Leith Walk Elementary/middle, Baltimore MD

Original Research by School Decision on Leith Walk Elementary/middle

Leith Walk Elementary/Middle serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in northeast Baltimore, operating as a regular public school within Baltimore City Public Schools. The building sits on Glennor Road in a neighborhood of single-family homes and rowhouses. The school is not a charter or magnet, and data on its Title I status was not available, though the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals is substantial, placing it among schools where economic need is a significant factor.

The student body is overwhelmingly Black, with very small shares of Hispanic, white, Asian, and multiracial students represented. Enrollment is stable across the grade levels, with each elementary and middle grade drawing a similar number of students, which suggests the school is a consistent neighborhood option for families who stay within the zone through the full pre-K-to-8 span. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

On state assessments administered through Maryland’s MCAP and MISA programs, proficiency rates in math, English language arts, science, and social studies were low overall. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was very small at every grade level, and it dropped lower through the middle school years. In English language arts, proficiency rates were highest in third grade and declined irregularly through eighth grade, though sixth grade showed a modest uptick relative to surrounding grades. Science proficiency was very low in both fifth and eighth grade, and social studies proficiency in eighth grade was similarly low. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades, when compared to other districts within Baltimore city, landed above the midpoint among the two districts for which data was available. That comparison set is small, so the distinction is narrow. A parent may want to investigate further with the school about specific instructional supports, especially in math and science, where the numbers are weakest.

The school’s test results span a single year of data, so there is no multi-year trend to examine. The data does not include information about chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access, so those areas remain unexamined in this account. Similarly, information on special education and English learner populations was not provided.

Baltimore itself is an independent city with a mix of dense rowhouse neighborhoods and more spread-out residential areas. The city’s economy has shifted from heavy industry toward a service base, with Johns Hopkins Hospital and University as the dominant employers. The Inner Harbor anchors much of the civic and commercial life, and historic districts like Federal Hill and Fell’s Point contribute to a walkable urban fabric in parts of the city. Population has seen a slight decline in recent years, but major infrastructure projects, including the replacement of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, are underway. The housing market in the zip code that serves the school carries a home value well below the statewide benchmark, and rents are moderate, which may make the area more accessible to a broader range of household budgets.

The district has not reported any recent changes of lasting parent impact, such as boundary revisions, program closures, or leadership shifts. Families considering Leith Walk Elementary/Middle will want to visit and talk with current parents and staff to understand the school’s climate and academic supports beyond what the assessment data alone shows.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 314%

School 14% · district not reported

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 423%

School 23% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 510%

School 10% · district not reported

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 63%

School 3% · district not reported

▼ 10 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 71%

School 1% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · district not reported

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · district not reported

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · district not reported

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 632%

School 32% · district not reported

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 721%

School 21% · district not reported

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 19 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 53%

School 3% · district not reported

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 84%

School 4% · district not reported

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 17% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

This schoolBaltimore City Public Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income34%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income10%Higher-income20%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income13%Higher-income6%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income7%Higher-income14%7 pp gap