Summary:
The 8 public schools in zip code 20901 (Silver Spring, MD) are part of the highly-rated Montgomery County Public Schools district and serve a diverse community, with six elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
For parents, the standout academic performer is Forest Knolls Elementary, which leads the area with a 4-star rating and the highest math (55.1%) and science (57.9%) proficiency rates. In contrast, Burnt Mills Elementary faces the most challenges, with the lowest state ranking, highest chronic absenteeism (27.8%), and the highest percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch (62.12%). The only high school, Montgomery Blair High, presents a complex picture: it boasts strong ELA proficiency (73%) but struggles with a very low math proficiency rate (7.9%) and a high dropout rate (13.5%). Montgomery Knolls Elementary is unique as it only serves grades PK-2, has the highest per-student spending ($26,251), and the smallest class sizes (10.7:1).
A key takeaway is the significant performance gap within the feeder pattern for Eastern Middle, where Forest Knolls and Pine Crest Elementary (47% math) outperform Burnt Mills (31.6% math). Additionally, Highland View Elementary shows a sharp drop in 5th-grade proficiency, while chronic absenteeism is a concentrated issue at the high school level (33.7%), far exceeding the elementary average of 15.4%. Overall, higher spending does not guarantee higher test scores, as Burnt Mills has the second-highest spending but the lowest performance.
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