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Rise Academy
The dedication, persistence, and grit that our community demonstrated in their fight to open Rocketship Rise Academy continues to define our school’s culture today. Our teachers, students, and parents are relentless in their pursuit of excellence. At Rise Academy, all students have the opportunity to unleash their amazing potential. Together, we rise!
"Rocketship is a place I call home. A place where I release my child to entrusting their safety and wellbeing while I’m at work earning wages to provide for my family. A place where my child spends almost 10 hours a day building amazing relationships and breathtaking experiences that would last her a lifetime. Not to mention the community partnerships with other organizations that came together to foster the needs of the community."
— Catherine Paige, Parent, Rocketship Rise Academy
- At Rocketship DC, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We focus on academic growth through personalized, project-based learning that accelerates all students.
- Our first two DC schools achieved Tier 1 status — the highest ranking for DC Public Charter Schools — in their very first year! During its 2022-23 school year, Rocketship Legacy Prep was also recognized as one of the best schools in the nation by US News & World Report.
- In 2024-25, on the NWEA MAP—a nationally normed, gold standard assessment of academic growth—DC Rocketeers achieved:
- 1.2 years of growth in reading—equivalent to 36 extra instructional days of learning.
Rocketship is a tuition-free public school and we accept applications from students entering grades PreK3 to 5. The application is free, there is no interview process and students are admitted by random lottery. All students who are residents of the Washington DC area, including students with IEPs and English Language Learners, are encouraged to apply.
Families can apply to our schools through MySchoolDC. Be sure to select Rocketship in your top three!
2026-2027 Lottery Dates:
Edfest: Dec 6 & 13
Lottery Opens: Dec 15
App Deadline/Lottery Closes: March 2
Results Announced to Families: March 27
Enrollment Saturday: April 25
Deadline for Matched Students: May 1
A school unleashing potential
and igniting a love for learning
Key Information
Grades: PreK3 - 5th
Enrollment: 658
Address:
2335 Raynolds Place SE Washington DC, 20020
Principal: JaQuan Bryant
Office Manager: Kendall Shepard
Email: keshepard@rsed.org
Tel: 202-750-7177
Family Resources
Join the Parent Organizing Committee
Are you interested in getting more involved with our school community? Join us for our next Parent Organizing Committee (POC) meeting where parents get to know each other, learn what local issues may be affecting their child and family, and learn new skills to help ensure parents’ voices are heard in the community. You can learn more about our parent leadership work here.
Want to learn more?
Get connected with an enrollment specialist to learn about our application process.
Ready to apply?
We’re currently accepting applications for our lottery. Submit yours today!
Our School’s Core Values
- Responsibility
- Respect
- Empathy
- Persistence
- Grit
