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G. James Gholson Middle

Public Grades 6-8

270^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 342 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 21% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

G. James Gholson Middle in Landover, MD, is a public school serving 603 students in grades 6-8 within the Prince George's County Public Schools district, where over 95% of students come from economically disadvantaged households. The school has historically ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Maryland middle schools, but it has shown a dramatic positive shift, jumping from the 5th percentile to the 21st percentile in the most recent data—the most significant improvement among nearby schools. This upward trend suggests recent interventions may be taking hold, though overall performance in Math and English Language Arts remains below district and state averages.

The most distinctive academic feature at Gholson Middle is its 8th-grade math performance, where 14.4% of students are proficient—nearly double the district average (8%) and higher than the state average (9.6%). This is a complete reversal of the typical pattern, as the school's 6th and 7th-grade math scores (2.7% and 4.7% proficient) are among the lowest in the area. This "8th Grade Math Paradox" suggests a particularly effective teacher or program at that level, but it also highlights a potential discontinuity in math instruction between grade levels. In contrast, Kenmoor Middle, located just 1.6 miles away and serving a similarly high-poverty population, ranks in the 58th percentile with proficiency rates more than triple Gholson's, showing that factors like school leadership and culture can drive vastly different outcomes.

Chronic absenteeism is a critical challenge, with a rate of 42.2%—the highest among nearby peers and more than double that of schools like Thomas Johnson Middle (10.5%) and Ellen Ochoa Middle (12.8%). This rate has fluctuated wildly, from 51.3% to 28.4% and back up to 42.2%, and it likely undermines the impact of the school's low student-teacher ratio of 12.3:1—the lowest in the area—and its per-student spending of $17,635. The recent ranking improvement occurred alongside a rise in absenteeism, a contradiction that warrants attention. Subgroup data shows the school struggles systemically, ranking in the bottom 5-7% for African American, Hispanic, Male, and Female students, indicating challenges are not isolated to one group.

603

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,635

Per pupil spending ?

95.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

900 Nalley Rd
Landover, MD 20785-4506

(301) 883-8390

District: Prince George's County Public Schools

Feeder schools for G. James Gholson Middle:

Elementary:	Carmody Hills Elementary
	Columbia Park Elementary
	Cora L. Rice Elementary
	Gladys Noon Spellman Elementary
	More...
	Highland Park Elementary
	Robert R. Gray Elementary
	Seat Pleasant Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

63.2%

Hispanic:

35.3%

White:

1.2%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare G. James Gholson Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2015 → 21st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (15% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 26 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school15%

District avg25%

Maryland avg39%

270^th of 342

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 21%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 15% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

18^th of 25Middle Schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools

22^nd of 24Prince George's 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	22.5	270 of 342	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.4	305 of 337	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.9	310 of 328	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.5	304 of 322	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.4	289 of 333	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.7	286 of 303	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.4	283 of 316	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.3	301 of 328	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	15.5	268 of 314	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	14.2	280 of 315	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.4	276 of 339	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	8.1	302 of 324	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	6.4	286 of 301	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	3.8	271 of 283	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	89.5	16 of 264	93.9%	★★★★★
2006	90.2	10 of 254	96.1%	★★★★★
2005	88.4	15 of 255	94.1%	★★★★★
2004	85.3	25 of 252	90.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	13.7	243 of 259	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	10.5	282 of 303	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	16.5	197 of 207	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	22.5	242 of 273	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	10.6	277 of 288	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)11th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2021)7th percentile~ school

African American (2021)6th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2021)5th percentile~ school

Male (2021)4th percentile~ school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts26%-26 vs state

Science8%-23 vs state

Mathematics7%-20 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, July 26, 2012

I love gholson. Its awesome. Parents say the teachers are bad and so are the kids. That isnt true. Parents act like they actually sit their with their kids during school hours. NO! That isnt the case. They say their isnt enough disciplin for the kids. So not true. Until youve actually been their during school hours. DONT MAKE ANY COMMENTS! I hate parents who always think everything is bad. If your child has bad grades. ITS NOT THE SCHOOL ITS YOUR CHILD! If your child doesnt come home with homework you blame the school but did ever think to check their backpacks too see if their hiding homework? NO! you didnt! So until youve tried every idea possible DONT blame the school! -A former student at G.James.Gholson.Middle Close Quote

