The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Highland View Elementary
Highland View Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Silver Spring, a densely populated, unincorporated edge city in Montgomery County that borders Washington, D.C. The school is part of Montgomery County Public Schools, a large district that receives a substantial share of the county’s budget and has recently adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum. The district is also conducting a systemwide boundary analysis, a process families may want to track for potential changes to attendance areas.
The school sits in a community that is both urban and suburban. Downtown Silver Spring is a walkable, transit-rich core with the Paul Sarbanes Transit Center, the AFI Silver Theatre, and a mix of retail and residential development. The area has seen significant redevelopment over the past two decades, and the Purple Line light rail is under construction, expected to open in the next few years. The greater Silver Spring area is densely populated and notably diverse, with large Salvadoran, Ethiopian, Indian, and Chinese communities. Major employers include NOAA and the FDA, and the downtown area has a concentration of civic and cultural destinations.
Highland View Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The student body is diverse, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The largest demographic groups are Hispanic students and Black students, followed by white students, with smaller shares of students who are Asian or of two or more races. The school is not a charter or magnet school.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year show a mixed picture. In English language arts, third graders performed at a level that fell within a range that suggests a solid majority met the proficiency standard. Fourth and fifth graders had lower proficiency rates, with roughly half or fewer meeting the bar. In math, third graders had a proficiency rate that was notably higher than the rates for fourth and fifth graders, both of which were lower. Fifth-grade science results were also low. A parent may want to look into these patterns further with the school, particularly the drop-off between third and fourth grade in both reading and math.
The school serves a student population where a substantial share qualifies for free or reduced-price meals. The school is located in a community with a high cost of living. Home values in the area are well above national and state benchmarks, and rents are also high. The area is served by a major transit center with Metro, MARC, and bus connections, and the Purple Line light rail is under construction.
Because Highland View Elementary serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not have a magnet or charter designation. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing were not available in the source material. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these areas. The school’s academic results show a clear pattern of stronger performance in third grade, particularly in reading, with a drop in fourth and fifth grade that is worth understanding. The math results follow a similar trajectory. The science results for fifth graders were low. The school is part of a large, well-funded district that has recently changed its elementary literacy curriculum, which may affect instruction going forward.
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