The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Apple Grove Elementary
Apple Grove Elementary is a regular public school serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Fort Washington, an unincorporated community in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The school sits within the Prince George’s County Public Schools district, one of the state’s largest systems. Because it serves only elementary grades, there are no graduation rate or secondary program data to consider. State assessment results are available for grades three through five, and they present a clear picture of where the school stands academically.
The student body, by size, is small for a public elementary school, with an enrollment that is shared across all grades from PK through five. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need. The student composition is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with a small number of Asian, white, and multiracial students, and a very small number of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
On the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, the share of students meeting state proficiency benchmarks in mathematics was very low across the tested grades. In third grade, roughly three in ten students scored proficient or above. In fourth grade, the rate dropped to a level that is exceptionally low. In fifth grade, it remained in the single digits. Overall, across all tested grades, the proficiency rate in math was in the low teens. English language arts results were higher, with around one in three students scoring proficient or above in each grade, and the overall proficiency rate for the school was in the mid-thirties. Science results, available for fifth graders, showed a proficiency rate in the low teens. These numbers point to a school where the vast majority of students are not yet meeting state expectations in core academic subjects. A parent considering this school would want to look into what academic supports, interventions, and enrichment are offered, and how the school is working to raise achievement.
The community of Fort Washington is an affluent, low-density bedroom suburb of Washington, D.C., with home values high relative to national norms and a long average commute for residents. The school draws from a portion of that community, yet its high rate of economic disadvantage suggests that the attendance zone includes households with incomes well below the community’s overall median. The school’s performance may reflect that gap.
At the district level, Prince George’s County Public Schools has recently approved a substantial operating budget increase and implemented a district-wide literacy initiative aligning instruction with the science of reading. A boundary review has also been conducted to address overcrowding, with changes proposed. These district efforts may affect future curriculum and staffing resources at Apple Grove Elementary, but their impact on day-to-day classroom experience is not yet measurable.
For a family weighing this school, the central fact is the academic profile. Proficiency rates are very low in mathematics and science, and below half in reading. The school serves a predominantly low-income student population in a district that has directed new funding toward teacher salaries and literacy. A parent should expect to ask specific questions about intervention programs, class sizes, and how the school differentiates instruction for students who are behind grade level.
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