Howard High

Summary:

Howard High is a public high school located in Ellicott City, Maryland, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,741 students. It is part of the Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 2nd out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Howard High consistently performs above the state and district averages in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, with 75.8% of students proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to 63% for the district and 48.4% for the state. However, its Mathematics performance is more mixed, with 26.4% of students proficient or better, compared to 41.1% for the district and 24.1% for the state. The school's racial composition is more diverse than some nearby schools, with a higher percentage of African American (25.85%) and Asian (21.02%) students. Additionally, Howard High has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 20.85% in 2022-2023.

Compared to its higher-performing neighbors, such as Centennial High and Mount Hebron High, Howard High's academic performance, particularly in Mathematics, is generally lower. However, it outperforms some nearby schools, such as Hammond High, Wilde Lake High, and Oakland Mills High, in both Mathematics and ELA. The nearby Homewood School stands out as an outlier, with significantly lower academic performance and a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch compared to Howard High and the other nearby schools.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 8700 Old Annapolis Rd
       Ellicott City, MD  21043-6920


(410) 313-2867

District: Howard County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
35th of 146 Maryland High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,408 Help


Feeder schools for Howard High:

Elementary:    Ilchester Elementary
    Phelps Luck Elementary
    Worthington Elementary
Middle:    Bonnie Branch Middle
    Ellicott Mills Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  15.6 Help
Number of students:  1,741

Racial breakdown:

White:
38.2%
African American:
25.8%
Asian:
21.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  20.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Howard High ranks better than 76% of high schools in Maryland. It also ranks 6th among 13 ranked high schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.69. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Student population at Howard High is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (38.2%), African American (25.8%), Asian (21%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 20.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Howard High is 15.6. 8 high schools in the Howard County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Howard High employs 111.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Howard High is $17,408, which is the 6th highest among 13 high schools in the Howard County Public Schools District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Howard High was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Howard High 35th of 146 Maryland public high schools. (See Howard High in the ranking list.)

Howard County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Howard County Public Schools 2nd of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Howard High

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 56.05 42nd 201 79.1%
2005 69.86 27th 204 86.8%
2006 70.50 44th 204 78.4%
2007 79.01 17th 209 91.9%
2008 82.99 15th 214 93.0%
2009 81.70 17th 213 92.0%
2010 80.45 29th 220 86.8%
2011 84.71 17th 183 90.7%
2012 84.48 8th 187 95.7%
2013 86.25 5th 185 97.3%
2014 82.62 9th 231 96.1%
2015 67.27 51st 233 78.1%
2016 67.74 56th 233 76.0%
2017 70.28 29th 180 83.9%
2018 60.18 51st 197 74.1%
2019 64.67 36th 138 73.9%
2022 55.95 51st 225 77.3%
2023 47.03 62nd 127 51.2%
2024 58.69 35th 146 76.0%
See the entire list of Maryland High School Rankings!

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

Howard High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Howard High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 908 242 46 11 0 n/a n/a 4 1211
1990 867 238 51 11 1 n/a n/a 0 1168
1991 862 237 45 12 0 n/a n/a -2 1154
1992 856 250 60 12 1 n/a n/a 0 1179
1993 898 285 58 20 0 n/a n/a 0 1261
1994 953 290 72 19 1 n/a n/a 0 1335
1995 1176 379 87 39 1 n/a n/a 0 1682
1996 1176 379 87 39 1 n/a n/a 0 1682
1997 877 245 58 22 0 n/a n/a 0 1202
1998 862 211 49 20 0 n/a n/a 0 1142
1999 918 247 56 21 0 n/a n/a 0 1242
2000 892 273 68 16 0 n/a n/a 0 1249
2001 901 263 80 13 0 n/a n/a 0 1257
2002 855 237 88 19 0 n/a n/a 0 1199
2003 855 237 88 19 0 n/a n/a 0 1199
2004 828 225 96 22 1 n/a n/a 0 1172
2005 873 249 94 24 1 n/a n/a 0 1241
2006 942 262 95 32 1 n/a n/a 0 1332
2007 989 269 91 41 2 n/a n/a 0 1392
2008 1007 292 95 50 1 n/a n/a 0 1445
2009 1013 306 129 59 2 n/a n/a 0 1509
2010 1035 346 160 68 2 n/a n/a 0 1611
2011 934 302 153 105 6 0 133 0 1633
2012 945 337 161 100 5 2 149 0 1699
2013 997 340 166 93 5 4 146 0 1751
2014 970 344 173 104 5 3 126 0 1725
2015 973 347 202 107 2 2 125 0 1758
2016 949 375 229 109 2 0 108 0 1772
2017 915 402 272 118 1 0 122 0 1830
2018 942 406 302 125 1 0 136 0 1912
2019 895 408 321 130 1 2 133 0 1890
2020 898 423 323 133 3 4 126 0 1910
2021 824 411 317 142 3 4 127 0 1828
2022 738 437 356 130 3 5 120 3 1792
2023 665 450 366 136 2 4 114 4 1741

