Summary:
The eight public schools in zip code 20853 (Rockville, MD), all part of the highly-rated Montgomery County Public Schools district, serve elementary and middle school students, with six elementary schools and two middle schools enrolling a total of 4,639 students.
Performance varies widely across the zip code, with Cashell Elementary standing out as the top performer, ranking in the 90th percentile statewide with 67.1% math and 69.8% ELA proficiency. Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary is also a strong choice, with 53.3% math and 64.6% ELA proficiency. In contrast, Brookhaven Elementary is the lowest-ranked school despite having the highest per-student spending ($27,023), posting just 28.4% math and 39.2% ELA proficiency. Among middle schools, Earle B. Wood Middle has shown improvement and outperforms Parkland Middle in nearly every subject, particularly in Algebra I where 58.8% of its students are proficient compared to Parkland's 43%.
A clear pattern emerges linking economic factors to academic outcomes: schools with lower free/reduced lunch rates, like Cashell (28.24%) and Flower Valley Elementary (29.96%), consistently achieve higher test scores than those with higher rates, such as Wheaton Woods Elementary (64.75%). Chronic absenteeism also correlates strongly with performance, with top schools like Cashell (12.4%) and Barnsley (12.7%) having the lowest rates, while Wheaton Woods (21.8%) has the highest. Notably, both middle schools excel in advanced math despite struggling with grade-level proficiency, and spending does not guarantee success, as evidenced by Rock Creek Valley Elementary spending $27,276 per student yet performing only in the 69th percentile.
Thank you for your feedback!