G. James Gholson Middle

Summary:

G. James Gholson Middle is a public middle school located in Landover, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 867 students, and is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district.

Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending, G. James Gholson Middle consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Maryland middle schools, with significantly below-average performance on state assessments. The student population is predominantly African American (64-71%) and Hispanic (27-34%), with a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (48.27% to 90.89%), indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. In comparison, nearby schools like Hyattsville Middle and Nicholas Orem Middle have significantly higher academic performance and more diverse student populations.

The analysis of G. James Gholson Middle reveals several key challenges the school faces, including consistently low academic performance, a high concentration of socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and significant disparities in outcomes compared to nearby schools. These findings suggest the need for a comprehensive approach to address the underlying factors contributing to the school's struggles, such as targeted interventions, resource allocation, and community engagement, in order to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for the students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

900 Nalley Rd
Landover, MD 20785-4506

(301) 883-8390

District: Prince George's County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
310^th of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,626

Feeder schools for G. James Gholson Middle:

Elementary:	Carmody Hills Elementary
	Columbia Park Elementary
	Cora L. Rice Elementary
	Gladys Noon Spellman Elementary
	More...
	Highland Park Elementary
	Robert R. Gray Elementary
	Seat Pleasant Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 19.2

Number of students: 867

Racial breakdown:

African American:

64.2%

Hispanic:

33.6%

Asian:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details G. James Gholson Middle ranks worse than 94.5% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks 22^nd among 23 ranked middle schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.88. (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: African American (64.2%), Hispanic (33.6%), Asian (1.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 90.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at G. James Gholson Middle is 19.2, which is the highest among 23 middle schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare G. James Gholson Middle employs 45 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at G. James Gholson Middle is $16,626. 19 middle schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

G. James Gholson Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks G. James Gholson Middle 310^th of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See G. James Gholson Middle in the ranking list.)

Prince George's County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Prince George's County Public Schools 22^nd of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for G. James Gholson Middle

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Rank History for all students at G. James Gholson Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	85.26	25^th	252	90.1%
2005	88.43	15^th	255	94.1%
2006	90.17	10^th	254	96.1%
2007	89.49	16^th	264	93.9%
2008	3.78	271^st	283	4.2%
2009	6.43	286^th	301	5.0%
2010	8.13	302^nd	324	6.8%
2014	18.40	276^th	339	18.6%
2015	14.22	280^th	315	11.1%
2016	15.51	268^th	314	14.6%
2018	13.30	301^st	328	8.2%
2019	12.41	283^rd	316	10.4%
2021	9.68	286^th	303	5.6%
2022	18.38	289^th	333	13.2%
2023	8.51	304^th	322	5.6%
2024	8.88	310^th	328	5.5%

See the entire list of Maryland Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at G. James Gholson Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	22.51	242^nd	273	11.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at G. James Gholson Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	10.51	282^nd	303	6.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at G. James Gholson Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	10.61	277^th	288	3.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at G. James Gholson Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	13.67	243^rd	259	6.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at G. James Gholson Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	16.51	197^th	207	4.8%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Hispanic 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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Thursday, July 26, 2012

I love gholson. Its awesome. Parents say the teachers are bad and so are the kids. That isnt true. Parents act like they actually sit their with their kids during school hours. NO! That isnt the case. They say their isnt enough disciplin for the kids. So not true. Until youve actually been their during school hours. DONT MAKE ANY COMMENTS! I hate parents who always think everything is bad. If your child has bad grades. ITS NOT THE SCHOOL ITS YOUR CHILD! If your child doesnt come home with homework you blame the school but did ever think to check their backpacks too see if their hiding homework? NO! you didnt! So until youve tried every idea possible DONT blame the school! -A former student at G.James.Gholson.Middle Close Quote

