The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Broad Ford Elementary
Broad Ford Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Oakland, the county seat of Garrett County, Maryland. It is part of the Garrett County Public Schools district. The enrollment is well above the size typical for a school serving only elementary grades, and the student body is overwhelmingly white, with small numbers of students who are Black, Hispanic, or of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
The school is located on a separated campus along a highway corridor outside Oakland’s historic downtown. Oakland itself is a small, historic town with a walkable central district of Victorian-era buildings housing retail, a museum, a theater, and county government offices. The town is near Deep Creek Lake and the Wisp Ski Resort, and it has an Amish community of about seventy homes. Population has been declining in recent years, and no major new housing developments or growth initiatives were identified in publicly available sources. Housing values in the area are below the state average.
State testing results are available for math, English language arts, and science across grades three through six. The school’s grade band officially ends at fifth, yet a sizable group of sixth graders also sat for the state assessments. In math, proficiency rates were lower than in English language arts at every tested grade. For third grade, just under half of students scored at or above the proficient level in English language arts, while in math the share was slightly lower. For fourth graders, about one-third were proficient in English language arts and just over one-quarter in math. At fifth grade, around two-fifths of students were proficient in English language arts, and about one-quarter in math; in science, one-fifth of fifth graders reached proficiency. For sixth graders, two-fifths were proficient in English language arts and about one in seven in math. Across all tested grades and subjects, the overall combined proficiency rate was moderate. A multi-year trend was not available because only a single year of test results was present in the data. Parents may want to discuss with the school how students are prepared for math from early grades and what support is available for those who are below the proficient threshold.
Because the school does not serve high school grades, no graduation rate is reported, and there are no data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or course access in the payload. The comparison set for placing this school among its county’s districts contained only one district, so no comparative positioning was possible; Garrett County is the only district in the county.
No recent district-level changes such as boundary shifts, new programs, or leadership turnover were found in public sources. The district brief returned only basic directory information, so a reader should not assume stability or change in district priorities without further inquiry.
Broad Ford Elementary is suitable for a family looking for a school with a large enrollment for its grade band and a student population that is demographically homogenous, in a small-town setting with limited growth and modest housing costs relative to the state. The academic picture shows a mixed signal: English language arts results are stronger than math and science results, and math proficiency declines notably as grade level increases. A parent considering this school should investigate math instruction and intervention strategies, particularly in the upper elementary grades.
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