Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary/middle, Baltimore MD

Original Research by School Decision on Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary/middle

Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary/Middle is a regular public school in Baltimore, part of Baltimore City Public Schools, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school is a neighborhood institution, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is large for a PK-8 building. The student body is overwhelmingly Black, with a notable Hispanic minority and very small numbers of white, Asian, and multiracial students. A large majority of families qualify for free or reduced-price meals, placing the school in a high-poverty context.

The academic landscape at Rodwell is the core story, and it is a challenging one. On the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, proficiency rates in mathematics are in the single digits across every tested grade, from third through eighth. In English language arts, the picture is slightly less stark but still low: rates vary by grade, with the strongest showing in fourth grade, where roughly a quarter of students met the standard, and the weakest in fifth grade, where about one in nine did. Results in science and eighth-grade social studies are similarly low, with only a very small fraction of students scoring proficient or above. When compared with other districts within Baltimore city, Rodwell’s overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quarter. These results come from a single year of testing, so no trend is available, and the school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.

The data do not include information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or program offerings such as advanced coursework or enrichment, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about those supports. The school’s environment is shaped by its location on Hillsdale Road in northwest Baltimore, part of a city that has shifted from heavy industry to a service economy anchored by Johns Hopkins Hospital and University. The city’s population has seen a modest decline in recent years, though major infrastructure projects are underway. The area’s housing market shows home values below both the state of Maryland average and the national average, while rents are moderate relative to incomes.

For a parent or resident evaluating Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary/Middle, the most concrete takeaway is the steep academic challenge the school faces. The proficiency data are consistently low across subjects and grades, and the school’s relative position among Baltimore city districts is at the bottom. Without additional data on attendance, staffing, or specific programs, it is difficult to assess what interventions or supports are in place. Families considering this school would want to visit, speak with staff, and learn about any academic improvement efforts, tutoring, or community partnerships that might be available. The school serves a high-need population, and its results suggest that students may need significant additional academic support to reach grade-level benchmarks.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 313%

School 13% · district not reported

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

Grade 48%

School 8% · district not reported

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 54%

School 4% · district not reported

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 61%

School 1% · district not reported

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 75%

School 5% · district not reported

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 82%

School 2% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · district not reported

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 511%

School 11% · district not reported

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · district not reported

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

Grade 722%

School 22% · district not reported

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 53%

School 3% · district not reported

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

Grade 82%

School 2% · district not reported

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 82%

School 2% · District 17% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 11 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-income17%Higher-income22%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income11%Higher-income15%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income8%Higher-income16%8 pp gap