Enrollment information for G. James Gholson Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	3	1017	2	7	3	n/a	n/a	1032
2003	3	1017	2	7	3	n/a	n/a	1032
2004	4	922	0	4	3	n/a	n/a	933
2005	3	986	1	13	2	n/a	n/a	1005
2006	9	980	4	33	1	n/a	n/a	1027
2007	2	865	2	29	2	n/a	n/a	900
2008	2	714	1	40	2	n/a	n/a	759
2009	2	689	0	50	1	n/a	n/a	742
2010	5	749	2	60	1	n/a	n/a	817
2011	4	639	4	79	2	0	7	735
2012	2	609	5	85	2	1	11	715
2013	2	641	7	93	2	1	7	753
2014	4	586	4	102	2	2	6	706
2015	3	572	1	103	0	2	10	691
2016	4	508	3	122	1	1	8	647
2017	5	500	6	122	0	0	7	640
2018	10	657	5	183	1	1	3	860
2019	20	644	5	208	1	1	0	879
2020	12	625	6	252	1	2	0	898
2021	7	676	4	254	5	0	3	949
2022	4	636	4	246	5	0	2	897
2023	6	557	11	291	0	0	2	867

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 G. James Gholson Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1032	51.0	20.2	42.6
2003	1032	51.0	20.2	42.6
2004	933	57.5	16.2	67.4
2005	1005	60.0	16.8	65
2006	1027	60.0	17.1	64.4
2007	900	60.0	15.0	63
2008	759	57.0	13.3	58.5
2009	742	55.0	13.5	61.5
2010	817	52.0	15.7	65.5
2011	735	55.5	13.2	62.7
2012	715	47.0	15.2	70.9
2013	753	54.0	13.9	74.2
2014	706	57.0	12.3	78.8
2015	691	51.0	13.5	77.4
2016	647	55.0	11.7	71.3
2017	640	50.5	12.6	80.3
2018	860	49.0	17.5	80.8
2019	879	56.0	15.6	80.3
2020	898	57.0	15.7	79.8
2021	949	60.5	15.6	83.2
2022	897	57.0	15.7	48.3
2023	867	45.0	19.2	90.9

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 G. James Gholson Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1032	51.0	20.2	42.6
2003	1032	51.0	20.2	42.6
2004	933	57.5	16.2	67.4
2005	1005	60.0	16.8	65
2006	1027	60.0	17.1	64.4
2007	900	60.0	15.0	63
2008	759	57.0	13.3	58.5
2009	742	55.0	13.5	61.5
2010	817	52.0	15.7	65.5
2011	735	55.5	13.2	62.7
2012	715	47.0	15.2	70.9
2013	753	54.0	13.9	74.2
2014	706	57.0	12.3	78.8
2015	691	51.0	13.5	77.4
2016	647	55.0	11.7	71.3
2017	640	50.5	12.6	80.3
2018	860	49.0	17.5	80.8
2019	879	56.0	15.6	80.3
2020	898	57.0	15.7	79.8
2021	949	60.5	15.6	83.2
2022	897	57.0	15.7	48.3
2023	867	45.0	19.2	90.9

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 G. James Gholson Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$811 (5.7%)	$13,482 (94.3%)	$14,293
2020	$697 (5.2%)	$12,799 (94.8%)	$13,495
2021	$1,347 (9.4%)	$13,036 (90.6%)	$14,383
2022	$1,908 (11.5%)	$14,723 (88.5%)	$16,631
2023	$2,253 (13.6%)	$14,373 (86.4%)	$16,626

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on G. James Gholson 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 283^rd of 316 Middle schools	Ranks 304^th of 322 Middle schools	4.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	879	867	1.4%
African American	644	557	13.5%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	5	11	120%
Hispanic	208	291	39.9%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	20	6	70%
Two or More Races	0	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.3%	90.9%	10.6%

