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Cradlerock Elementary

Q: Is Cradlerock Elementary a good school?

Cradlerock Elementary ranks 511 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

511^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Cradlerock Elementary in Columbia, MD, is a mid-sized school serving 453 students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the highly-rated Howard County Public Schools district, but it faces significant challenges that set it apart from its neighbors.

Academically, Cradlerock lags behind nearby schools, with only 21.5% of students proficient in Math and 43.3% in English Language Arts (ELA) for the 2025-2026 school year. This is roughly half the proficiency rate of top-performing schools like Waterloo Elementary (59.9% Math, 70.7% ELA) and Clemens Crossing Elementary (57.9% Math, 67.9% ELA). Even Stevens Forest Elementary, just 0.89 miles away, outperforms Cradlerock significantly. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism, with 27.5% of students chronically absent—the highest rate among comparable schools and well above the district average of 17.4%. Additionally, 55.63% of students qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, a rate far higher than nearby Atholton Elementary (15.89%), highlighting the economic disparities that drive these challenges.

Despite these hurdles, there are some positive signs. Cradlerock spends a substantial $23,814 per student—more than many higher-performing schools—and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 10.3:1, indicating significant investment in resources. ELA scores show an encouraging upward trend by grade level, with 3rd graders at 35.5% proficiency rising to 49.3% in 5th grade, suggesting effective literacy instruction. However, Math scores decline in upper grades, pointing to a need for targeted improvement. The school’s most critical weakness is its struggle to serve low-income students, ranking in the 4th percentile statewide for this subgroup. While Cradlerock receives ample funding, it has not yet translated into academic gains matching its higher-performing neighbors.

453

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,814

Per pupil spending ?

55.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6700 Cradlerock Way
Columbia, MD 21045

(410) 319-7601

District: Howard County Public Schools

Students who attend Cradlerock Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lake Elkhorn Middle
High:	Oakland Mills High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.1%

Hispanic:

21.0%

White:

17.9%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Cradlerock Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 39th percentile in 2016 → 41st in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (31% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Howard County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg53%

Maryland avg39%

511^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

39^th of 42Elementary Schools in the Howard County Public Schools

4^th of 25Howard County 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	36.2	511 of 864	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.8	516 of 865	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.4	465 of 859	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.4	558 of 855	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.0	517 of 862	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.0	483 of 802	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.7	717 of 853	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.8	567 of 857	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.0	452 of 847	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.6	514 of 845	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.8	524 of 859	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.1	564 of 867	34.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	26.5	403 of 504	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	24.2	575 of 796	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	36.3	195 of 347	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.1	522 of 546	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	28.9	495 of 788	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	49.1	240 of 528	54.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2021)55th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2021)44th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2021)37th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2021)28th percentile-12 vs school

African American (2021)20th percentile-20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)4th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts43%-8 vs state

Science26%-7 vs state

Mathematics22%-6 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Not a very good experience during the years my kids attended. Kids constantly disrupting the class room environment which forces teachers to stop constantly. Classroom size are severely overcrowded. No disciplinary action taken when kids misbehave at this school. If your kid is one of the smarter ones they will be pushed to help other kids that are still learning the material being taught. If your child needs help they will get it from other kids in groups instead of from the teacher or aid. To many of the teachers this is just a job and it shows, they could care less, a handful their actually care. I was told by my kids their teacher was constantly on her phone or would hide to take calls in class.

Their Teacher at the time in 2nd grade was not very effective apparently all she did was yell at the kids in the classroom which solved nothing. I hear she has been moved into the kindergarten class, probably so those kids can't let their parents know how much she yells, feel bad for those kids to have their learning experience begin with a teacher like that. Close Quote

