The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hillcrest Heights Elementary
Hillcrest Heights Elementary is a regular public school in Temple Hills, Maryland, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It operates within Prince George’s County Public Schools, a large district that has recently directed funding toward teacher salaries and student support services and has adopted a district‑wide literacy initiative aligned with the science of reading. The school itself is located in a primarily residential, unincorporated area of the county, built out largely between the 1950s and 1970s with garden apartments, duplexes, and single‑family homes. The community is auto‑oriented, with shopping concentrated in adjacent centers such as Iverson Mall and Marlow Heights Shopping Center. The Metrorail Green Line runs nearby, and the Capital Beltway provides commuter access to the D.C. region.
The student body at Hillcrest Heights is diverse, with the student population composed predominantly of Black and Hispanic children. A very large share of students come from low‑income households, as reflected in the free and reduced‑price meal program participation. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and its enrollment is small relative to many elementary schools in the district. Each grade from kindergarten through fifth holds similar numbers of students, giving the school a reasonably intimate feel.
On the state assessments administered in the 2024‑25 school year, the proportion of students reaching proficiency varied notably by subject and grade. In English language arts, the share of students meeting the bar was around a quarter across the school overall, though it was higher in fourth grade and lower in fifth grade. In mathematics, proficiency rates were considerably lower across all tested grades, with very few students scoring at the proficient level. In fifth‑grade science, just a small fraction of students reached proficiency. These results represent a single year of data; no prior year’s results were available for comparison, so it is not possible to say whether this reflects a longer trend or a single‑year snapshot. A parent may want to ask the school about specific instructional supports in place, particularly in math and science, and about how the district’s literacy initiative is being implemented at this site.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate, and no middle or high school course offerings or outcomes to consider. The locale brief notes that Temple Hills is zoned to Thurgood Marshall Middle School and Crossland High School for later grades, both of which fall under the same district. The district itself recently completed a boundary review to address school overcrowding, with changes proposed for the 2025‑26 school year; families should be aware that attendance boundaries can shift, potentially affecting middle and high school assignments.
The housing context in the area shows home values and rents that sit around the middle of the range for Prince George’s County. The local economy is tied to nearby federal employers such as Joint Base Andrews and the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as commuters to Washington, D.C. The Temple Hills Community Center offers recreational facilities, and a county Multi‑Service Center provides social services. The area has seen modest population growth and demographic change, but no major new housing developments are reported; the housing stock is largely built out.
In sum, Hillcrest Heights Elementary is a small, high‑poverty urban‑infill school in a suburban setting, where academic proficiency on state tests is currently below statewide averages and where the district is working on new literacy curriculum and boundary adjustments. Families considering this school will want to learn more about the specific academic interventions available and how the school is working to raise achievement, particularly in math and science, and about the upcoming boundary changes that may affect their child’s path through the district’s middle and high schools.
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