Is Northwest Middle a good school?

Northwest Middle ranks 107 th of 328 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Northwest Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 645 students attended Northwest Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Middle?

Students at Northwest Middle are 77% White, 9% African American, 6% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Northwest Middle attend?

Students who attend Northwest Middle usually go on to attend Francis Scott Key High

Northwest Middle

Summary:

Northwest Middle is a public middle school located in Taneytown, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 637. The school is part of the Carroll County Public Schools district, which is ranked 1 out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. However, Northwest Middle faces several challenges, including lower academic performance, a higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and a decreasing racial diversity.

Academically, Northwest Middle's overall performance on the MCAP tests has been consistently below the district and state averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA). In 2023-2024, only 19.2% of Northwest Middle students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 37.7% in the Carroll County Public Schools district and 24.1% statewide. The school's performance in Algebra I is a bright spot, with 55.6% of students proficient or better, compared to 31.8% in the district and 20% statewide. However, the nearby schools, such as Shiloh Middle, Westminster West Middle, and Mount Airy Middle, consistently outperform Northwest Middle in overall academic achievement.

Another factor that sets Northwest Middle apart is its higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 43.8% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, compared to the district average of 28.94% to 36.38% for the nearby schools. This socioeconomic factor may contribute to the school's lower academic performance. Additionally, Northwest Middle has seen a gradual decrease in racial diversity, with the percentage of White students increasing from 82.79% in 2020-2021 to 78.02% in 2022-2023, in contrast with the nearby schools, which have maintained a more diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 6-8

99 Kings Drive
Taneytown, MD 21787-2331

(410) 751-3270

District: Carroll County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
107^th of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,345

Students who attend Northwest Middle usually attend:

High:

Francis Scott Key High

Feeder schools for Northwest Middle:

Elementary:	Elmer A. Wolfe Elementary
	Runnymede Elementary
	Taneytown Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.7

Number of students: 645

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.2%

African American:

8.7%

Hispanic:

6.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.4%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Northwest Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwest Middle ranks better than 67.4% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks last among 8 ranked middle schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.28. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (77.2%), African American (8.7%), Hispanic (6.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northwest Middle is 13.7, which is the 2^nd best among 8 middle schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Northwest Middle employs 46.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northwest Middle is $16,345, which is the 3^rd highest among 8 middle schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Northwest Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Northwest Middle 107^th of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See Northwest Middle in the ranking list.)

Carroll County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Carroll County Public Schools 1^st of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Northwest Middle

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Rank History for all students at Northwest Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	45.21	141^st	252	44.0%
2005	51.33	127^th	255	50.2%
2006	60.69	94^th	254	63.0%
2007	58.18	108^th	264	59.1%
2008	71.25	95^th	283	66.4%
2009	61.77	137^th	301	54.5%
2010	74.13	93^rd	324	71.3%
2011	63.51	128^th	309	58.6%
2012	74.29	86^th	314	72.6%
2013	66.10	112^th	316	64.6%
2014	69.34	114^th	339	66.4%
2015	64.11	104^th	315	67.0%
2016	58.91	112^th	314	64.3%
2017	70.93	85^th	317	73.2%
2018	76.07	74^th	328	77.4%
2019	73.52	81^st	316	74.4%
2021	46.41	150^th	303	50.5%
2022	59.31	123^rd	333	63.1%
2023	48.72	136^th	322	57.8%
2024	57.28	107^th	328	67.4%

See the entire list of Maryland Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Northwest Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	15.69	126^th	136	7.4%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwest Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	43.76	159^th	273	41.8%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northwest Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	49.87	140^th	303	53.8%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northwest Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	47.50	133^rd	288	53.8%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Northwest Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	64.92	70^th	259	73.0%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northwest Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	30.59	147^th	207	29.0%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Northwest Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	23.97	166^th	210	21.0%

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.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Northwest Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	582	0	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	-2	582
1990	366	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	368
1991	402	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	1	404
1992	430	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	430
1993	451	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	452
1994	456	2	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	460
1995	457	4	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	463
1996	457	4	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	463
1997	462	7	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	474
1998	460	3	2	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	470
1999	502	10	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	522
2000	503	12	4	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	523
2001	541	14	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	560
2002	576	12	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	597
2003	576	12	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	597
2004	579	26	1	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	615
2005	597	31	3	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	642
2006	579	35	5	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	631
2007	542	36	4	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	594
2008	525	28	3	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	574
2009	479	25	1	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	519
2010	488	22	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	526
2011	479	23	3	11	1	0	7	0	524
2012	499	18	4	14	1	0	10	0	546
2013	447	23	4	16	1	0	12	0	503
2014	467	24	3	14	0	0	14	0	522
2015	427	21	1	17	1	1	16	0	484
2016	442	25	5	21	1	1	17	0	512
2017	554	32	3	27	1	0	23	0	640
2018	564	22	4	32	1	1	29	0	653
2019	583	25	5	37	2	1	36	0	689
2020	583	16	8	32	4	0	39	0	682
2021	534	26	7	30	2	0	46	0	645
2022	518	26	4	32	1	0	39	0	620
2023	497	56	6	39	0	1	38	0	637
2024	498	56	12	40	1	1	36	1	645

