Cold Spring Elementary in Potomac ranks first in Maryland for math proficiency, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2027 Best Elementary Schools rankings released Oct. 20.
The K-5 school on Falls Chapel Way placed 23rd overall among 868 ranked elementary schools statewide. Eighty percent of Cold Spring students scored at or above the proficient level in math, compared with 45% districtwide in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and 31% statewide. In reading, 85% of students hit proficiency, versus 54% districtwide and 45% statewide.
Cold Spring ranked 32nd statewide in reading proficiency, well behind its math standing.
Cold Spring was one of three Potomac schools in the state's top 25. Wayside Elementary placed 11th and Bells Mill Elementary placed 15th, according to Patch.
The school, part of the Thomas S. Wootton High School cluster, has 362 students, 22 full-time teachers and a 17-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Ninety-eight percent of its teachers are certified. Eight percent of students are classified as economically disadvantaged, according to U.S. News.
U.S. News ranked 46,713 elementary schools nationally for 2027. Half of each school's score reflects proficiency rates in math and reading, weighted at 25% each. The remaining 50% gauges whether a school outperforms or underperforms predictions tied to its students' economic and demographic profile, as Delmarva Now reported.
Cold Spring's math performance earned a "well above expectations" rating from U.S. News, while its reading performance "meets expectations."
"By incorporating direct state data across all proficiency levels, the 2027 rankings offer a richer, more complete picture of how elementary and middle schools are driving student growth," Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis, said in a news release.
The rankings used 2023-2024 state assessment data and enrollment figures from the Common Core of Data.
Glenarden Woods Elementary in Lanham topped the statewide list.
The strong elementary showing adds to a pattern for Potomac schools. Winston Churchill High School ranked second in Maryland among public high schools in a separate Niche ranking released Oct. 6, Bethesda Magazine reported. Churchill also placed third statewide in U.S. News' high school rankings released in August.
