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Stephen Decatur Middle

Q: Is Stephen Decatur Middle a good school?

Stephen Decatur Middle ranks 229 th of 339 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

229^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 339 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 32% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

Stephen Decatur Middle in Clinton, MD, is a public school serving 751 students in grades 6-8 within the Prince George's County Public Schools district, where over 75% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

A standout strength at Stephen Decatur Middle is its 7th grade English Language Arts (ELA) program. In the most recent school year, 53.2% of 7th graders were proficient in ELA, significantly outpacing the district average of 42.6%. This makes it the only school among nearby peers like Kettering Middle and G. James Gholson Middle where 7th graders exceed the district in this subject. The school also excels in Algebra I, with 18.9% of test-takers proficient—well above the district's 11.1% and nearly matching the state average. This suggests effective acceleration for advanced math students. However, overall math proficiency (7.5%) lags behind the district (13.7%) and state (27.1%), highlighting a key area for growth.

Another positive trend is the dramatic drop in chronic absenteeism, which fell from a peak of 44.8% to 23.0%—now lower than the district average of 30.2% and far better than G. James Gholson Middle (42.2%) and Thurgood Marshall Middle (41.4%). Despite spending $21,636 per student—higher than Walker Mill Middle ($17,956) and James Madison Middle ($17,099)—the school's overall state ranking (32nd percentile) is lower than some schools with less funding, indicating that how funds are used matters as much as the amount. The school continues to work on closing achievement gaps for its most vulnerable students.

751

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,636

Per pupil spending ?

75.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8200 Pinewood Dr
Clinton, MD 20735-1487

(301) 449-4950

District: Prince George's County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Stephen Decatur Middle:

Elementary:	Francis T. Evans Elementary
	James Ryder Randall Elementary
	Waldon Woods Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.5%

Hispanic:

29.2%

White:

2.3%

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Compare Stephen Decatur Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 18th percentile in 2016 → 32nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (22% vs 37% meeting standards)

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

!Science scores 23 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school22%

District avg24%

Maryland avg37%

229^th of 339

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 18% (2016) to bottom 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

22^nd of 25Prince 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	29.4	229 of 339	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.5	250 of 337	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	232 of 328	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.2	269 of 322	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.2	226 of 333	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.3	237 of 303	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	260 of 316	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.7	266 of 328	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.2	265 of 317	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.3	256 of 314	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	11.8	294 of 315	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	22.7	260 of 339	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	19.1	270 of 316	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.2	245 of 314	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.3	243 of 309	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.2	243 of 324	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	27.3	241 of 301	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.4	208 of 283	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	77.7	61 of 264	76.9%	★★★★☆
2006	76.7	56 of 254	78.0%	★★★★☆
2005	79.5	51 of 255	80.0%	★★★★☆
2004	78.5	51 of 252	79.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	28.0	201 of 259	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	23.5	236 of 303	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	23.3	181 of 207	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.4	248 of 273	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.2	240 of 288	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	6.0	26 of 27	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2021)22nd percentile~ school

Female (2021)22nd percentile~ school

Male (2021)17th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2021)13th percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)9th percentile-13 vs school

Military Connected (2021)4th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts40%-11 vs state

Algebra I19%~ state avg

Science8%-23 vs state

Mathematics8%-20 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, August 22, 2013

