Ballenger Creek Middle, Frederick MD

Original Research by School Decision on Ballenger Creek Middle

Ballenger Creek Middle in Frederick, Maryland, serves students in grades six through eight as a regular public school in the Frederick County Public Schools district. It enrolls a sizable student body for a middle school, drawing from a city that functions both as the county seat and as a crossroads community with a historic downtown known for its church steeples. The city has seen noticeable population growth in recent years, which may be relevant for families gauging classroom sizes and housing availability.

The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Hispanic students, Black students, Asian students, students who identify as two or more races, and smaller numbers of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students and American Indian or Alaska Native students. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need. The school does not provide counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and the supports in place.

On state assessments, the school shows a clear split between English language arts and other subjects. In ELA, across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, proficiency rates fall in a moderate range. Science proficiency for eighth graders is lower, and social studies proficiency is comparable to ELA. Math proficiency is a soft spot. In sixth grade, in seventh grade, and in eighth grade, the share of students scoring proficient or above is considerably lower than in ELA. A parent whose child has struggled in math or who wants a strong math program may want to ask about intervention services, curriculum offerings, and how the school supports students who are below grade level.

Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to consider, so that piece of the puzzle does not apply here.

The housing market in the area carries a price that sits close to the national average for typical home values, while the typical rent is also in line with national norms. For a family moving into the area, these figures suggest that housing is not dramatically more or less expensive than many other parts of the country, though local conditions can vary block to block.

The school does not publish data on discipline, attendance, teacher staffing, or course access, so a complete picture of the daily environment requires a visit or a conversation with the school. The district brief turned up no confirmed recent changes such as redistricting or major curriculum shifts, so there is no particular disruption to factor in from that angle.

Overall, Ballenger Creek Middle presents a mixed academic profile. ELA results are a relative strength, while math performance is where the school faces a challenge. The student population is economically and ethnically diverse. Families who value a strong reading and writing foundation and who want to understand how the school addresses math gaps will have the most useful questions to ask.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 623%

School 23% · district not reported

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

Grade 728%

School 28% · district not reported

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

Grade 812%

School 12% · district not reported

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 658%

School 58% · district not reported

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

Grade 760%

School 60% · district not reported

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

Grade 850%

School 50% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 833%

School 33% · district not reported

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

Social studies

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 51% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolFrederick 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-income39%Higher-income67%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income29%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income36%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income10%Higher-income24%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income6%Higher-income11%5 pp gap