The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Sargent Shriver Elementary
Sargent Shriver Elementary is a regular public school in Silver Spring serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system, a large and well-funded district that draws a significant portion of the county budget. The school sits inside a suburban community that is highly diverse and has an urbanized downtown core with strong transit connections, including Metro rail and bus service.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a much smaller but visible share of Black and Asian students, a small White population, and a very small multiracial group. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that a substantial share of families face economic pressures. The enrollment is large for an elementary school, spread across grades with the largest concentration in grade three and smaller groups in kindergarten and prekindergarten.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show that proficiency rates in both English language arts and math are low across all tested grades. In reading, roughly a quarter of students met the state’s proficiency bar, while in math the share was lower still. Science proficiency in grade five was even weaker. These numbers place the school well below the performance levels many families expect in a district that invests heavily in education. The district has recently adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum, and the school’s reading results may reflect a transition period, but the figures as reported suggest that a parent considering the school would want to ask directly about academic support, intervention programs, and how the school addresses skill gaps in the early grades.
The school has no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. No discipline data, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism rates were available in the data we reviewed. A parent seeking those details would need to look at other sources or contact the school directly.
The surrounding community of Silver Spring is an unincorporated edge city directly north of Washington, D.C. It has a walkable downtown anchored by the AFI Silver Theatre, a civic building, and a major transit center that connects to Metro, MARC, and bus lines. The Purple Line light rail is under construction and expected to open in late 2027. The area is known for its large foreign-born population, with significant communities from El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, and China. Major employers include NOAA, the FDA, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The housing market in the zip code is moderately priced compared to the national average, with home values slightly above the state median. Rents are also above national benchmarks, and affordability is a consideration for many families.
The district has been conducting a systemwide boundary analysis as part of long-term planning, which could affect which elementary school a child attends. That process is ongoing, so families should be aware that attendance zones may shift.
In summary, Sargent Shriver Elementary serves a large, economically diverse student body in a transit-rich suburban setting. Its academic performance on state tests is notably below the typical pattern for Montgomery County, and a family considering the school would be well served to investigate what targeted instruction, tutoring, or enrichment the school provides to raise proficiency. The strongest draw for some families may be the diversity of the student population and the broader community resources of Silver Spring, though the academic results are the primary fact to weigh.
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