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 Northwest Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	582	34.5	16.8	n/a
1990	368	25.1	14.6	27.2
1991	404	25.3	15.9	20.5
1992	430	26.3	16.3	33.5
1993	452	28.8	15.7	31.9
1994	460	28.4	16.2	13.9
1995	463	29.1	15.9	18.1
1996	463	29.1	15.9	18.1
1997	474	30.8	15.4	17.7
1998	470	30.5	15.4	19.8
1999	522	30.6	17.1	24.7
2000	523	34.2	15.3	25.8
2001	560	33.8	16.6	23.4
2002	597	34.0	17.6	24
2003	597	34.0	17.6	24
2004	615	35.7	17.2	23.9
2005	642	39.0	16.5	25.7
2006	631	38.0	16.6	25.2
2007	594	38.3	15.5	24.2
2008	574	37.5	15.3	23.2
2009	519	37.6	13.8	23.7
2010	526	35.4	14.8	27
2011	524	37.6	13.9	30.5
2012	546	36.2	15.0	29.7
2013	503	34.6	14.5	30.6
2014	522	35.6	14.6	30.8
2015	484	36.0	13.4	34.7
2016	512	37.0	13.8	33.2
2017	640	46.7	13.7	32
2018	653	46.7	13.9	34.5
2019	689	45.7	15.0	37.6
2020	682	45.5	14.9	36.8
2021	645	46.0	14.0	44.2
2022	620	46.7	13.2	40.2
2023	637	46.7	13.6	43.8
2024	645	46.8	13.7	46.4

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 Northwest Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	582	34.5	16.8	n/a
1990	368	25.1	14.6	27.2
1991	404	25.3	15.9	20.5
1992	430	26.3	16.3	33.5
1993	452	28.8	15.7	31.9
1994	460	28.4	16.2	13.9
1995	463	29.1	15.9	18.1
1996	463	29.1	15.9	18.1
1997	474	30.8	15.4	17.7
1998	470	30.5	15.4	19.8
1999	522	30.6	17.1	24.7
2000	523	34.2	15.3	25.8
2001	560	33.8	16.6	23.4
2002	597	34.0	17.6	24
2003	597	34.0	17.6	24
2004	615	35.7	17.2	23.9
2005	642	39.0	16.5	25.7
2006	631	38.0	16.6	25.2
2007	594	38.3	15.5	24.2
2008	574	37.5	15.3	23.2
2009	519	37.6	13.8	23.7
2010	526	35.4	14.8	27
2011	524	37.6	13.9	30.5
2012	546	36.2	15.0	29.7
2013	503	34.6	14.5	30.6
2014	522	35.6	14.6	30.8
2015	484	36.0	13.4	34.7
2016	512	37.0	13.8	33.2
2017	640	46.7	13.7	32
2018	653	46.7	13.9	34.5
2019	689	45.7	15.0	37.6
2020	682	45.5	14.9	36.8
2021	645	46.0	14.0	44.2
2022	620	46.7	13.2	40.2
2023	637	46.7	13.6	43.8
2024	645	46.8	13.7	46.4

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 Northwest Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$444 (3.5%)	$12,152 (96.5%)	$12,597
2020	$533 (4.1%)	$12,542 (95.9%)	$13,075
2021	$1,088 (7.6%)	$13,249 (92.4%)	$14,337
2022	$912 (6.1%)	$13,930 (93.9%)	$14,842
2023	$762 (4.7%)	$15,583 (95.3%)	$16,345

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwest 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 81^st of 316 Middle schools	Ranks 136^th of 322 Middle schools	16.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	689	637	7.5%
African American	25	56	124%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	5	6	20%
Hispanic	37	39	5.4%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	583	497	14.8%
Two or More Races	36	38	5.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	37.6%	43.8%	6.2%

