The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Thurgood Marshall Middle
Thurgood Marshall Middle is a regular public school in Temple Hills, Maryland, serving sixth through eighth grades as part of Prince George’s County Public Schools. The school is a single point in a larger district, so a parent considering it is also evaluating the broader county system, its policies, and its recent changes. The school itself has a large enrollment for a middle school, and the student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The community it sits in is a primarily residential, auto-oriented suburb south of Washington, D.C., with a mid-century housing stock of garden apartments, duplexes, and single-family homes, and no traditional downtown. Residents rely on nearby shopping centers and have convenient highway and Metrorail access.
The district has recently adopted a district-wide literacy initiative based on the science of reading, a lasting curriculum shift that affects all elementary students and will shape the middle school pipeline. The district also approved a budget increase directed at teacher salaries and student support, and conducted a boundary review in 2024 that proposed changes for the 2025-2026 school year, meaning attendance zones may shift. These are district-level factors that matter to any family in Prince George’s County, but Thurgood Marshall Middle’s own academic picture is the immediate concern.
On state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates across tested subjects are very low. In math, across all three grades, the share of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark is in the low single digits. In English language arts, the figures are higher but still modest, with roughly a quarter of students scoring at the proficient level or above. Science and social studies results for eighth grade follow a similar pattern: a small minority of students are meeting the bar. The data covers a single school year, so there is no available trend to show whether these numbers are improving or declining. The state testing data is reported, but there is no information on participation rates, which a parent may want to look into further with the school, as low participation could affect the reliability of the results.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, course access, and special populations like students with disabilities or English learners are all missing from the profile. A family evaluating Thurgood Marshall Middle will have to seek this information directly from the school or district, as it is not available in the public record reviewed here.
The housing market in the area shows home values and rents that are moderate for the broader region. A typical home in the Temple Hills zip code is valued around the national benchmark, and the area has seen a slight year-over-year dip in home values while rents have edged up. The estimated monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home, assuming a conventional down payment, is comparable to the area’s typical rent, which positions a family to consider both owning and renting with similar monthly costs. The national unemployment rate is modest, and real median household income has been broadly stable in recent years.
For a parent, the central question is what kind of academic environment Thurgood Marshall Middle offers. On the evidence available, the school serves a high-poverty, majority-minority student population and posts proficiency results that are substantially below state averages across every tested subject and grade. This is the school’s most prominent characteristic in the data, and it is a clear soft spot. Without trend data, course access information, or staffing ratios, it is not possible to assess whether the school is taking steps to address these outcomes. A parent may want to contact the school directly to learn about academic interventions, programs for students who are behind grade level, and the school’s approach to curriculum and instruction within the district’s new literacy framework. The school’s size and demographics suggest a peer environment where a large majority of students come from low-income households, and the racial and ethnic composition reflects the surrounding community. For some families, this will feel familiar and supportive; for others, it may raise questions about the range of academic peers their child will encounter.
The broader context of the district matters here. Prince George’s County Public Schools is a large, diverse system navigating budget growth, curriculum reform, and boundary changes. Thurgood Marshall Middle sits within that system, and its outcomes are likely influenced by the resources and policies flowing from the district level. Whether this school fits a family depends heavily on their priorities. A family seeking a middle school with strong state assessment results will find little evidence of that here. A family for whom the local school is the primary option, and who is prepared to be actively engaged with the school and district to understand supports and advocate for their child, may find the school a viable choice within the broader county context. The available data paints a straightforward picture: this is a school where academic proficiency, as measured by state tests, is an area of real concern, and where families will want to probe further to understand the full picture of student experience and opportunity.
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