The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in English language arts. The lowest is 46% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Burning Tree Elementary
Burning Tree Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Bethesda, a community that functions as a major business and government center for the Washington region and a national hub for medical research. The school is part of Montgomery County Public Schools, a large district that, according to publicly reported information, adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum starting in the 2023-24 school year and has been conducting a systemwide boundary analysis as part of long-term facilities planning. Families considering this school should be aware that the district's ongoing boundary studies could affect attendance areas in the future.
The school's student body reflects the broader Bethesda context. Families tend to be highly educated and affluent. A very small share of students qualifies for free or reduced-price meals. The student population is predominantly white, with a notable Asian contingent and smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. Housing in the area carries a high price tag, and rents are steep as well, consistent with Bethesda's dense downtown core and its concentration of federal employers and medical research institutions. The area has seen vigorous growth tied to Metro expansion, and the Purple Line light rail currently under construction will add a new transit link.
On state assessments administered through the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, Burning Tree posted strong results in English language arts across grades three and four, with the large majority of students reaching proficiency. Fifth-grade ELA results were softer, with a smaller majority meeting the bar. In math, the pattern was similar: strong proficiency rates in third and fourth grade, with a step down in fifth grade. Fifth-grade science results, from a different state assessment, showed just under half of students reaching proficiency. The dip in fifth-grade performance across subjects is worth noting, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports are in place for older elementary students. The data available covers only a single school year, so there is no trend to examine.
Because Burning Tree serves only elementary grades, there are no graduation rate data or high school course offerings to report. The school has no charter or magnet designation, and information on Title I status, discipline, staffing, and attendance was not available in the data provided.
This is a school where academic performance is generally strong in the early elementary grades, with a visible softening in fifth grade that a family focused on the transition to middle school might want to explore. The student body is relatively homogeneous in socioeconomic terms, and the surrounding housing market is expensive. For a family already living in or moving to this part of Bethesda, Burning Tree offers a core academic program within a district that has recently invested in a new literacy curriculum, set against the backdrop of a dense, transit-connected, and professionally oriented community.
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