Summary:
There are four elementary schools serving grades PK through 5 in the 21144 zip code of Severn, Maryland, all part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district, and they present a stark contrast in performance and challenges within the same community.
Severn Elementary stands out as the top performer, earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 62nd percentile statewide. It is the only school in the area to score above the district average in both math (35.8%) and English Language Arts (60.2%), and it boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 13.0%. In contrast, Van Bokkelen Elementary is the most challenged, with a 0-star rating and critically low proficiency rates of just 9.7% in math and 18.9% in ELA. Ridgeway Elementary also earns a 3-star rating and shows strong early grades performance, but its 5th-grade scores drop dramatically, suggesting a need for support in upper elementary. Quarterfield Elementary falls in the middle with a 2-star rating and below-average test scores.
A key takeaway is that higher spending does not guarantee better results. Van Bokkelen receives the highest per-student funding ($22,243) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio (11.4), yet it struggles the most academically. Meanwhile, Severn Elementary achieves the best outcomes with the lowest funding ($17,044) and a higher student-teacher ratio (13.3). This highlights that factors like chronic absenteeism and socioeconomic conditions are more strongly linked to academic success than financial resources alone. For parents, this data shows that school performance can vary dramatically within the same zip code, making it essential to look beyond rankings and consider each school's unique strengths and challenges.
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