The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Woodside Elementary
Woodside Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Glen Burnie, part of Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Located in a sprawling unincorporated suburb just south of Baltimore, the school sits in a community defined by wide commercial boulevards, strip malls, and residential subdivisions that spread outward from the intersection of Central Avenue and Crain Highway. Glen Burnie is car-dependent, but light rail stations and the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail provide some transit and recreation options. BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport lies directly adjacent, and the area has seen steady growth over several decades, though the pace has slowed. Housing values in the school’s zip code are close to the national typical level, and rents are in line with what you would expect for a Baltimore-area suburb with nearby airport employment and retail corridors.
The school itself enrolls a modest-sized student body for an elementary school. The student population is diverse, with a Hispanic plurality, a sizable white group, a smaller but substantial Black share, and small numbers of Asian and multiracial students. A very high share of students come from low-income households, based on free and reduced-price meal eligibility. This is a high-needs student population, which shapes the academic environment and the kinds of support a family might expect.
Woodside participates in Maryland’s state testing program, the MCAP for math and English language arts, and the MISA for science at fifth grade. Across the tested grades, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was low. In math, roughly between one-sixth and one-quarter of students in each grade met the standard. In reading, the rate was higher but still modest, with roughly a third or less of students proficient depending on the grade. At fifth grade, the only grade with science results, a small minority of students reached proficiency. Only one year of assessment data is available, so no trend can be drawn. These results are a soft spot; a parent considering this school may want to talk with the principal or district about what interventions and instructional supports are in place, particularly given the high concentration of students from low-income families.
No data was provided on staffing ratios, class sizes, disciplinary incidents, chronic absenteeism, or special education and English learner populations, so those areas cannot be characterized. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate. The district recently opened a new high school in the western part of the county, but no changes specifically affecting Woodside Elementary were identified in available sources. Program offerings, such as art, music, physical education, or after-school activities, were also not included in the data.
Woodside Elementary serves a diverse, economically challenged community in a growing suburban area. The academic results suggest the school is working with significant need, and families moving into the attendance zone would want to learn more about the school’s approach to literacy and math instruction, its support for English learners and students with disabilities, and how it engages families. As a regular public school in a large county district, it operates within the broader resources and policies of Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
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