The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Oakleigh Elementary
Oakleigh Elementary is a regular public school in Baltimore, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of Baltimore County Public Schools. It sits in a residential zip code within the city, a place with a deep stock of historic row houses and walkable neighborhoods, though the city’s population has edged slightly down in recent years. The school’s enrollment is large for an elementary; its student body is diverse by race and ethnicity, with a substantial share from families who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Academic results on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, or MCAP, are available for math and English language arts in grades three through five, and for science in fifth grade. Across every tested grade and subject, the share of students reaching proficiency is low. In math, the proficiency rate in grade three is under a fifth of students; grade four shows a somewhat higher rate, though still below a third; and grade five drops back. In English language arts, grade four posts the strongest result among tested grades, with about a third of students proficient, while grades three and five are lower. Science in fifth grade has the lowest rate of any tested subject, with fewer than one in ten students reaching proficiency. These numbers reflect a single year of data, so no trend is available to indicate whether this is a stable pattern or a point of change. The district has recently adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, a shift that may affect future results, but it is too early to see its impact here.
The school’s own website or programs data were not provided; the available information does not detail after-school offerings, enrichment, or specialized instructional models. A parent exploring this school would need to ask the school directly about programming beyond the core academic day.
Baltimore County Public Schools, the parent district, is in the middle of several systemwide changes that reach Oakleigh Elementary. A new cell phone policy restricts phone use during instructional time for elementary students. The district is also implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a state plan that is expanding pre-K toward universal access, raising teacher salaries, and increasing college and career readiness funding. Baltimore County voters approved a bond issue for school safety upgrades such as secure entrances and cameras, which may affect Oakleigh’s physical plant. Boundary changes approved for the 2025-2026 school year affect feeder systems in other parts of the county; it is not clear from the available data whether Oakleigh’s attendance zone was directly involved.
Housing in the surrounding area is moderately priced relative to the national median, though rents have been rising. The typical home value in the zip code is below the statewide benchmark. This positions the neighborhood as relatively more affordable within the Baltimore region, which matters for families weighing school options alongside housing costs.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to consider. The district-level comparison data could not produce a meaningful relative position for this school within Baltimore County because only one year of proficiency results was available for a single school; the comparison tool flagged the cohort as too small. That means a family cannot easily gauge how Oakleigh stacks up against other elementary schools in the same district using this data alone. The low proficiency rates themselves, however, are a concrete signal that academic attainment is a significant concern. A parent who wants a school where a strong majority of students meet grade-level standards in math, reading, and science would want to investigate what supports are in place, how the school is working to raise achievement, and whether its trajectory is improving.
Oakleigh Elementary serves a high-need population in a district that is actively reforming curriculum, discipline policies, and funding. For a family that values a diverse, city-based elementary school and is prepared to engage closely with the school’s academic improvement efforts, it may be worth a careful look. For those prioritizing high current test scores, it is likely not a fit without additional enrichment or intervention beyond what the school alone provides.
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