Central Middle

Summary:

Central Middle is a public magnet middle school located in Edgewater, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,299 students. The school is part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district, which is ranked 10th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Middle consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Maryland, with a statewide ranking between 15th and 59th out of over 300 schools in recent years. The school's performance on MCAP (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program) tests is significantly higher than the county and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. In 2023-2024, Central Middle's proficiency rates in MCAP Mathematics (39.9%) and MCAP English Language Arts (70.2%) are well above the Anne Arundel County (27.6% and 53.9%) and Maryland (24.1% and 48.4%) averages. Additionally, Central Middle's Algebra I proficiency rate (74.2%) is more than double the county (30.3%) and state (20%) averages.

Central Middle has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 73.52% White, 4.46% African American, 13.16% Hispanic, and 3.77% Asian. This diversity is higher than the nearby schools, such as Severna Park Middle, Samuel Ogle Middle, and Magothy River Middle, which tend to have a larger percentage of White students and lower percentages of minority students. Central Middle also performs exceptionally well in several student subgroups, including African American students (ranked 17th out of 259 Maryland middle schools), Asian students (ranked 22nd out of 116), and special education students (ranked 25th out of 120).


Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

 221 Central Ave E
       Edgewater, MD  21037-2802


(410) 956-5800

District: Anne Arundel County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
33rd of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,847 Help


Students who attend Central Middle usually attend:

High:    South River High

Feeder schools for Central Middle:

Elementary:    Central Elementary
    Davidsonville Elementary
    Edgewater Elementary
    Mayo Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  1,299

Racial breakdown:

White:
73.5%
Hispanic:
13.2%
Two or more races:
4.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  19.4% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Central Middle ranks better than 89.9% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks 5th among 19 ranked middle schools in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 88.07. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.5%), Hispanic (13.2%), two or more races (4.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 19.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Middle is 15.3. 13 middle schools in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Central Middle employs 84.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Middle is $13,847. 17 middle schools in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Central Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Central Middle 33rd of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See Central Middle in the ranking list.)

Anne Arundel County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Anne Arundel County Public Schools 10th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Central Middle.

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Rank History for Central Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 25.96 194th 252 23.0%
2005 14.93 221st 255 13.3%
2006 13.64 219th 254 13.8%
2007 9.57 237th 264 10.2%
2008 83.53 42nd 283 85.2%
2009 85.20 28th 301 90.7%
2010 84.54 33rd 324 89.8%
2011 86.72 23rd 309 92.6%
2012 83.75 42nd 314 86.6%
2013 81.04 53rd 316 83.2%
2014 84.07 46th 339 86.4%
2015 83.53 38th 315 87.9%
2016 80.11 46th 314 85.4%
2017 90.32 31st 317 90.2%
2018 95.03 15th 328 95.4%
2019 92.12 24th 316 92.4%
2021 76.95 59th 303 80.5%
2022 89.33 30th 333 91.0%
2023 82.29 45th 322 86.0%
2024 88.07 33rd 328 89.9%
See the entire list of Maryland Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 58.34 48th 136 64.7%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 63.73 25th 120 79.2%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 68.52 46th 273 83.2%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 73.97 58th 303 80.9%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 59.16 10th 27 63.0%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 80.66 44th 288 84.7%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 73.87 22nd 116 81.0%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 86.33 17th 259 93.4%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 61.05 61st 207 70.5%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Central Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 59.03 85th 210 59.5%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Central Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
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Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.3)
33%

33%

0%

0%

33%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, May 9, 2019

Open Quote This school needs new leadership. My child and other peers who are model students (smart, hardworking, talented) are very unhappy here. This school has STEM magnet program but we have not heard of many kids who love it. Some very dedicated teachers, but the band teacher is an extremely mean bully. Some teachers like the band teacher get away with singling out kids and bullying them openly in front of other kids. The principal clearly is unable to manages this since it has been going on for years. The school is far too packed and we know of too many kids who are miserable. This school offers little for smart kids who are not in STEM. Smart kids get dumbed down in most classes. Social innovations teacher Ms. Knell is a savior because she is kind, calming, and compassionate. The principal Beall needs to retire -- no passion, poor interpersonal interactions with parents, and doesn't relate well to the kids. This school is literally destroying some kids...esp the model students. Very upsetting. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Open Quote I have two students at the school right now. We came from a private "academic" school that we felt was not providing the education we were paying for. I was pleasantly surprised at the curriculum when my oldest first started going there. The 2011-2012 school year was a bit of a disaster as the school had tried to change their curriculum by doing heterogenous grouping. Fast forward to 2012-13 school year and things have changed dramatically. My kids are in the advanced classes and excelling. The language arts curriculum has the 8th grade students writing essays comparable to what I did at an honors college! They are enthusiastic about their classes and while not all the teachers are great, most of them are. You definitely have a wide selection of children going to school there from all different socioeconomic backgrounds; expect your children to be exposed to things they may need to make choices about. I see this as part of life's lessons. If you are bringing them up right, you have nothing to worry about. Because our year last year was marginal as far as the academics go, I am unable to give a full 5 stars. If I were rating on this year alone, I'd go 4.5. I think the 6th graders coming into the school who were in advanced math in 5th grade could use a more challenging math curriculum than the STEMathmatics. Other than that, I have no complaints! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Central Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 786 61 4 2 0 n/a n/a -1 852
1990 772 60 5 0 0 n/a n/a 6 843
1991 793 53 4 0 0 n/a n/a -1 849
1992 788 56 1 1 1 n/a n/a 0 847
1993 835 66 1 3 2 n/a n/a 0 907
1994 823 80 2 2 5 n/a n/a 0 912
1995 882 59 2 3 2 n/a n/a 0 948
1996 882 59 2 3 2 n/a n/a 0 948
1997 903 63 5 3 1 n/a n/a 0 975
1998 952 36 9 8 1 n/a n/a 0 1006
1999 967 34 12 6 3 n/a n/a 0 1022
2000 944 40 10 5 2 n/a n/a 0 1001
2001 986 46 9 5 4 n/a n/a 0 1050
2002 990 48 14 13 3 n/a n/a 0 1068
2003 990 48 14 13 3 n/a n/a 0 1068
2004 943 46 15 14 2 n/a n/a 0 1020
2005 861 39 14 26 0 n/a n/a 0 940
2006 836 37 17 31 2 n/a n/a 0 923
2007 893 38 23 34 4 n/a n/a 0 992
2008 940 42 22 36 5 n/a n/a 0 1045
2009 981 43 21 51 4 n/a n/a 0 1100
2010 962 50 14 38 3 n/a n/a 0 1067
2011 930 37 15 70 3 0 34 0 1089
2012 926 42 18 65 2 0 44 0 1097
2013 896 30 18 64 3 1 50 0 1062
2014 857 22 24 59 4 1 52 0 1019
2015 875 23 24 75 5 1 53 0 1056
2016 916 35 25 93 2 0 51 0 1122
2017 980 36 32 112 0 1 54 0 1215
2018 955 48 40 108 2 1 48 0 1202
2019 988 56 44 137 3 2 53 0 1283
2020 962 57 43 162 4 1 55 0 1284
2021 988 61 48 173 4 2 69 0 1345
2022 934 49 50 176 2 1 68 1 1281
2023 955 58 49 171 0 2 64 0 1299

