Summary:
In zip code 21093 (Lutherville, MD), there is one middle school, Ridgely Middle, serving grades 6 through 8 with a substantial enrollment of 1,039 students.
Ridgely Middle is a standout school, consistently ranking in the top 12% of all Maryland middle schools (88th-90th percentile) over the last three years and earning 4 or 5 stars. This high performance is a stark contrast to its parent district, Baltimore County Public Schools, which ranks in the bottom third of Maryland districts (28th percentile) with a 2-star rating. The school's academic excellence is particularly evident in English Language Arts (ELA), where 77% of all students are proficient—dramatically outperforming the district (46.1%) and state (51.7%) averages. Overall math proficiency is also strong at 41.3%, nearly double the district's 21.9%, and 8th-grade science proficiency is 64.3%, more than double the district's 26.4%.
A key factor in the school's success is its robust advanced math program. Proficiency rates in Algebra II (93.8%), Geometry (56.1%), and Algebra I (48.1%) are far above district and state norms, indicating a strong pipeline for advanced learners. The school also benefits from a relatively low level of economic disadvantage, with only 20.21% of students receiving free/reduced lunch, and a low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.4% compared to the district's 25.6%. A notable anomaly in the data is the "7th Grade Math Cliff," where 7th-grade math proficiency drops to just 9.2% (from 49.1% in 6th grade), likely because the highest-performing students are taking advanced courses like Algebra I or Geometry, leaving a smaller cohort in the standard class. Overall, Ridgely Middle represents a "pocket of excellence" within its district, driven by local factors such as community support and school leadership.
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