Summary:
This analysis examines three middle schools in the 21042 zip code of Ellicott City, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 within the Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 4th out of 25 districts in the state.
Folly Quarter Middle is the standout school in this area, ranking 5th in Maryland (99th percentile) and leading in nearly every academic metric. Its math proficiency (72.2%) and ELA proficiency (85.6%) significantly outpace both district and state averages, and it has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (9.8%) and economic disadvantage rate (7.77%) in the zip code. Burleigh Manor Middle is also a top-tier school, ranking 12th in the state (96th percentile) with strong performance, though it trails Folly Quarter in math, particularly in 6th grade where a 20-point gap exists. Dunloggin Middle is the lowest-performing school in the zip code, ranking 43rd (87th percentile). While still above state averages, it has the highest rates of economic disadvantage (25.36%) and chronic absenteeism (17.3%), which correlate with its lower test scores.
A key finding is that spending per student does not directly predict outcomes. Folly Quarter spends the most ($18,059) and performs the best, but Burleigh Manor spends the least ($16,394) and still achieves excellent results, while Dunloggin spends more ($17,730) than Burleigh Manor but has lower performance. Advanced coursework is a major differentiator: Folly Quarter (94.1%) and Burleigh Manor (80.5%) have exceptionally high Algebra I proficiency rates, far exceeding the district (41.2%) and state (21.3%), while Dunloggin’s rate (58.6%) is notably lower. This data highlights that factors like school culture and student preparedness are powerful drivers of success in this high-performing area.
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