Is Stephen Decatur Middle a good school?

Stephen Decatur Middle ranks 232 nd of 328 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Stephen Decatur Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 733 students attended Stephen Decatur Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Stephen Decatur Middle?

Students at Stephen Decatur Middle are 66% African American, 28% Hispanic, 3% White, 1% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Stephen Decatur Middle

Summary:

Stephen Decatur Middle is a public middle school in Clinton, Maryland, serving 781 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district, which is ranked 22 out of 25 in Maryland and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Stephen Decatur Middle has a significantly higher percentage of African American (66.84%) and Hispanic (26.38%) students compared to surrounding schools, which range from 35.33% to 78.76% African American and have lower Hispanic populations. The school consistently underperforms on MCAP assessments, with only 31.7% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 48.4% at the state level and 36.1% in the district. Despite a relatively high per-student spending of $16,102, the school has a 1-star rating and ranks 232 out of 328 Maryland middle schools. Additionally, a high percentage of students (54.81% to 69.53%) receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant socioeconomic challenges.

While some nearby schools, such as Kettering Middle and Walker Mill Middle, have higher academic performance and rankings, they still struggle to meet state and district averages, suggesting broader challenges within the Prince George's County Public Schools district. The unique demographic and socioeconomic factors at Stephen Decatur Middle may require a comprehensive and targeted approach to address the school's performance issues and support the diverse needs of its student population.

Detail:

Public 6-8

8200 Pinewood Dr
Clinton, MD 20735-1487

(301) 449-4950

District: Prince George's County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
232^nd of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,858

Feeder schools for Stephen Decatur Middle:

Elementary:	Francis T. Evans Elementary
	James Ryder Randall Elementary
	Waldon Woods Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 733

Racial breakdown:

African American:

66.0%

Hispanic:

28.4%

White:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.9%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Stephen Decatur Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Stephen Decatur Middle ranks worse than 70.7% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks 10^th 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 23.74. (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 (66%), Hispanic (28.4%), White (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur Middle is 12.3, which is the 2^nd best among 23 middle schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Stephen Decatur Middle employs 59.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Stephen Decatur Middle is $17,858. 11 middle schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Stephen Decatur Middle 232^nd of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See Stephen Decatur 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 Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Stephen Decatur Middle

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Rank History for all students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	78.49	51^st	252	79.8%
2005	79.54	51^st	255	80.0%
2006	76.68	56^th	254	78.0%
2007	77.71	61^st	264	76.9%
2008	34.42	208^th	283	26.5%
2009	27.34	241^st	301	19.9%
2010	34.24	243^rd	324	25.0%
2011	26.25	243^rd	309	21.4%
2012	24.16	245^th	314	22.0%
2013	19.10	270^th	316	14.6%
2014	22.70	260^th	339	23.3%
2015	11.79	294^th	315	6.7%
2016	18.34	256^th	314	18.5%
2017	17.17	265^th	317	16.4%
2018	18.68	266^th	328	18.9%
2019	16.51	260^th	316	17.7%
2021	23.31	237^th	303	21.8%
2022	30.20	226^th	333	32.1%
2023	18.15	269^th	322	16.5%
2024	23.74	232^nd	328	29.3%

See the entire list of Maryland Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	20.44	248^th	273	9.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	23.54	236^th	303	22.1%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	5.96	26^th	27	3.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	20.22	240^th	288	16.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	27.95	201^st	259	22.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	23.32	181^st	207	12.6%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, August 22, 2013

