The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Nicholas Orem Middle
Nicholas Orem Middle is a regular public school in Hyattsville, Maryland, serving grades six through eight within the Prince George's County Public Schools system. It is one of the larger middle schools in the area by enrollment, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller but still substantial share of Black students. A very high proportion of students are from low-income households, qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The school is not a charter, and its magnet and Title I status were not provided in the data.
Hyattsville itself is an urban suburb of Washington, D.C., with a historic residential core and significant recent redevelopment, particularly in the Arts District Hyattsville and near the Hyattsville Crossing Metro station, where a mixed-use complex includes condos, student housing, offices, and retail. The city is walkable, with a notable trail network and multiple bikeshare stations. Major employers include the National Center for Health Statistics and the Mall at Prince George's. The city has experienced population growth and development over the past couple of decades, and its character as a commuter suburb with a dense, walkable center shapes the context for local schools.
State testing data from the most recent school year provides a clear picture of academic performance at Nicholas Orem Middle. In English language arts, proficiency rates were mixed across the grades: sixth and seventh graders scored above the state average, with a notable share meeting the bar, while eighth graders performed at a level below those earlier grades. In mathematics, the picture is more challenging. Proficiency rates in all three tested grade levels were very low. Eighth-grade math proficiency was particularly low, and the combined cross-grade math proficiency rate was also low. In science, the share of eighth graders scoring proficient was also low, and in social studies the proficiency rate was moderate but still below the state average. A single year of data was available for recent trends, so no trend in performance can be assessed.
The school offers Algebra 1, a high school level course taken by some middle schoolers. In the most recent test data, a meaningful share of students taking the Algebra 1 end-of-course exam scored proficient, which is a positive indicator for those students who have accelerated in math. A parent may want to ask the school what portion of the student body is placed into Algebra 1 versus grade-level math and how course placement decisions are made.
No civil rights data, chronic absenteeism rates, or graduation rates were available in the data provided, so this profile cannot speak to those areas. The school is part of a large county district, Prince George's County Public Schools, which has recently adopted a district-wide literacy initiative aligned with the science of reading and conducted a boundary review that could affect school assignments for some families. The district has also passed a budget with increased funding for teacher salaries and student support services. These district-level changes could have a lasting impact on class sizes, staffing, and curriculum at Nicholas Orem Middle.
For a family considering this school, the academic results show a notable gap between performance in English language arts, where a sizable portion of students meet state standards, and performance in math and science, where the share of students reaching that level is much smaller. The student population is very economically diverse, with a high concentration of poverty, and the school is large for a middle school. The surrounding city of Hyattsville offers a walkable, transit-connected environment with redevelopment and a mix of housing types. A parent would likely want to learn more about how the school supports students who are behind, particularly in math, and what kind of academic acceleration opportunities are available beyond Algebra 1.
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