Summary:
In zip code 20872, which covers the Damascus, Maryland area, there is one middle school, John T. Baker Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 as part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district.
John T. Baker Middle School is a school on a clear upward trajectory, with its state ranking improving for three consecutive years from the 68th percentile to the 72nd percentile. The school’s most notable strength is in English Language Arts (ELA), where 60.8% of students are proficient, outperforming both the district (58.5%) and state (51.7%) averages. However, overall math proficiency (28.1%) lags behind the district average (36.9%), though it is slightly above the state average. This disparity is partially explained by the school’s strong advanced math program, where students taking Algebra I and Geometry achieve high proficiency rates of 36.2% and 55.2% respectively, effectively avoiding the typical "8th grade math cliff" seen in many middle schools.
With 841 students and a student-teacher ratio of 14.6:1, the school spends $20,310 per student, which is high but yields mixed results—strong in ELA and advanced math, but below district averages in overall math. Chronic absenteeism stands at 22.0%, slightly below the district average of 22.6%, indicating a district-wide challenge. The free/reduced lunch rate is 37.1%, reflecting a moderate level of economic diversity. Overall, John T. Baker Middle School offers a strong ELA program and a growing reputation, with room for improvement in general math instruction.
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