25 Gaithersburg Schools Among Best For Grades K-8: U.S. News

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Several elementary and middle schools in Gaithersburg have been ranked among the best in Maryland, according to a brand-new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

For the inaugural list, U.S. News published rankings and data on more than 80,000 public elementary and middle schools across the United States.

Schools are ranked at the state and district levels. The best charter schools and best magnet schools ranked as stand-alone categories.

U.S. News ranked Diamond Elementary as the highest in the state among schools in Gaithersburg, according to the new list. Diamond Elementary was ranked 35th among elementary schools in the state.

Here’s a look at how elementary schools in Gaithersburg ranked compared with others in the state:

35: Diamond Elementary
55: Jones Lane Elementary
74: Rachel Carson Elementary
105: Woodfield Elementary
161: Thurgood Marshall Elementary
164: Dufief Elementary
205: Fields Road Elementary
276: Rosemont Elementary
290: Strawberry Knoll Elementary
331: Judith A. Resnik Elementary
342: Laytonsville Elementary
351: Goshen Elementary
357: Darnestown Elementary
379: Washington Grove Elementary
402: South Lake Elementary
409: Whetstone Elementary
420: Gaithersburg Elementary
457: Summit Hall Elementary
525: Flower Hill Elementary
534: Brown Station Elementary

Here’s a look at how middle schools in Gaithersburg ranked compared with others in the state:

40: Lakelands Park Middle
84: Ridgeview Middle
152: Shady Grove Middle
158: Gaithersburg Middle
194: Forest Oak Middle

To determine the rankings, U.S. News used data from the U.S. Department of Education to analyze two areas at each school:

• Math and reading proficiency — or how well students perform on state assessments.
• Math and reading performance — or how well they perform compared with expectations.

The state assessment data used in the rankings is from the 2018-19 school year and, therefore, predates any effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on test-taking.

Schools were also ranked within their district. Here’s how elementary schools in Montgomery County Public Schools measured up:

1. Bannockburn Elementary
2. Cold Spring Elementary
3. Wayside Elementary
4. Travilah Elementary
5. Potomac Elementary

Here are the top five middle schools in Montgomery County:

1. Thomas W. Pyle Middle School
2. Herbert Hoover Middle
3. Robert Frost Middle School
4. Cabin John Middle School
5. North Bethesda Middle

Nationally, California has 5,534 ranked elementary schools — the most of any state — followed by Texas at 4,446; New York at 2,211; Florida at 2,128; and Illinois at 2,038 schools.

California also has the most ranked middle schools with 2,319, followed by Texas at 1,942; Illinois at 1,243; New York at 1,219; and Florida at 997.

See the complete list of 2021’s Best K-8 Schools.