The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Takoma Park Middle
Takoma Park Middle is a regular public school in Silver Spring serving grades six through eight, part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system. It has a sizable enrollment for a middle school, drawing from the diverse inner-suburban neighborhoods inside the Capital Beltway that surround downtown Silver Spring.
The student body reflects the broad ethnic diversity of the area. The school community includes a substantial share of students who identify as Black, a similarly substantial share who identify as White, notable shares who identify as Hispanic and as Asian, and a smaller share who identify with two or more races. A modest minority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is a lower share than what is typical at many schools in the county. Data on the share of students with an Individualized Education Program or who are English learners was not available.
Academically, the picture is varied by subject. On the state English language arts assessments, a strong majority of students in every grade scored at the proficient level or above, a performance that stands out as a clear strength. In social studies, a similarly strong majority of eighth graders were proficient. In science, roughly half of eighth graders met the proficiency bar. Math presents the most complicated profile. In sixth grade, about half of students were proficient. That share dropped to about a quarter in seventh grade. In eighth grade, the proficiency rate was very low. School and district officials often note that eighth graders at this school take an integrated math course rather than Algebra I, and the state test for that grade is the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program for grade-level math, which is a challenging metric for students who are placed in accelerated math tracks. A parent may want to ask the school directly about math course placement and how the tested grade-level math compares with the coursework their child would actually take.
On end-of-course exams for subjects like Algebra I and Geometry, which are taken by students in accelerated programs, proficiency rates were well above the grade-level math results, indicating that students who are placed into advanced courses tend to perform well.
The setting is an urbanized one. Downtown Silver Spring, a short distance away, is a walkable core with the AFI Silver Theatre, a transit center that serves a large number of daily passengers via Metro, MARC, and bus lines, and a concentration of retail and civic spaces. The Purple Line light rail is under construction and expected to open in the next few years, which will connect the area to Bethesda and College Park. For a family, this is a place with a dense, transit-oriented downtown and established residential neighborhoods of mostly single-family homes and apartments. Housing values in the area were above state and national benchmarks, and rents were also relatively high, reflecting the premium for proximity to Washington, D.C. and the amenities of the downtown core.
Montgomery County Public Schools, as a whole, has the largest operating budget in the county, representing a substantial share of all county spending, and the district has recently adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum and continues systemwide boundary studies that could affect which schools students attend in the future.
For a family navigating this school, the academic strengths are clearly in English language arts and social studies, while math proficiency varies significantly by grade and course pathway. The school serves a diverse, urban community with strong transit connections and a rich cultural and civic life in its downtown core. The peer environment is varied along many dimensions. A family considering this school should discuss math placement policies directly with the school and look into how the school supports students who are not yet on an accelerated math track.
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