Summary:
In zip code 21244, three elementary schools—Chadwick Elementary, Dogwood Elementary, and Watershed Public Charter—serve students in the Baltimore/Woodlawn area as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district, which holds a 2-star rating and ranks 18th out of 25 districts in Maryland.
Watershed Public Charter stands out as the top performer, earning a 3-star rating and the highest state rank (377 out of 864) for the 2025-2026 school year. It excels in English Language Arts with 54.4% proficiency, well above the district average of 46.1%, and boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 9.0%—far below the district’s 25.6%. Only 33.88% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch, compared to over 70% at the other two schools. Chadwick Elementary is a solid choice for math, leading the area with 31.8% proficiency, which exceeds the district average of 21.9%, and it has maintained a 3-star rating for three years. Dogwood Elementary faces the most challenges, with the lowest state rank (602 out of 864), a 2-star rating, and academic struggles across subjects—its math proficiency is just 18.2% and ELA is 35.4%. Chronic absenteeism at Dogwood is high at 24.2%, and a dramatic drop in 5th-grade science scores from 20.7% to 2.3% warrants attention.
Key takeaways include that higher spending does not guarantee better results—Chadwick spends the most per student ($21,234) but trails Watershed ($17,185) in performance. Economic disadvantage strongly correlates with outcomes, as schools with higher free/reduced lunch rates show lower test scores and higher absenteeism. Watershed’s unique K-8 model also demonstrates exceptional upper-grade results, with 7th graders achieving 71.7% ELA proficiency.
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