Shady Grove Middle, Gaithersburg MD

Original Research by School Decision on Shady Grove Middle

Shady Grove Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Gaithersburg, a city in Montgomery County, Maryland. It sits within the Montgomery County Public Schools system, one of the largest and most well-resourced districts in the state. The school itself is a mid-sized middle school, enrolling students across three grade levels. The student body is notably diverse: Hispanic students make up the largest group, followed by White, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Nearly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of economic diversity that, in a county with relatively high housing costs, means a substantial share of families face financial pressure.

State test results paint a mixed picture. In English language arts, roughly half of students scored proficient or above across grades six, seven, and eight, with grade seven reaching just above that threshold and the other two grades just below. That is a middle-of-the-road outcome—not notably strong, but not the weakest in the county either. In mathematics, the picture is much softer. Proficiency rates were low in sixth grade, lower in seventh grade, and in eighth grade no tested student reached the proficient level. The school also reports results for algebra I and geometry, which are typically taken by students who are accelerated; here, fewer than one in five students taking the algebra I test scored proficient, while geometry proficiency was higher but still below a majority. Science and social studies assessments, given only in eighth grade, showed roughly a quarter and two-fifths of students proficient, respectively. These are numbers that a parent should want to investigate further—particularly math instruction and support, where the pattern across all three grade levels is clearly a weak spot.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing were not available. Information on programs, such as whether the school offers honors classes, special education services, or English learner supports, was also absent from the provided material. A parent considering Shady Grove Middle would want to ask the school directly about these areas, especially since the demographic profile suggests a significant number of students likely need additional academic or language support.

Gaithersburg itself is a large, diverse city with a mix of older residential neighborhoods, a historic Olde Towne district, and sprawling corporate and biotech campuses. Major employers include federal research facilities and large pharmaceutical and technology firms. Walkability varies; some areas are pedestrian-friendly, while others are car-oriented. Housing values in the area are above the national median, and rents are high relative to incomes. The district, Montgomery County Public Schools, has recently adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum and is conducting a systemwide boundary analysis that could affect which schools students attend in the future. For a family living in Gaithersburg, Shady Grove Middle is one of several middle school options within a large district, and its academic profile—especially in math—warrants a close look.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 620%

School 20% · district not reported

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 710%

School 10% · district not reported

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 648%

School 48% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · district not reported

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 827%

School 27% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 50% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

This schoolMontgomery County Public Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income35%Higher-income67%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income40%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income25%Higher-income40%15 pp gap