U.S. News & World Report has released its annual rankings of elementary and middle schools, with schools across D.C., Maryland and Virginia earning top spots.
The rankings are based largely on state standardized test results, according to Eric Brooks, U.S. News & World Report’s director of education data analysis.
“We use the same math and reading assessments that the states themselves use to measure school performance,” Brooks told WTOP.
“So, in Virginia, that would be the SOLs, Maryland — MCAP, D.C. — CAPE, and we evaluate student performance on these assessments, both overall and compared with our modeled expectations after accounting for student background,” he said.
In Virginia, Haycock Elementary School ranked No. 2 statewide among elementary schools. Sangster Elementary School and Churchill Road Elementary School, both in Fairfax County, ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
In Maryland, Glenarden Woods Elementary School in Lanham ranked first, followed by Heather Hills Elementary School in Bowie. Both schools are in Prince George’s County.
And in the District, Hyde-Addison Elementary School ranked first, followed by Janney Elementary School and Shepherd Elementary School.
Among middle schools, Thomas W. Pyle Middle School in Bethesda ranked fourth in Maryland and was the highest-ranked school in the Washington suburbs. Dora Kennedy French Immersion School in Greenbelt ranked fifth in Maryland.
In Virginia, the highest-ranked regional middle schools were outside the Beltway.
“No. 2 in all of Virginia, No. 1 in our region is Mary G. Porter Traditional in Woodbridge, Prince William County. No. 3 was Pennington Traditional in Manassas,” Brooks said.
In the District, Deal Middle School ranked first, followed by Washington Latin Public Charter School.
Brooks said rankings can be a useful tool for families, but they should not be the only factor when choosing a school or neighborhood.
“Parents should consider their kids’ individual needs … what programs and services are offered,” Brooks said.
The complete rankings are available on U.S. News & World Report’s website.
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