The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Science. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on James Hubert Blake High
James Hubert Blake High is a regular public high school in Silver Spring, Maryland, serving the ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system. It is a large school, drawing students from a wide area of eastern Montgomery County. The student body is notably diverse and reflects the broader demographic makeup of the surrounding region. Just over half of students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The largest racial and ethnic groups are Black and Hispanic students, each making up a substantial share, followed by White and Asian students, with smaller shares identifying as multiracial, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
State testing data for this school is limited in what is available for its own grade levels. Results for the high school grades themselves appear to be sparse from the records provided. The most recent reported figure shows that on the state’s English language arts assessment for the whole school, about half of students met proficiency standards, though this represents a single year with no trend to examine. Mathematics results for high school grades were not reported in the data, and earlier science results from an older testing year were for eighth grade, a grade this school does not serve, so those are not applicable. A parent may want to ask the school directly for a fuller picture of current academic performance. No graduation rate was provided in the available records, which is a notable gap for a high school.
The local community context matters for understanding the opportunities and challenges students experience. Silver Spring is an unincorporated edge city that borders Washington, D.C., and is among the most populous places in Maryland. It has an urbanized downtown core with a dense mix of retail, residential, and office space, anchored by landmarks such as the AFI Silver Theatre and the Paul Sarbanes Transit Center. The transit center connects to Metro’s Red Line, MARC commuter rail, and multiple bus lines, and a new Purple Line light rail connection is under construction. The population is highly diverse, with many residents born outside the United States, including significant Salvadoran, Ethiopian, Indian, and Chinese communities. Major employers in the area include NOAA, the FDA, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church headquarters. The downtown area has undergone substantial redevelopment since the early 2000s, and the broader Silver Spring mailing address covers a vast suburban expanse with creek valley parks and trail systems.
As part of Montgomery County Public Schools, Blake High sits within one of the largest school districts in the nation. The district adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum in 2023–24, and its operating budget has grown to consume a major portion of the county’s spending. The district is also conducting systemwide boundary studies that may lead to changes in school attendance zones, a process families in the area may want to monitor.
Housing in the Silver Spring area reflects the region’s proximity to the nation’s capital and is expensive relative to national averages. Typical home values are well above the national median, and rental costs are high. For a family considering this area, affordability is a real factor.
Overall, Blake High is a large, diverse comprehensive high school in a dense suburban setting with strong transit connections and a dynamic local economy. The strength of the school lies in its size and diversity rather than in standout test scores from the limited data available. Families looking into this school would be wise to seek out additional information on academic pathways, extracurriculars, and postsecondary outcomes directly from the school.
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