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 852 47.0 18.1 n/a
1990 843 46.6 18.0 2.4
1991 849 48.6 17.4 3.2
1992 847 48.6 17.4 5.8
1993 907 51.6 17.6 5.4
1994 912 50.8 18.0 6.8
1995 948 54.1 17.5 6
1996 948 54.1 17.5 6
1997 975 50.9 19.2 6.2
1998 1006 54.7 18.4 5.3
1999 1022 54.8 18.6 7.8
2000 1001 54.4 18.4 7.2
2001 1050 57.8 18.2 7.1
2002 1068 59.0 18.1 6.2
2003 1068 59.0 18.1 6.2
2004 1020 59.7 17.1 5.8
2005 940 55.0 17.1 7
2006 923 54.0 17.1 6.8
2007 992 59.2 16.8 6.8
2008 1045 63.5 16.5 6.1
2009 1100 61.3 17.9 7.5
2010 1067 60.8 17.5 8.8
2011 1089 66.1 16.4 10.7
2012 1097 66.9 16.3 11.2
2013 1062 69.0 15.3 12.5
2014 1019 67.3 15.1 13.7
2015 1056 65.0 16.2 14.9
2016 1122 72.0 15.5 13.5
2017 1215 76.7 15.8 12.9
2018 1202 81.8 14.6 11.6
2019 1283 80.0 16.0 12.7
2020 1284 84.2 15.2 12.1
2021 1345 86.2 15.5 16.4
2022 1281 84.7 15.1 16
2023 1299 84.5 15.3 19.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Central Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 852 47.0 18.1 n/a
1990 843 46.6 18.0 2.4
1991 849 48.6 17.4 3.2
1992 847 48.6 17.4 5.8
1993 907 51.6 17.6 5.4
1994 912 50.8 18.0 6.8
1995 948 54.1 17.5 6
1996 948 54.1 17.5 6
1997 975 50.9 19.2 6.2
1998 1006 54.7 18.4 5.3
1999 1022 54.8 18.6 7.8
2000 1001 54.4 18.4 7.2
2001 1050 57.8 18.2 7.1
2002 1068 59.0 18.1 6.2
2003 1068 59.0 18.1 6.2
2004 1020 59.7 17.1 5.8
2005 940 55.0 17.1 7
2006 923 54.0 17.1 6.8
2007 992 59.2 16.8 6.8
2008 1045 63.5 16.5 6.1
2009 1100 61.3 17.9 7.5
2010 1067 60.8 17.5 8.8
2011 1089 66.1 16.4 10.7
2012 1097 66.9 16.3 11.2
2013 1062 69.0 15.3 12.5
2014 1019 67.3 15.1 13.7
2015 1056 65.0 16.2 14.9
2016 1122 72.0 15.5 13.5
2017 1215 76.7 15.8 12.9
2018 1202 81.8 14.6 11.6
2019 1283 80.0 16.0 12.7
2020 1284 84.2 15.2 12.1
2021 1345 86.2 15.5 16.4
2022 1281 84.7 15.1 16
2023 1299 84.5 15.3 19.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $316 (2.8%) $10,922 (97.2%) $11,237
2020 $399 (3.3%) $11,788 (96.7%) $12,187
2021 $740 (6.1%) $11,364 (93.9%) $12,104
2022 $1,104 (8.4%) $12,015 (91.6%) $13,119
2023 $1,265 (9.1%) $12,582 (90.9%) $13,847

Data source: Maryland Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 24th of 316 Middle schoolsRanks 45th of 322 Middle schools
 6.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students12831299
 1.2%
African American5658
 3.6%
American Indian30
 100%
Asian4449
 11.4%
Hispanic137171
 24.8%
Pacific Islander22
White988955
 3.3%
Two or More Races5364
 20.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients12.7%19.4%
 6.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Central Middle

Central Middle ranks 33rd of 328 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 5 stars out of 5.

Students at Central Middle are 74% White, 13% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American, 4% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,299 students attended Central Middle.

Students who attend Central Middle usually go on to attend South River High


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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