Schools Near Northwest Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)				MCAP English Language Arts (2024)				MCAP Algebra I (2024)	MCAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwest Middle	Public	6-8	99 Kings Drive	Taneytown	21787	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3270	645	47	13.7	46.4%	498 (77.2%)	56 (8.7%)	40 (6.2%)	12 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (5.6%)	57.3	107^th of 328 public middle schools	67.4%		48.7	136^th of 322 public middle schools	57.8%	29	19.6	15.1	9.1	19.2	56.9	68.4	61.4	62.4	55.6	22.1	$16,345	$762	$15,583
Westminster West Middle	Public	6-8	60 Monroe Street	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3661	912	57	16.1	30.5%	670 (73.5%)	48 (5.3%)	109 (12.0%)	31 (3.4%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	45 (4.9%)	76	63^rd of 328 public middle schools	80.8%		78.1	54^th of 322 public middle schools	83.2%	9	29.1	28.9	6.2	30.1	69.9	68.3	63.0	67.1	57.8	34.8	$14,679	$841	$13,838
Westminster East Middle	Public	6-8	121 Longwell Avenue	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3656	800	57	14.0	37.4%	562 (70.3%)	69 (8.6%)	105 (13.1%)	23 (2.9%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	33 (4.1%)	60.4	102^nd of 328 public middle schools	68.9%		69.9	79^th of 322 public middle schools	75.5%	23	19.8	21.9	5.5	20.9	58.2	59.6	59.9	59.3	41.6	27.3	$15,051	$610	$14,441
Crossroads Middle School	Public	6-8	45 Kate Wagner Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3691	14	4	3.2	78.6%	10 (71.4%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (21.4%)								(n/a)								23.5			$60,152	$1,229	$58,923
Thurmont Middle	Public	6-8	408 E Main St	Thurmont	21788	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-5100	521	32	16.2	41.7%	430 (82.5%)	9 (1.7%)	53 (10.2%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.4%)	39.9	165^th of 328 public middle schools	49.7%		43.9	153^rd of 322 public middle schools	52.5%	12	9.9	17.0	13.0	15.6	41.5	40.0	45.6	42.4	60.0	20.7	$17,050	$951	$16,099
Walkersville Middle	Public	6-8	55 W Frederick Street	Walkersville	21793	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-4400	805	49	16.4	35.8%	489 (60.7%)	114 (14.2%)	124 (15.4%)	22 (2.7%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (6.3%)	76.6	62^nd of 328 public middle schools	81.1%		62.2	99^th of 322 public middle schools	69.3%	37	22.9	24.6	27.8	28.3	68.6	69.0	59.3	65.5	89.2	34.1	$14,347	$741	$13,606
North Carroll Middle	Public	6-8	2401 Hanover Pike	Hampstead	21074	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3440	600	42	14.4	26.8%	514 (85.7%)	18 (3.0%)	39 (6.5%)	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.5%)	60.9	100^th of 328 public middle schools	69.5%		57.6	110^th of 322 public middle schools	65.8%	10	13.2	20.9	7.9	19.5	62.7	73.0	61.5	66.0	42.2	23.0	$14,797	$578	$14,219
Shiloh Middle	Public	6-8	3675 Willow Street	Hampstead	21074	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 386-4570	631	44	14.2	26.6%	494 (78.3%)	28 (4.4%)	67 (10.6%)	17 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	22 (3.5%)	77.7	57^th of 328 public middle schools	82.6%		77.5	58^th of 322 public middle schools	82.0%	1	26.3	40.5	13.4	34.5	72.6	74.2	59.1	68.7	81.9	32.3	$17,330	$864	$16,465
Mount Airy Middle	Public	6-8	102 Watersville Road	Mount Airy	21771	Frederick County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3554	754	49	15.5	17.6%	601 (79.7%)	22 (2.9%)	87 (11.5%)	19 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (2.9%)	77.2	60^th of 328 public middle schools	81.7%		75.3	61^st of 322 public middle schools	81.1%	1	29.9	23.1	16.7	32.3	70.5	61.1	69.5	67.3	61.3	36.5	$14,617	$870	$13,747
Monocacy Middle	Public	6-8	8009 Opossumtown Pike	Frederick	21702	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-4700	932	68	13.7	56.1%	203 (21.8%)	235 (25.2%)	394 (42.3%)	35 (3.8%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	60 (6.4%)	37.5	174^th of 328 public middle schools	47.0%		33.6	191^st of 322 public middle schools	40.7%	17	6.6	13.6	10.3	12.7	41.3	41.4	49.8	44.2	44.4	20.3	$14,327	$955	$13,372

Northwest Middle

Carroll County Public Schools:

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Rank History for Northwest Middle

Rank History for all students at Northwest Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Northwest Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwest Middle

Rank History for Female students at Northwest Middle

Rank History for Male students at Northwest Middle

Rank History for African American students at Northwest Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northwest Middle

Rank History for White students at Northwest Middle

Enrollment information for Northwest Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northwest Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Northwest Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northwest Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwest Middle

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Northwest Middle