Schools Near G. James Gholson Middle

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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 (2025)	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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	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 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
G. James Gholson Middle	Public	6-8	900 Nalley Rd	Landover	20785	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 883-8390	603	49	12.3	95.2%	7 (1.2%)	381 (63.2%)	213 (35.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22.5	270^th of 342 public middle schools	21.1%		15.4	305^th of 337 public middle schools	9.5%	35	2.7	4.7	14.4	7.2	25.7	27.4	24.6	25.9			7.7	$17,635	$1,784	$15,851
Kenmoor Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2501 Kenmoor Dr	Landover	20785	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 925-2300	1,021	64	16.0	93.1%	34 (3.3%)	578 (56.6%)	326 (31.9%)	76 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.6%)	53.6	145^th of 342 public middle schools	57.6%		47.7	163^rd of 337 public middle schools	51.6%	18	28.4	23.5	7.5	23.4	53.2	52.7	43.0	49.6	59.7		19.5	$21,329	$1,229	$20,100
Walker Mill Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	800 Karen Blvd	Capitol Heights	20743	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 808-4055	1,054	66	16.0	75.6%	24 (2.3%)	722 (68.5%)	281 (26.7%)	9 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (1.4%)	41.2	190^th of 342 public middle schools	44.4%		36.2	199^th of 337 public middle schools	40.9%	9	17.2	20.2	4.2	15.4	44.5	42.9	39.3	42.3	33.3		20.9	$17,956	$985	$16,972
Ernest Everett Just Middle	Public	6-8	1300 Campus Way N	Mitchellville	20721	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 808-4040	752	52	14.4	92.6%	1 (0.1%)	640 (85.1%)	97 (12.9%)	9 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	31.4	224^th of 342 public middle schools	34.5%		34.6	204^th of 337 public middle schools	39.5%	20	7.8	7.9	3.5	10.2	36.2	48.4	44.7	43.0	81.1		11.9	$19,086	$1,137	$17,949
Kettering Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	65 Herrington Dr	Upper Marlboro	20774	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 808-4060	874	85	10.2	69.5%	14 (1.6%)	668 (76.4%)	167 (19.1%)	9 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.5%)	37.1	200^th of 342 public middle schools	41.5%		35.7	200^th of 337 public middle schools	40.7%		10.2	13.9	7.2	12.1	40.9	40.5	46.0	42.4	31.0		18.7	$22,580	$1,151	$21,429
Ellen Ochoa Middle	Public	6-8	5211 Flintridge Drive	Hyattsville	20784	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(301) 952-6000	1,086	54	20.1	97.3%	15 (1.4%)	254 (23.4%)	769 (70.8%)	43 (4.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.4%)	22.5	269^th of 342 public middle schools	21.3%					(n/a)	6.2	10.2	9.0	8.5	28.8	30.2	17.0	25.2			8.8
Drew-Freeman Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Brooks Dr	District Heights	20747	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 817-0900	1,022	64	15.9	96.6%	10 (1.0%)	744 (72.8%)	258 (25.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.5%)	16.3	304^th of 342 public middle schools	11.1%		12.4	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%	16	3.6	4.8	6.4	5.2	25.1	23.1	17.8	22.2			4.2	$19,355	$1,929	$17,426
Thomas Johnson Middle	Public	6-8	5401 Barker Pl	Lanham	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 918-8680	1,180	74	15.9	94.9%	18 (1.5%)	512 (43.4%)	593 (50.3%)	44 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.1%)	26.6	243^rd of 342 public middle schools	28.9%		25	247^th of 337 public middle schools	26.7%	4	9.1	5.3	10.1	9.0	32.2	40.1	25.3	32.5	57.9		11.9	$17,270	$1,019	$16,251
Charles Carroll Middle	Public	6-8	6130 Lamont Dr	New Carrollton	20784	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 918-8640	884	65	13.6	96.8%	21 (2.4%)	258 (29.2%)	586 (66.3%)	10 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.8%)	24	262^nd of 342 public middle schools	23.4%		18.4	293^rd of 337 public middle schools	13.1%	31	4.8	10.4	8.0	8.8	35.6	34.2	20.3	30.1	81.8		7.4	$18,310	$1,664	$16,646
William Wirt Middle	Public	6-8	6200 Tuckerman St	Riverdale	20737	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 985-1720	1,124	70	16.0	96.5%	24 (2.1%)	193 (17.2%)	831 (73.9%)	74 (6.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20.1	286^th of 342 public middle schools	16.4%		18.9	287^th of 337 public middle schools	14.8%	1	5.4	5.1	7.9	6.2	23.8	34.1	21.0	26.2			7.4	$20,748	$2,235	$18,513

Frequently Asked Questions about G. James Gholson Middle

How many students attend G. James Gholson Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 603 students attended G. James Gholson Middle.

What district is G. James Gholson Middle in?

Prince George's County Public Schools

Is G. James Gholson Middle a good school?

G. James Gholson Middle ranks in the bottom 21.1% of Maryland middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of G. James Gholson Middle?

Students at G. James Gholson Middle are 63% African American, 35% Hispanic, 1% White.

Rate G. James Gholson Middle!

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 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.