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New Song Academy

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

848^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

New Song Academy is a small Pre-K through 8th grade school in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of Baltimore, serving 182 students in the Baltimore City Public Schools district, where most families face significant economic challenges. The school stands out for its remarkable middle school program, particularly in English Language Arts and Science, where 8th graders achieve proficiency rates that far exceed nearby schools. For example, 42.9% of New Song's 8th graders are proficient in ELA, compared to just 7.9% at the nearby Sandtown-Winchester Achievement Academy and 19.6% at Harlem Park Elementary/Middle. Similarly, 21.4% of 8th graders are proficient in Science, nearly double the district average and far above the 0% at Sandtown-Winchester and 2.9% at Franklin Square Elementary/Middle.

While the school struggles in early grades—with only 7.1% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA—it shows a dramatic improvement by 8th grade, suggesting a highly effective middle school program that accelerates learning. This pattern of success in upper grades is unique among its neighbors. The school also has a chronic absenteeism rate of 49.1%, which is concerning but significantly better than nearby schools like Sandtown-Winchester (72%) and Robert W. Coleman Elementary (60.1%), indicating a more stable school environment despite community challenges.

New Song Academy spends $24,869 per student, more than most nearby schools, which may help fund its successful middle school programs. However, overall state rankings remain low, placing the school in the 2nd percentile. The school is a case study in how targeted efforts can create pockets of excellence even in challenging circumstances, though these successes have not yet spread to all grades. For parents considering this school, the standout middle school program in ELA and Science offers a compelling option, especially when compared to the crisis-level performance at the nearby Sandtown-Winchester Achievement Academy.

182

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,869

Per pupil spending ?

87.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1530 Presstman Street
Baltimore, MD 21217

(410) 728-2091

District: Baltimore City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

100.0%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare New Song Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 16th percentile in 2016 → 2nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (12% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg22%

Maryland avg38%

Elementary school

848^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

247^th of 339

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 40% (2016) to bottom 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

94^th of 103Elementary Schools in the Baltimore City Public Schools

24^th of 25Baltimore City Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	7.3	848 of 864	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.7	853 of 865	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.9	609 of 859	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	701 of 855	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.3	764 of 862	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.6	726 of 802	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.8	771 of 853	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.7	718 of 857	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.3	700 of 847	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.3	707 of 845	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.2	635 of 859	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.1	712 of 867	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	42.4	535 of 847	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	25.4	702 of 857	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	9.4	803 of 853	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	14.2	802 of 855	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	20.5	759 of 850	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	17.0	757 of 838	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	82.2	96 of 818	88.3%	★★★★☆
2006	87.9	38 of 804	95.3%	★★★★★
2005	79.6	143 of 805	82.2%	★★★★☆
2004	84.1	72 of 803	91.0%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	22.5	422 of 504	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	25.6	554 of 796	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	25.4	476 of 546	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	26.1	247 of 339	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.5	232 of 337	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.6	172 of 328	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.9	242 of 322	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.0	235 of 333	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	249 of 316	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.8	226 of 328	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	22.8	240 of 317	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	39.6	188 of 314	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.7	206 of 315	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	29.7	247 of 339	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	50.0	163 of 316	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	28.8	234 of 314	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.1	224 of 309	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	19.8	284 of 324	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	26.7	244 of 301	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	27.6	227 of 283	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	78.8	60 of 264	77.3%	★★★★☆
2006	78.3	54 of 254	78.7%	★★★★☆
2005	82.2	44 of 255	82.7%	★★★★☆
2004	86.7	16 of 252	93.7%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Female (2021)30th percentile+21 vs school

African American (2021)16th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)13th percentile+3 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts18%-33 vs state

