The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Baden Elementary
Baden Elementary is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in Brandywine, a community in southern Prince George’s County. Brandywine is an unincorporated area that was historically rural and began seeing commercial and residential development in the early 2000s. The population has grown rapidly, and the area remains car-dependent, with commercial activity concentrated along the Maryland Route 5 corridor and at the Brandywine Crossing shopping center. Traffic congestion from commuters traveling to Washington, D.C., and Waldorf is a common feature of daily life. The school itself sits on Baden-Westwood Road, away from the commercial strip, in a part of the community that still feels more rural than suburban.
The school is part of Prince George’s County Public Schools, a large district that has recently adopted a district-wide literacy initiative based on the science of reading and approved a budget increase for teacher salaries and student support. The district also conducted a boundary review in 2024 to address overcrowding, with changes proposed for the 2025-2026 school year, so families in the Baden attendance area may want to check whether any boundary adjustments affect their assigned school.
Baden Elementary enrolls a student body that is modest in size for an elementary school. The racial and ethnic composition is diverse, with Black students comprising the largest share, followed by Hispanic and White students, and a smaller number of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic circumstances of many families in the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about the availability of special education supports and language services.
On state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates vary by subject and grade. In English language arts, fourth graders performed the strongest, with a share of students scoring proficient that was higher than in third or fifth grade. Math proficiency was lower across the board, with third grade showing a modest share of students reaching proficiency and fourth grade a smaller share; fifth-grade math results were reported in a range, indicating the school is not able to report a precise figure, a situation that often occurs when the tested group is very small. Science proficiency in fifth grade was low. These results put the school in a position where many students are not meeting state benchmarks, particularly in math and science, and a parent considering the school may want to discuss with the principal how the school is working to improve those outcomes and support students who are below grade level.
The comparison data that would allow a reader to see how Baden Elementary stacks up against other elementary schools in Prince George’s County was insufficient to calculate a proficiency index because the comparison set was too small. That means this narrative cannot offer a county-wide academic context. The available assessment results speak for themselves. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data were available.
For parents who value knowing about the broader school environment, civil rights and discipline data were also absent from the record. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and its Title I status was not provided. No information on program offerings, such as language enrichment, arts, or special academic tracks, was included. A parent should ask the school directly about what enrichment or intervention programs are available.
Brandywine’s housing market reflects its growth trajectory. The area has seen new townhouse developments under construction, and home values are above the national and state benchmarks, making it a relatively expensive market for a community that is still partly rural. Rental costs are also above the national median. For families, this means the cost of living in the school’s attendance zone is high, and the commute into Washington, D.C., is a consideration that comes with the territory.
Baden Elementary is a neighborhood school in a fast-growing, car-dependent community where academic performance on state tests is weak in math and science and mixed in reading. A parent looking at this school should investigate what academic interventions and enrichment the school provides, confirm the current attendance boundaries given the district’s recent redistricting process, and ask about special education and English learner services, since those data were not available in the public record.
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