The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cora L. Rice Elementary
Cora L. Rice Elementary is a regular public school in Landover, Maryland, serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of Prince George's County Public Schools, one of the larger districts in the state. The school sits in an unincorporated, auto-oriented suburban community that has no traditional downtown. Landover is home to the Washington Commanders' stadium, a Giant Food corporate headquarters, and several industrial parks, and its commercial landscape still bears the mark of the demolished Landover Mall. The area is well served by Metro rail lines, but street life is limited to a few nodes. The school itself sits off Nalley Road in a residential section of the community.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a notable Hispanic minority and very small shares of white and Asian students. A substantial majority of students come from low-income households, as measured by free and reduced-price meal eligibility. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and its Title I status was not reported in the available data, but the economic profile of the enrollment strongly indicates that it serves a population with high needs. Enrollment spans all elementary grades and totals roughly a medium-sized elementary school for Prince George's County.
On the state assessments administered through Maryland's MCAP for English language arts and math, and the MISA for science, the school's results are low. In math, proficiency rates decline sharply across grades, falling to a very small share of students reaching the proficient level by fifth grade. The story is similar in English language arts, though third graders achieve at a noticeably higher rate than later grades, suggesting that as students progress through the school, a growing number fall behind. Fifth-grade science results are at zero proficiency, meaning no tested student met the standard. These figures are striking, and a parent considering the school would want to look into this further with the school leadership to understand what interventions are in place and how the school is working to reverse these trends. Only one year of data is available for trend comparison, so it is not possible to see whether this is a recent pattern or a longer-standing one.
The district, Prince George's County Public Schools, has recently approved a budget increase that directs additional funding to teacher salaries and student support services. It has also implemented a district-wide literacy initiative aligned with the science of reading, which covers all elementary schools, and conducted a boundary review that may shift attendance zones starting in the coming school year. These district-level changes may affect Cora L. Rice, but the school-level data does not provide details on how they will be applied here.
Housing in the Landover ZIP code is moderately priced relative to the state and nation, with home values slightly below the Maryland average and rents near the national norm. The area has seen some commercial decline, but county officials have been developing plans for redevelopment around the former mall site and Metro stations. The school's physical setting is suburban and car-dependent, though Metro provides an alternative for commuting.
Cora L. Rice Elementary is a school with a high concentration of students from low-income backgrounds, serving a community in economic transition. Its academic results are a clear area of concern, especially in math and science. A parent evaluating the school would want to hear directly from the school about its academic support structures, the literacy initiative's impact, and any plans to improve outcomes. The school's grade band means it feeds into middle and high schools elsewhere in the district, so a family's longer-term pathway would depend on the feeder pattern, something the boundary review may alter.
See more original research from School Decision →