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Below Average

#1189 of 1,363 schools in MD

Matthew Henson Middle School

Middle School · Charles County Public Schools · Indian Head, MD

A Charles County Public Schools middle school where students score 21 points below what's typical for similar communities.

3535 Livingston Rd, Indian Head, MD 20640

  • Math 9% vs MD 30% (2025)
  • Reading 36% vs MD 51% (2025)
  • 18.2:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.4Average40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-4.34 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.4Needs Improvement35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency8.5% (2025 MCAP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency36.2% (2025 MCAP)
Math vs. State Avg-21.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-14.9 pts
Overall Proficiency22% (2025 MCAP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)43% (model expectation from 2025 MCAP)
vs. Expected-20.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile15th
Resources & Environment3.2Needs Improvement25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio18.2:1
District spending per student$17,415
Chronic Absenteeism25.5%

Students at Matthew Henson Middle School score 22% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 43%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 MCAP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. MD average.

Math Proficiency9%(2025 MCAP)
School
State
30%(2025 MCAP)
ELA Proficiency36%(2025 MCAP)
School
State
51%(2025 MCAP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 57 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 22% recently.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
77%
ELA
82%
2010
Math
76%
ELA
78%
2011
Math
78%
ELA
77%
2012
Math
72%
ELA
78%
2013
Math
62%
ELA
75%
2014
Math
23%
ELA
32%
2015
Math
24%
ELA
42%
2016
Math
24%
ELA
37%
2018
Math
21%
ELA
35%
2019
Math
21%
ELA
35%
2020*
Math
9%
ELA
32%
2021*
Math
9%
ELA
32%
2022
Math
11%
ELA
39%
2025
Math
9%
ELA
36%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 37% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 51% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 28 test records from MD state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

45%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Matthew Henson Middle School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Washington DC map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 7Car-Dependent
  • Bike 28Somewhat Bikeable
  • County Safety: Elevated1,301/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. A newer release may be available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$95,560

Median home value

$307,900

Median rent

$1,752/mo

College educated

25.2%

Homeownership

78.7%

Poverty rate

7.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 20640; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
General Smallwood Middle SchoolEnrollment path unverified4.96–83.2 mi501Compare →
John Hanson Middle SchoolEnrollment path unverified5.16–8Not available761Compare →
Milton M. Somers Middle SchoolEnrollment path unverified5.76–8Not available659Compare →
Piccowaxen Middle SchoolEnrollment path unverified5.86–8Not available615Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charles County Public Schools

Schools in district
40
Rank in district
#32 of 37
District spending per student
$17,415NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.3%Census SAIPE · 2024

Matthew Henson Middle School is listed in Charles County Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Matthew Henson Middle School

Matthew Henson Middle School is a public middle school in Indian Head, MD, part of Charles County Public Schools, serving approximately 675 students in grades 6th-8th with a 18.2:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.2 out of 10 and ranks #1,189 of 1,363 schools in MD. State assessment records show 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Matthew Henson Middle School

What grades does Matthew Henson Middle School serve?

Matthew Henson Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Matthew Henson Middle School?

Matthew Henson Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 675 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Matthew Henson Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Matthew Henson Middle School is 18.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Matthew Henson Middle School rank in MD?

Matthew Henson Middle School ranks #1,189 of 1,363 schools in MD.

What is Matthew Henson Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Matthew Henson Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Matthew Henson Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Matthew Henson Middle School has 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Matthew Henson Middle School a charter school?

No, Matthew Henson Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Matthew Henson Middle School a Title I school?

No, Matthew Henson Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Matthew Henson Middle School?

45.0% of students at Matthew Henson Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
675
Student-Teacher Ratio
18.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
37
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Charles County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
25.5%
Area population (ZIP 20640)
10,254
Area average commute
47.9 min
Area median age
38.5
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAP · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAP · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 20640; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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