Summary:
In zip code 20853, located in Rockville, Maryland, there are two public middle schools serving grades 6-8: Parkland Middle and Earle B. Wood Middle, both part of the highly-rated Montgomery County Public Schools district.
Earle B. Wood Middle stands out as the top performer in the area, ranking in the 68th percentile statewide (108 out of 339) compared to Parkland Middle's 60th percentile (136 out of 339). Earle B. Wood leads in nearly every academic metric, including math proficiency (28.9% vs. 25.3%), ELA proficiency (57.4% vs. 50.8%), and science proficiency (41.7% vs. 36.9%). It also boasts a lower student-teacher ratio (13.7 vs. 15.2) and higher per-student spending ($20,018 vs. $18,334). However, Parkland Middle has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (18.1% vs. 21.5%) despite serving a higher percentage of students from low-income households (60% free/reduced lunch vs. 44.65%).
A key takeaway is the exceptional performance of both schools in advanced math courses. Earle B. Wood Middle achieves 58.8% proficiency in Algebra I and 79% in Geometry, while Parkland Middle reaches 43% and 63.6%, respectively—all dramatically exceeding district and state averages. Yet, both schools struggle with grade-level math, particularly in 7th and 8th grades, where proficiency drops sharply (e.g., only 6.2% of 8th graders at Earle B. Wood are proficient). This suggests a strong focus on accelerating top students into advanced tracks, leaving many behind in general math. In contrast, ELA is a relative strength, with both schools near or above state averages across all grades, indicating stable literacy programs.
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