The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Goshen Elementary
Goshen Elementary is a regular public school in Gaithersburg serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, part of Montgomery County Public Schools, one of the largest and most fiscally substantial districts in Maryland. The school sits in a city that is a mix of older residential neighborhoods like Olde Towne and newer planned communities, with a notable concentration of biotechnology employers and federal research facilities along the interstate corridor. Gaithersburg is a sizable and diverse city, and the district recently adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum that affects how reading is taught across the entire system.
The student body at Goshen is diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by Black students, then White and Asian students. Over half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a measure that points to a substantial number of households with lower incomes. The school has a regular public school structure with no charter or magnet designation.
On state testing, the picture varies by subject and grade. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above sits in the moderate range across third, fourth, and fifth grades. In math, the proficiency rates are lower, and they drop as grade level advances, from third to fourth to fifth grade. Science results in fifth grade are lower still. These figures come from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program and the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment. The district implements standardized assessments, and the school’s performance in math and science is a soft spot. A parent may want to ask the school directly how it supports students in those areas and what interventions are in place. Only a single year of data is available, so there is no trend to compare against.
Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not serve high school grades, so that measure does not apply here.
The community context matters for how families experience the school. The area is a mix of older homes and newer construction, with a walkable historic district in Olde Towne and more auto-oriented commercial strips along the main roads. Housing values in the zip code are high, well above the state benchmark, and the price-to-income ratio suggests affordability is a challenge for many households. Rents are also steep. The city has multiple MARC commuter rail stops and is near the Shady Grove Metro terminus, giving families options for commuting to Washington, D.C. or other parts of the region.
The district’s budget takes up a large share of the county’s spending, reflecting a long-standing investment that also shapes property taxes. MCPS has been conducting a systemwide boundary analysis, which could eventually change attendance zones. That process is ongoing, and families should be aware that long-term planning may affect which school a child attends in future years.
Goshen Elementary serves a diverse, economically mixed student population in a high-cost, fast-growing part of Montgomery County. The school’s literacy results are moderate, while math and science show more ground to cover. For a family considering this school, the test data is the main area warranting direct conversation with the school about how it addresses those subjects. The setting offers transit access, a range of housing types, and a city with an active civic and commercial life. The district’s boundary review and curriculum changes are factors worth monitoring over time.
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