The reported proficiency rate for Science is 17%.
Original Research by School Decision on Charles Herbert Flowers High
Charles Herbert Flowers High School is a large, regular public high school in Springdale, Maryland, serving grades nine through twelve as part of Prince George’s County Public Schools. It is housed on a campus setting within a primarily residential census-designated place with no downtown or walkable commercial core. Springdale itself is a car-dependent commuter community of mostly single-family homes on suburban lots, predominantly owner-occupied, and the area has seen notable population growth over recent decades. Students here typically travel by car or bus; public transit and civic amenities such as parks and libraries are found in neighboring communities like Bowie rather than within the CDP.
The student body is majority Black or African American, with a smaller but present Hispanic population and modest shares of Asian and white students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that many families come from lower-income backgrounds. No data was available for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent with a child in either category would want to ask the school directly about those supports. The school is large enough that a parent should expect a comprehensive high school experience with a wide range of peers, but specific program offerings, such as advanced coursework, career and technical education, or extracurricular breadth, were not provided in the available data. That absence is a meaningful gap; families considering Flowers would need to investigate course catalogs and enrichment options on their own.
Academically, the picture is mixed. In the most recent year with testing results, English language arts proficiency was strong, with a majority of students meeting the state bar. Mathematics and Algebra I proficiency, however, were very low, placing the school in a difficult position for a core subject that is foundational for college and postsecondary pathways. State science assessment data from an earlier year also showed a low proficiency rate, though that was a single administration and may reflect pandemic-era conditions. No trend data across multiple years is available, so it is not possible to say whether these performance levels are improving, holding steady, or declining. A graduation rate was not reported in the information reviewed, which is an important piece missing for any high school; a parent should ask the school for its four-year cohort graduation rate directly.
The district, Prince George’s County Public Schools, has recently adopted a district-wide literacy initiative based on the science of reading, approved a budget increase with additional funding directed to teacher salaries and student support, and conducted a boundary review that could affect attendance zones for the coming school years. These district-level changes may have a practical impact on the staffing and curricular resources available at Flowers.
Because the school sits in a county with many districts, but only one district’s data was available in the comparison set, it is not possible to position Flowers relative to its neighbors on proficiency, graduation, or absenteeism. A parent would need to look at state report cards or other public sources to see how this school compares with nearby high schools in Prince George’s County.
Charles Herbert Flowers High School offers a large, diverse student body in a stable suburban setting, with a district that is investing in literacy and staffing. The academic data shows a sharp contrast: solid reading results alongside very low math performance, and limited information on postsecondary outcomes or specialized programs. It is a school a family would want to visit, ask detailed questions of, and examine more closely before making an enrollment decision.
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