The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on E. Russell Hicks Middle
E. Russell Hicks Middle is a regular public school in Hagerstown, Maryland, serving sixth through eighth grades. Hagerstown itself is the commercial and industrial center for a tri-state area, a city shaped by interstates and freight rail, with a walkable historic downtown core that houses arts venues and City Park, though most of the city is auto-oriented suburban and semi-rural development. The school sits in the Washington County Public Schools district, which is implementing the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, a state reform law that has already expanded pre-K access, raised teacher salaries, and added career technology programs at the district's technical high school. The district also recently approved a redistricting plan affecting elementary attendance boundaries in the Hagerstown area, and voters passed a school construction bond for a new elementary school and renovations, though these changes do not directly affect this middle school.
The student body is diverse in its composition. The largest single group identifies as white, followed by significant shares of black and Hispanic students, and a notable percentage identifying with two or more races. Asian and Native American students together account for a small proportion. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with lower household incomes. The school is roughly mid-sized for a middle school, with an enrollment that fills the three grade levels relatively evenly.
Academically, the picture is mixed. On the state's Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, English language arts results are the strongest point. Proficient or above rates sit around half or more across the grades, with seventh grade results reported as a range that falls in a similar band. This suggests that many students arrive meeting grade-level expectations in reading and writing. Mathematics is a notably weaker area. Proficiency rates decline across the grades, from a modest share in sixth grade to a smaller share in seventh and an even smaller share in eighth. The gap between ELA and math performance is wide and consistent across the grade levels. Eighth-grade science and social studies results, tested through separate state assessments, show proficiency rates around a third. These results are from a single year, so there is no trend to report. The school also administers an algebra assessment; that result is higher than the general math results, but it likely reflects a smaller group of students in an advanced course.
The school's academic context is hard to place relative to neighbors because Washington County has only one school district, so no within-county comparison is available. A parent considering this school will want to look into how the math performance compares to other middle schools in the region and whether the school has specific math support or intervention programs. Data on chronic absenteeism, disciplinary incidents, and staffing were not available, so those aspects of school climate are not part of this account. Similarly, no information was provided on course offerings, electives, or extracurricular programs, so a parent should ask the school directly about the range of classes available, especially for students who need additional academic support or who are ready for advanced work.
See more original research from School Decision →