John Hanson Middle School, Waldorf MD

Original Research by School Decision on John Hanson Middle School

John Hanson Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Waldorf, a fast-growing, auto-oriented bedroom community in Charles County, Maryland. Waldorf has expanded dramatically over the past several decades, fueled by a large planned community and its position as a commuter hub for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The area is unincorporated and lacks a traditional downtown, with commercial life concentrated along highway corridors and at a regional shopping mall. Public bus service and commuter coach routes to D.C. are available, and a rapid transit line is in the planning stages. Housing values and rents in the area reflect the broader D.C. market, with a mix of suburban subdivisions and strip development.

The school’s enrollment is sizable for a middle school, and the student body is majority Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of white and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating a community with many families of modest means. The peer environment is therefore one of economic diversity weighted toward lower-income households.

On state assessments, the academic picture is mixed and warrants careful consideration. In English language arts, proficiency rates increase across the grades, with a notable share of students meeting the standard by eighth grade. In math, however, the results are sharply lower, with a very small share of students proficient in sixth and seventh grades and none at all in eighth grade. Science and social studies results in eighth grade show roughly a quarter of students reaching proficiency. A separate algebra I test, taken by some students, shows a rate higher than the general math scores, but that may reflect a selected group. Overall, math achievement is a clear weak spot, and a parent may want to ask the school about the math curriculum, intervention programs, and how they support students who are behind.

The school operates under Charles County Public Schools. The district brief did not identify any specific recent changes or initiatives that would alter the school’s direction compared with prior years, so the academic profile described here is the most current available.

Several data fields were not provided for this school. Information on special education and English learner enrollment, discipline, course access, staffing ratios, and attendance patterns were all absent. A parent may wish to inquire directly about these areas to get a fuller sense of student supports and school climate.

No local comparison data were available for this school, so it cannot be placed relative to other middle schools in Charles County. The nearest high school feeder pattern is not detailed in the provided data.

John Hanson Middle School serves a growing, commuter-heavy suburb. The student population is diverse and economically varied, with many families relying on the school for foundational instruction. The academic results point to a school where literacy skills improve over the middle years but where math achievement is a significant concern that families would want to understand and discuss with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 610%

School 10% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 710%

School 10% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 630%

School 30% · district not reported

▼ 15 pts below state median

Grade 738%

School 38% · district not reported

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · district not reported

even with state median

Science

Grade 825%

School 25% · district not reported

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

Social studies

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 6 pts below state median

This schoolCharles County 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-income33%Higher-income42%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income8%Higher-income27%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income22%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income7%Higher-income15%8 pp gap