Summary:
In zip code 20708 (Laurel, MD), there is one middle school, Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle, serving grades 6 through 8 with a large enrollment of 1,047 students.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 12% of Maryland districts. The school itself has consistently received a 1-star rating over the past three years, placing it in the bottom 20% of Maryland middle schools. A critical factor is its extreme economic disadvantage, with a Free and Reduced Lunch (FARL) rate of 96.37%, meaning nearly every student comes from a low-income household. Despite spending a high $18,935 per student, academic outcomes are among the lowest in the state. For example, only 5.8% of students are proficient in mathematics (state average: 27.1%), and 31.4% are proficient in English Language Arts (state average: 51.7%).
The most striking finding is the "Algebra I Paradox": while only 1.6% of 8th graders are proficient in general math, 47.2% of test-takers are proficient in Algebra I—more than double the state average. This suggests the school effectively accelerates a small group of high-achieving students while the vast majority struggle with grade-level concepts. On a positive note, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 21.5% is significantly better than the district average of 30.2%, indicating effective attendance initiatives despite high poverty. The school's performance has been stagnant for three years, highlighting a systemic challenge that current strategies have not addressed, despite high per-pupil spending.
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