The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ridgeway Elementary
Ridgeway Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Severn area of Anne Arundel County. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The school sits within a suburban community that is growing; the population of Severn has risen steadily over recent decades, driven by proximity to Fort Meade, the National Security Agency, and the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Many families who live here commute to work at those federal installations or into Baltimore and Washington. The neighborhood is car-dependent, with no traditional downtown core. Housing costs are high relative to national benchmarks, and the area has seen continued residential development.
The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Black students and Hispanic students. Asian students and students of two or more races are also represented. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, placing the school roughly typical in economic composition for a suburban elementary school in the region. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
On state assessments, Ridgeway’s results in English language arts outpace its math and science results. In third grade, a majority of students scored proficient or above in English, a strong showing. By fourth and fifth grade, that share drops to roughly half, still a solid performance but with a clear decline from the earlier grade. Math proficiency is more uneven. Third graders posted a rate around the middle of the range, but fourth graders fell to a lower level. Fifth graders improved somewhat compared to fourth, though remained below the rate for math in third grade. Fifth-grade science proficiency fell in a similar range as math, with about a third of students meeting the bar. The pattern suggests that Ridgeway has a particular strength in early literacy, while math and science results are areas where a parent may want to explore further with the school.
Because the state testing data covers only a single recent year, no trend is available. The school has not reported multiple years in a comparable format, so it is not possible to say whether performance has been rising or falling.
Ridgeway does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s grade span ends at fifth grade, and students will move on to a middle school within the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system. The district recently opened Severn Run High School, which adds capacity and has shifted attendance boundaries in the western part of the county. That change may affect where Ridgeway students attend secondary school in the future.
Because Ridgeway is an elementary school, it does not offer Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career pathways. Those are high school programs. No information was available on course access, discipline rates, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism. These gaps are not unusual for elementary schools in the data, but a family interested in those details would need to ask the school directly.
For a family considering Ridgeway, the academic picture is mixed. English language arts results are a clear strength, especially in third grade. Math and science results are more modest, and the drop in math from third to fourth grade is worth noticing. The school is located in a fast-growing suburban area with strong housing demand and a large federal employment base. The student body is diverse by race and ethnicity. The school is part of a large county district, which means that secondary school options will depend on the feeder pattern in Severn. Families who value a strong start in reading may find Ridgeway a good fit, while those concerned about math performance may want to ask how the school supports students in that subject across the grades.
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