Summary:
In zip code 20878, located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, there is one high school, Quince Orchard High, which serves grades 9-12 and is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, a 4-star district ranked 8th in the state.
Quince Orchard High presents a fascinating paradox for parents. The school has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 28th percentile in state rankings in 2021-2022 to the 81st percentile (42nd out of 227) in 2025-2026, earning it a 4-star rating. Its standout strength is English Language Arts (ELA), where 74.2% of students are proficient, significantly outperforming both the district (58.5%) and state (51.7%) averages. However, this academic success is sharply contrasted by a major challenge in mathematics, with only 11.2% of students proficient in Algebra I, far below the district's 36.9% and the state's 27.1%. This extreme disparity between ELA and math performance is the school's most defining characteristic.
Other key metrics paint a mixed picture. The school boasts a solid graduation rate of 90.3%, slightly above the district average, and a dropout rate of 7.4%. However, chronic absenteeism is a significant concern at 35.9%, which is notably higher than the district's 22.6%. With 38% of students receiving free or reduced lunch and a per-student spending of $18,368, the school's resources are substantial, yet the low math scores suggest that these funds may not be effectively addressing all academic needs. For parents, Quince Orchard High offers a top-tier ELA education and a rapidly improving overall ranking, but the critical math deficiency and high absenteeism rates are important factors to consider.
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