Schools Near Cradlerock Elementary

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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 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 All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cradlerock Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6700 Cradlerock Way	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 319-7601	453	44	10.3	55.6%	81 (17.9%)	218 (48.1%)	95 (21.0%)	17 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (9.1%)	36.2	511^th of 864 public elementary schools	40.9%		34.8	516^th of 865 public elementary schools	40.3%	5	27.3	17.1	20.3	21.5	35.5	45.1	49.3	43.3	25.7	$23,814	$1,624	$22,190
Stevens Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6045 Stevens Forest Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6900	314	33	9.5	59.2%	58 (18.5%)	124 (39.5%)	79 (25.2%)	22 (7.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.6%)	67.7	270^th of 864 public elementary schools	68.8%		64.4	297^th of 865 public elementary schools	65.7%	27	46.3	39.2	38.2	40.8	56.1	53.1	56.4	55.2	46.3	$26,356	$1,845	$24,511
Atholton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6700 Seneca Dr	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6853	516	35	14.7	15.9%	256 (49.6%)	109 (21.1%)	64 (12.4%)	34 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (10.1%)	85.6	129^th of 864 public elementary schools	85.1%		81.1	169^th of 865 public elementary schools	80.5%	40	70.6	50.0	48.2	55.0	79.4	63.9	63.4	68.0	56.6	$17,575	$823	$16,752
Jeffers Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6001 Tamar Dr	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6872	406	35	11.5	44.1%	86 (21.2%)	162 (39.9%)	83 (20.4%)	34 (8.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.6%)	55.3	364^th of 864 public elementary schools	57.9%		59.2	342^nd of 865 public elementary schools	60.5%	22	45.0	26.4	32.3	34.0	63.3	50.0	44.6	52.3	32.3	$23,156	$997	$22,159
Talbott Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9550 Basket Ring Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6915	461	46	10.0	45.3%	105 (22.8%)	147 (31.9%)	135 (29.3%)	23 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (10.6%)	62.4	299^th of 864 public elementary schools	65.4%		51.3	395^th of 865 public elementary schools	54.3%	96	58.1	28.8	37.1	41.5	54.8	45.8	56.5	52.5	37.1	$24,018	$1,692	$22,326
Clemens Crossing Elementary	Public	K-5	10320 Quarterstaff Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6866	481	34	14.0	23.7%	199 (41.4%)	118 (24.5%)	57 (11.9%)	50 (10.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	54 (11.2%)	87	121^st of 864 public elementary schools	86.0%		80.1	180^th of 865 public elementary schools	79.2%	59	65.9	58.6	48.8	57.9	72.5	67.1	63.5	67.9	56.5	$19,838	$838	$19,000
Guilford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7335 Oakland Mills Rd	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 880-5930	437	37	11.9	46.5%	57 (13.0%)	214 (49.0%)	89 (20.4%)	52 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.7%)	33.4	542^nd of 864 public elementary schools	37.3%		45.1	450^th of 865 public elementary schools	48.0%	92	32.0	18.1	20.0	23.4	40.5	29.6	45.3	38.6	23.1	$21,939	$1,483	$20,457
Bryant Woods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5450 Blue Heron Ln	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6859	366	36	10.2	51.1%	78 (21.3%)	180 (49.2%)	53 (14.5%)	28 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.4%)	43.5	453^rd of 864 public elementary schools	47.6%		42.9	466^th of 865 public elementary schools	46.1%	13	35.1	32.8	22.7	29.9	44.6	52.4	34.8	43.8	26.2	$25,646	$1,697	$23,949
Phelps Luck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5370 Oldstone Ct	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6886	681	58	11.6	46.5%	189 (27.8%)	164 (24.1%)	224 (32.9%)	54 (7.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.2%)	64.1	288^th of 864 public elementary schools	66.7%		56.7	358^th of 865 public elementary schools	58.6%	70	44.5	40.0	38.9	41.4	54.7	50.9	53.7	53.1	42.7	$21,395	$1,428	$19,967
Thunder Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	9357 Mellenbrook Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6922	459	39	11.6	37.7%	106 (23.1%)	144 (31.4%)	97 (21.1%)	73 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.1%)	62.6	297^th of 864 public elementary schools	65.6%		65	292^nd of 865 public elementary schools	66.2%	5	48.7	36.0	40.7	41.6	55.1	52.3	45.7	51.0	40.0	$21,048	$1,067	$19,982

Frequently Asked Questions about Cradlerock Elementary

How many students attend Cradlerock Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 453 students attended Cradlerock Elementary.

What district is Cradlerock Elementary in?

Howard County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Cradlerock Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cradlerock Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lake Elkhorn Middle
High : Oakland Mills High

What is the racial makeup of Cradlerock Elementary?

Students at Cradlerock Elementary are 48% African American, 21% Hispanic, 18% White, 9% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Is Cradlerock Elementary a good school?

Cradlerock Elementary ranks 511^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Cradlerock Elementary!

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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.