Schools Near G. James Gholson 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
G. James Gholson Middle	Public	6-8	900 Nalley Rd	Landover	20785	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 883-8390	867	45	19.2	90.9%	6 (0.7%)	557 (64.2%)	291 (33.6%)	11 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	8.9	310^th of 328 public middle schools	5.5%		8.5	304^th of 322 public middle schools	5.6%	6					21.4	17.9	14.4	17.5			$16,626	$2,253	$14,373
Kenmoor Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2501 Kenmoor Dr	Landover	20785	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 925-2300	929	72	12.9	77.0%	47 (5.1%)	567 (61.0%)	260 (28.0%)	48 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.6%)	39.3	171^st of 328 public middle schools	47.9%		48.9	135^th of 322 public middle schools	58.1%	36	20.8	14.8	8.1	16.9	47.4	44.0	36.6	42.2	51.7	19.2	$19,547	$1,876	$17,670
Walker Mill Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	800 Karen Blvd	Capitol Heights	20743	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 808-4055	693	45	15.5	72.9%	13 (1.9%)	537 (77.5%)	124 (17.9%)	5 (0.7%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (1.0%)	30.7	201^st of 328 public middle schools	38.7%		49.6	129^th of 322 public middle schools	59.9%	72	13.7	13.0		10.9	41.0	37.4	33.1	37.3	23.5	13.1	$17,989	$1,506	$16,483
Ernest Everett Just Middle	Public	6-8	1300 Campus Way N	Mitchellville	20721	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 808-4040	795	51	15.5	69.4%	3 (0.4%)	700 (88.1%)	75 (9.4%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.6%)	27.4	215^th of 328 public middle schools	34.5%		26.7	222^nd of 322 public middle schools	31.1%	7					45.0	32.9	28.2	35.1		9.5	$17,399	$1,645	$15,755
Kettering Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	65 Herrington Dr	Upper Marlboro	20774	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 808-4060	915	75	12.2	61.0%	8 (0.9%)	720 (78.7%)	167 (18.3%)	8 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	8 (0.9%)	27.4	214^th of 328 public middle schools	34.8%		30.3	206^th of 322 public middle schools	36.0%	8	7.0	6.1		8.4	37.2	41.0	34.6	37.6	51.1	16.8	$19,996	$1,603	$18,393
Thomas Johnson Middle	Public	6-8	5401 Barker Pl	Lanham	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 918-8680	1,274	80	15.9	80.4%	24 (1.9%)	568 (44.6%)	635 (49.8%)	33 (2.6%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (0.9%)	20.5	249^th of 328 public middle schools	24.1%		21.9	244^th of 322 public middle schools	24.2%	5		10.4		5.4	22.4	39.4	23.1	28.4	12.5	9.5	$16,629	$1,446	$15,183
Charles Carroll Middle	Public	6-8	6130 Lamont Dr	New Carrollton	20784	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 918-8640	1,228	84	14.7	89.3%	25 (2.0%)	320 (26.1%)	847 (69.0%)	29 (2.4%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.3%)	17.6	268^th of 328 public middle schools	18.3%		18.6	266^th of 322 public middle schools	17.4%	2			8.6	6.1	22.5	23.8	23.3	23.4		10.0	$18,041	$2,196	$15,845
Drew-Freeman Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Brooks Dr	District Heights	20747	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 817-0900	833	51	16.3	66.7%	5 (0.6%)	608 (73.0%)	212 (25.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	8.4	315^th of 328 public middle schools	4.0%		6.4	310^th of 322 public middle schools	3.7%	5					21.1	15.4	14.0	16.9			$18,305	$2,319	$15,986
William Wirt Middle	Public	6-8	6200 Tuckerman St	Riverdale	20737	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 985-1720	1,246	87	14.3	94.1%	21 (1.7%)	217 (17.4%)	927 (74.4%)	80 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18.5	261^st of 328 public middle schools	20.4%		20.3	256^th of 322 public middle schools	20.5%	5	7.7				33.0	29.5	29.5	29.8	16.0	6.4	$18,337	$2,380	$15,957
Hyattsville Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	6001 42nd Ave	Hyattsville	20781	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(301) 209-5830	705	60	11.7	83.1%	48 (6.8%)	148 (21.0%)	486 (68.9%)	8 (1.1%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.1%)	14	289^th of 328 public middle schools	11.9%		30	208^th of 322 public middle schools	35.4%	81					25.3	22.3	22.9	23.6	42.0	8.3	$19,628	$2,403	$17,224

Frequently Asked Questions about G. James Gholson Middle

Is G. James Gholson Middle a good school?

G. James Gholson Middle ranks in the bottom 5.5% of Maryland middle schools.

What district is G. James Gholson Middle in?

Prince George's County Public Schools

How many students attend G. James Gholson Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 867 students attended G. James Gholson Middle.

What is the racial makeup of G. James Gholson Middle?

Students at G. James Gholson Middle are 64% African American, 34% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

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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.