. We could not ask for a better place for our daughter. We feel like we're getting a small private school experience. We also volunteer a lot, but so do most other families.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2014

My daughter is finishing second grade, and she has attended Ross since Pre-K. I have been very happy for the most part and so has she. It is a small and welcoming community. Principal Searl is a strong leader who has pulled off some great feats of scrappy entrepreneurialism. The parental engagement is of off-the-charts and makes a big difference. My primary complaint about Ross is its lack of modern languages. I hope that can be addressed someday. Otherwise, my daughter and I consider ourselves lucky to have found Ross.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2013

Ross is a high performing warm, welcoming school that is giving our child the gift of a great academic experience coupled with strong social and ethical values through both instruction and example. Bravo, Ross!
Submitted by parent on September 27, 2013

I love the diversity at Ross and the fact that classes engage their students in many different ways including technology and the arts (Fillmore)! Teachers are very interactive with parents and provide a very supportive learning environment.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2013

I am going on my 5th year as a Ross parent and really love the school and community. It is a very small and friendly community where all the kids know each other, despite the grade, as do most of the parents. Parents are very involved -- I think you have to be in such a small school, as there just aren't the economies of scale you find in larger schools. It is very diverse socio-economically and racially, and we have lots of families from other countries. The principal is fantastic -- creative, committed, and energetic -- and our staff is overall excellent. We have seen steady improvement in test scores since our family has been there -- it honestly just gets better each year.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2013

I have two kids who attend Ross Elementary School in Dupont Circle. Our school rocks!! Thanks to our outstanding principal and teaching staff, we just achieved REWARD status. Our test scores went through the roof! I feel so fortunate to be at this small school where the teachers are smart, dedicated and focused on our children's academic growth.
Submitted by parent on September 22, 2013

Our children have been at Ross since PK and we cannot praise it enough. There is a very close community of parents, children and teachers and we have found them to be extremely supportive every step of the way. It is a friendly, challenging, inspiring environment for children.
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2013

Ross provideds quality education and is a PTA driven school. The Principal works well with the PTA and teachers to ensure the needs of the children and parents are met.
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2013

My 4 year old daughter is new to Ross Elementary School and is enrolled in Pre-K there. To date, we are pleased with the pace of classroom instruction, the quality of the teacher-student interaction, and the involvement of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The school makes appropriate use of external community resources to meet the needs of its students, including music, drama, and art.
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2013

I have been a parent at Ross for about 3 years now. I was raised in DC Public schools and knew what to expect of them. However, Ross is not your typical DC school. There is so much parent involvement. The Ross community is so tight nit and very welcoming. Both my daughters attend this school and love it! The staff and faculty are very helpful and both of my daughters have shown significant academic growth throughout the year. I am very satisfied with both my daughters academic growth throughout the years at Ross. Every year the school get better and better. I am definitely a proud Ross parent!
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2013

The school is very welcoming and informative. I am adequately informed of my child's daily activities and school activities. My questions are answered and follow up information is provided. I am always invited to share in the learning process and what efforts/initiatives the staff is working on to improve the teaching and learning process. My children had a good school opening.
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2013

We love Ross! This is my son's first year at Ross Elementary, he is in the first grade. We absolutely love the school. The staff is super friendly and welcoming as well as the other families. We feel at home at Ross and hope to be there until he graduates.
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2013

This School feels like a family. I am new to Ross Elementary as my child just entered Pre School. Thus far the environment has been very welcoming and the teachers and other staff of the school have all been open to discussion, questions and have offered assistance at all levels. It feel like I have entered a family at Ross. I also like the many initiatives that the school has and appreciate the use of technology. I much prefer to receive information and updates via email so this really works for me. The only reason I have not given 5 stars is because I am so new to the school. If things continue how they are going however, Ross will be getting 5 Stars for certain.
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2013

Ross is an amazing little school. High quality teachers, an atmosphere of calm learning and caring, and a tight community that has pulled together to create and do some pretty amazing things. Our daughter has been there for three years and we couldn't be happier.