Horrible place. Wish my child never step foot in this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Stephen Decatur 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 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 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 Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Stephen Decatur Middle	Public	6-8	8200 Pinewood Dr	Clinton	20735	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 449-4950	751	56	13.5	75.1%	17 (2.3%)	492 (65.5%)	219 (29.2%)	11 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.3%)	29.4	229^th of 339 public middle schools	32.4%		24.5	250^th of 337 public middle schools	25.8%	21	5.4	11.8	3.4	7.5	36.7	53.2	32.9	40.5	18.9	7.9	$21,636	$1,232	$20,404
Thurgood Marshall Middle	Public	6-8	4909 Brinkley Rd	Temple Hills	20748	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 702-7540	707	43	16.4	93.5%	4 (0.6%)	390 (55.2%)	292 (41.3%)	9 (1.3%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	20.1	281^st of 339 public middle schools	17.1%		21.7	268^th of 337 public middle schools	20.5%	13	2.1	5.1	6.7	5.4	29.6	34.7	20.5	28.2		9.1	$18,581	$1,063	$17,518
James Madison Middle	Public	6-8	7300 Woodyard Road	Upper Marlboro	20772	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 599-2422	800	50	16.1	63.5%	18 (2.3%)	608 (76.0%)	154 (19.3%)	7 (0.9%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	23.8	261^st of 339 public middle schools	23.0%		22.2	266^th of 337 public middle schools	21.1%	5	4.1	4.9	3.8	4.2	42.2	33.5	30.0	35.0	2.9	11.2	$17,099	$955	$16,144
Benjamin Stoddert Middle	Public	6-8	2501 Olson St	Temple Hills	20748	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 702-7500	628	44	14.2	94.7%	1 (0.2%)	414 (65.9%)	197 (31.4%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	15.5	304^th of 339 public middle schools	10.3%		13.9	311^th of 337 public middle schools	7.7%	7	1.8	4.5	2.4	3.0	18.3	26.9	28.8	24.9	4.0	5.2	$20,396	$1,654	$18,742
Gwynn Park Middle	Public	6-8	8000 Dyson Rd	Brandywine	20613	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 372-0120	702	39	18.0	56.1%	27 (3.8%)	537 (76.5%)	110 (15.7%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.0%)	27.6	237^th of 339 public middle schools	30.1%		26.2	239^th of 337 public middle schools	29.1%	2	2.9	9.2	3.7	5.7	40.2	41.0	36.0	39.1	10.8	12.2	$18,265	$1,018	$17,247
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	301^st of 339 public middle schools	11.2%		12.4	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%	19	3.6	4.8	6.4	5.2	25.1	23.1	17.8	22.2		4.2	$19,355	$1,929	$17,426
Oxon Hill Middle	Public	6-8	9570 Fort Foote Rd	Fort Washington	20744	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 749-4270	773	59	13.1	94.3%	13 (1.7%)	246 (31.8%)	485 (62.7%)	25 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	26.2	246^th of 339 public middle schools	27.4%		22.6	261^st of 337 public middle schools	22.6%	15	9.0	6.2	7.1	7.4	36.9	38.8	25.8	33.7		11.4	$19,366	$1,706	$17,660
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	187^th of 339 public middle schools	44.8%		36.2	199^th of 337 public middle schools	40.9%	12	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
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	267^th of 339 public middle schools	21.2%		15.4	305^th of 337 public middle schools	9.5%	38	2.7	4.7	14.4	7.2	25.7	27.4	24.6	25.9		7.7	$17,635	$1,784	$15,851
Mattawoman Middle School	Public	6-8	10145 Berry Rd	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-7708	862	49	17.5	54.2%	31 (3.6%)	614 (71.2%)	117 (13.6%)	41 (4.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.5%)	32.4	219^th of 339 public middle schools	35.4%		29.4	225^th of 337 public middle schools	33.2%	6	9.3	12.0	1.8	11.1	32.0	47.8	43.1	41.1	23.3	14.8	$15,536	$760	$14,776

Frequently Asked Questions about Stephen Decatur Middle

What district is Stephen Decatur Middle in?

Prince George's County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Stephen Decatur Middle?

Students at Stephen Decatur Middle are 66% African American, 29% Hispanic, 2% White, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Stephen Decatur Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 751 students attended Stephen Decatur Middle.

Is Stephen Decatur Middle a good school?

Stephen Decatur Middle ranks 229^th of 339 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Stephen Decatur Middle!

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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.