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 Howard High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1211 63.3 19.1 n/a
1990 1168 66.0 17.6 1.5
1991 1154 67.5 17.0 1.6
1992 1179 66.0 17.8 2.9
1993 1261 67.8 18.6 2.7
1994 1335 74.9 17.8 4.2
1995 1682 85.6 19.6 5.6
1996 1682 85.6 19.6 5.6
1997 1202 67.7 17.8 5.9
1998 1142 60.2 19.0 5.2
1999 1242 60.2 20.6 7.3
2000 1249 71.1 17.6 6.7
2001 1257 75.8 16.6 7.1
2002 1199 72.3 16.6 6.7
2003 1199 72.3 16.6 6.7
2004 1172 73.8 15.9 7.5
2005 1241 77.0 16.1 6.5
2006 1332 82.0 16.2 6.8
2007 1392 90.5 15.4 6.5
2008 1445 96.1 15.0 5.8
2009 1509 104.2 14.5 5.8
2010 1611 107.2 15.0 8.2
2011 1633 108.6 15.0 9.4
2012 1699 108.8 15.6 10.6
2013 1751 112.2 15.6 10.5
2014 1725 113.6 15.1 11
2015 1758 115.0 15.2 11.5
2016 1772 116.0 15.2 11.6
2017 1830 117.6 15.5 10.3
2018 1912 123.6 15.4 10
2019 1890 122.0 15.4 9.3
2020 1910 124.6 15.3 11.1
2021 1828 114.7 15.9 12.5
2022 1792 111.5 16.0 14.6
2023 1741 111.5 15.6 20.9

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 Howard High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1211 63.3 19.1 n/a
1990 1168 66.0 17.6 1.5
1991 1154 67.5 17.0 1.6
1992 1179 66.0 17.8 2.9
1993 1261 67.8 18.6 2.7
1994 1335 74.9 17.8 4.2
1995 1682 85.6 19.6 5.6
1996 1682 85.6 19.6 5.6
1997 1202 67.7 17.8 5.9
1998 1142 60.2 19.0 5.2
1999 1242 60.2 20.6 7.3
2000 1249 71.1 17.6 6.7
2001 1257 75.8 16.6 7.1
2002 1199 72.3 16.6 6.7
2003 1199 72.3 16.6 6.7
2004 1172 73.8 15.9 7.5
2005 1241 77.0 16.1 6.5
2006 1332 82.0 16.2 6.8
2007 1392 90.5 15.4 6.5
2008 1445 96.1 15.0 5.8
2009 1509 104.2 14.5 5.8
2010 1611 107.2 15.0 8.2
2011 1633 108.6 15.0 9.4
2012 1699 108.8 15.6 10.6
2013 1751 112.2 15.6 10.5
2014 1725 113.6 15.1 11
2015 1758 115.0 15.2 11.5
2016 1772 116.0 15.2 11.6
2017 1830 117.6 15.5 10.3
2018 1912 123.6 15.4 10
2019 1890 122.0 15.4 9.3
2020 1910 124.6 15.3 11.1
2021 1828 114.7 15.9 12.5
2022 1792 111.5 16.0 14.6
2023 1741 111.5 15.6 20.9

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 Howard High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $452 (3.3%) $13,079 (96.7%) $13,531
2020 $486 (3.4%) $13,869 (96.6%) $14,355
2021 $680 (4.9%) $13,331 (95.1%) $14,011
2022 $968 (5.9%) $15,437 (94.1%) $16,405
2023 $746 (4.3%) $16,662 (95.7%) $17,408

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Howard High

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 36th of 138 High schoolsRanks 62nd of 127 High schools
 22.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students18901741
 7.9%
African American408450
 10.3%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian321366
 14%
Hispanic130136
 4.6%
Pacific Islander24
 100%
White895665
 25.7%
Two or More Races133114
 14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients9.3%20.9%
 11.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Howard High

Students at Howard High are 38% White, 26% African American, 21% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

Howard High ranks 35th of 146 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,741 students attended Howard High.

Howard High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Ilchester Elementary
Elementary : Phelps Luck Elementary
Elementary : Worthington Elementary
Middle : Bonnie Branch Middle
Middle : Ellicott Mills Middle


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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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