Science16%-16 vs state

Mathematics4%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near New Song Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)							MCAP English Language Arts (2026)							MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Geometry (2026)	MCAP Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
New Song Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1530 Presstman Street	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 728-2091	182	13	14.0	87.4%	0 (0.0%)	182 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.3	848^th of 864 public elementary schools	1.9%		7.7	853^rd of 865 public elementary schools	1.4%	5	14.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	14.3	4.0	7.1	4.5	0.0	25.0	28.6	42.9	18.4			9.1	21.4	$24,869	$4,763	$20,107
Sandtown-Winchester Achievement Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	701 Gold Street	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0800	410	30	13.6	95.1%	1 (0.2%)	403 (98.3%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5.5	860^th of 864 public elementary schools	0.5%		6	862^nd of 865 public elementary schools	0.3%	2	3.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	10.0	3.9	10.3	4.8	5.9	7.9	7.0			3.3	0.0	$22,903	$5,044	$17,859
Matthew A. Henson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 N Payson Street	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0776	199	13	15.9	85.9%	4 (2.0%)	177 (88.9%)	15 (7.5%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17	723^rd of 864 public elementary schools	16.3%		26	600^th of 865 public elementary schools	30.6%	123	8.3	27.3	25.0				18.3	19.4	27.3	20.8				22.0			0.0		$28,098	$5,944	$22,154
Harlem Park Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	1401 W Lafayette Avenue	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0633	402	30	13.4	93.5%	3 (0.7%)	388 (96.5%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	10.9	813^th of 864 public elementary schools	5.9%		8.2	847^th of 865 public elementary schools	2.1%	34	30.8	10.3	0.0	0.0	2.4	22.0	11.0	7.5	15.4	5.7	25.5	11.4	19.6	15.0			0.0	13.5	$20,251	$4,743	$15,508
Dorothy I. Height Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2011 Linden Avenue	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0837	435	30	14.5	88.3%	17 (3.9%)	368 (84.6%)	29 (6.7%)	13 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	7.7	844^th of 864 public elementary schools	2.3%		9.5	841^st of 865 public elementary schools	2.8%	3	10.8	4.1	6.5				7.4	13.8	8.2	14.8				12.6			5.0		$25,354	$5,225	$20,128
Furman Templeton Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1200 Pennsylvania Avenue	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0882	433	26	16.6	92.8%	4 (0.9%)	420 (97.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	11.3	808^th of 864 public elementary schools	6.5%		14.2	770^th of 865 public elementary schools	11.0%	38	16.2	10.2	1.7				9.7	25.0	25.4	18.6				23.1			1.7		$31,185	$7,736	$23,449
Billie Holiday Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	2400 W Mosher Street	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0506	242	22	11.0	86.0%	2 (0.8%)	229 (94.6%)	9 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)								(n/a)																			$31,423	$6,416	$25,006
Robert W. Coleman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2400 Windsor Avenue	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0764	201	15	13.4	91.5%	0 (0.0%)	193 (96.0%)	4 (2.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	9.6	829^th of 864 public elementary schools	4.1%		9.9	835^th of 865 public elementary schools	3.5%	6	16.7	10.7	5.4				10.1	20.8	17.9	10.8				15.7			2.9		$28,406	$5,754	$22,652
Franklin Square Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	1400 W Lexington Street	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0795	490	33	15.0	86.5%	15 (3.1%)	380 (77.6%)	82 (16.7%)	3 (0.6%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	10.3	819^th of 864 public elementary schools	5.2%		11	821^st of 865 public elementary schools	5.1%	2	9.4	12.8	5.3	3.3	8.7	7.0	7.6	15.4	12.8	13.2	24.6	27.7	32.8	22.1			5.3	2.9	$21,891	$4,724	$17,167
Mount Royal Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	121 McMechen Street	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0864	786	48	16.5	63.5%	136 (17.3%)	548 (69.7%)	51 (6.5%)	15 (1.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (4.2%)	51	404^th of 864 public elementary schools	53.2%		54.5	369^th of 865 public elementary schools	57.3%	35	41.1	21.1	17.5	32.0	35.7	1.6	31.0	42.9	36.8	28.1	56.2	66.7	58.7	53.7	44.4	100.0	28.1	28.8	$20,721	$4,029	$16,691

Frequently Asked Questions about New Song Academy

What district is New Song Academy in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

Is New Song Academy a good school?

New Song Academy ranks in the bottom 1.9% of Maryland elementary schools.

How many students attend New Song Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 182 students attended New Song Academy.

What is the racial makeup of New Song Academy?

Students at New Song Academy are 100% African American.

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

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