The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carroll Creek Montessori Public Charter
Carroll Creek Montessori Public Charter is a public charter school in Frederick, Maryland, serving students from prekindergarten through eighth grade. Its model is Montessori, which means multi-age classrooms, student-directed learning, and an emphasis on hands-on, self-paced work are built into the school’s daily approach. Because it is a charter school, it is tuition-free and open to families in the area who choose to apply, though capacity may be limited. The school sits within the larger Frederick County Public Schools district, but as a charter it operates with its own governance and educational identity.
Frederick is a historic county seat with a walkable downtown, a mix of residential neighborhoods, and a growing population. Major employers in the area include Fort Detrick, the National Cancer Institute, and a range of bioscience and research facilities, which gives the city an economic base centered on science and federal investment. Housing values in the area around the school are above the national benchmark, positioning it as a relatively expensive market for families looking to buy or rent. The city is expanding, and the school serves a community that includes both long-standing residents and newer arrivals.
The school’s enrollment is moderate for a pre-K through eighth grade building. The student body is majority white, with a notable presence of Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Free or reduced-price meal eligibility covers a substantial share of the student population, though not a majority. English learner and special education counts were not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its support structures for students who need individualized instruction or language services.
Academic performance on the state’s MCAP assessments shows a notable split between subjects. In English language arts, results across tested grades are mostly strong. Several grade levels posted a high proportion of students scoring proficient or above, with some upper grades reaching well above the midpoint. In math, performance is much lower across the board, with results that are generally weaker. Science scores are mixed, with eighth-grade results showing a moderate share of students meeting the bar and fifth-grade results trailing behind. Social studies results for eighth graders are solid. The school also has early data for Algebra I, where a high proportion of tested students performed at a proficient level or above, though this result is based on a single year with no trend line yet.
Because Carroll Creek serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, as that measure applies only to high schools. The school has no trend data to show improvement or decline over time; the 2024-25 school year is the only year with reported results in the available metrics. A parent looking for year-over-year trajectory should ask the school directly about how its scores have changed in prior years and what steps are being taken to address the math results.
The comparison data for this school is sparse. There is no proficiency index or chronic absenteeism rate available relative to other districts in Frederick County because the cohort of comparable schools is too small or the data is missing. This limits the ability to place the school’s performance in a local context beyond what the raw state test results show.
The school’s Montessori program is the central draw. Families who value a child-led, mixed-age classroom environment and want a public school option that offers that pedagogy will find a clear match here. The combination of strong literacy results and weak math results suggests that this may be a good fit for a student who excels in reading and writing but whose math skills need more attention, or for a family that is willing to work closely with teachers on the math gap. For a family whose priority is strong middle-grades math preparation, the current outcomes would merit a closer conversation with the school about curriculum, intervention, and how the Montessori approach addresses math instruction in practice.
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