Horrible place. Wish my child never step foot in this school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Stephen Decatur Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	216	492	13	7	1	n/a	n/a	-2	727
1990	185	525	13	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	735
1991	187	528	18	15	5	n/a	n/a	0	753
1992	191	563	22	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	794
1993	160	617	15	14	6	n/a	n/a	0	812
1994	138	617	16	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	785
1995	115	662	22	5	5	n/a	n/a	0	809
1996	115	662	22	5	5	n/a	n/a	0	809
1997	98	713	19	7	5	n/a	n/a	0	842
1998	78	734	11	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	834
1999	55	792	13	8	6	n/a	n/a	0	874
2000	109	758	25	19	10	n/a	n/a	0	921
2001	111	867	21	19	10	n/a	n/a	0	1028
2002	73	847	29	15	9	n/a	n/a	0	973
2003	73	847	29	15	9	n/a	n/a	0	973
2004	54	893	24	23	8	n/a	n/a	0	1002
2005	41	913	16	22	4	n/a	n/a	0	996
2006	40	815	18	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	898
2007	38	744	16	38	4	n/a	n/a	0	840
2008	26	648	14	42	5	n/a	n/a	0	735
2009	30	648	9	36	2	n/a	n/a	0	725
2010	30	561	13	47	4	n/a	n/a	0	655
2011	21	510	9	57	3	1	26	0	627
2012	21	522	7	47	1	1	15	0	614
2013	28	603	9	73	0	2	20	0	735
2014	23	564	8	85	0	5	20	0	705
2015	20	527	11	90	1	2	18	0	669
2016	20	519	9	114	3	1	15	0	681
2017	13	522	11	106	4	1	14	0	671
2018	19	540	12	116	1	1	6	0	695
2019	16	538	10	140	1	1	4	0	710
2020	25	561	12	162	3	3	3	0	769
2021	20	558	14	178	3	4	5	0	782
2022	23	543	13	180	4	6	10	0	779
2023	21	522	17	206	1	3	11	0	781
2024	19	484	9	208	1	2	10	0	733

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 Stephen Decatur Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	727	48.1	15.1	n/a
1990	735	49.1	14.9	10.7
1991	753	47.4	15.8	8.4
1992	794	49.1	16.1	8.6
1993	812	52.0	15.6	8.4
1994	785	48.0	16.4	15.3
1995	809	49.0	16.5	16.2
1996	809	49.0	16.5	16.2
1997	842	50.1	16.8	22.3
1998	834	51.0	16.4	19.1
1999	874	51.0	17.1	24.6
2000	921	57.2	16.1	24.9
2001	1028	59.3	17.3	26.8
2002	973	65.3	14.9	32.8
2003	973	65.3	14.9	32.8
2004	1002	64.2	15.6	30.7
2005	996	61.0	16.3	34.4
2006	898	63.0	14.3	27.5
2007	840	61.8	13.6	30.6
2008	735	57.0	12.9	35
2009	725	61.3	11.8	35.7
2010	655	48.0	13.6	38.9
2011	627	43.1	14.5	43.9
2012	614	41.3	14.8	45.8
2013	735	48.1	15.2	50.3
2014	705	49.3	14.3	51.6
2015	669	48.0	13.9	54.9
2016	681	48.0	14.1	57.7
2017	671	46.5	14.4	63.2
2018	695	46.5	14.9	57.1
2019	710	49.0	14.4	59
2020	769	54.0	14.2	59.2
2021	782	54.5	14.3	60.9
2022	779	53.5	14.5	54.8
2023	781	57.5	13.5	69.5
2024	733	59.5	12.3	70.9

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 Stephen Decatur Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	727	48.1	15.1	n/a
1990	735	49.1	14.9	10.7
1991	753	47.4	15.8	8.4
1992	794	49.1	16.1	8.6
1993	812	52.0	15.6	8.4
1994	785	48.0	16.4	15.3
1995	809	49.0	16.5	16.2
1996	809	49.0	16.5	16.2
1997	842	50.1	16.8	22.3
1998	834	51.0	16.4	19.1
1999	874	51.0	17.1	24.6
2000	921	57.2	16.1	24.9
2001	1028	59.3	17.3	26.8
2002	973	65.3	14.9	32.8
2003	973	65.3	14.9	32.8
2004	1002	64.2	15.6	30.7
2005	996	61.0	16.3	34.4
2006	898	63.0	14.3	27.5
2007	840	61.8	13.6	30.6
2008	735	57.0	12.9	35
2009	725	61.3	11.8	35.7
2010	655	48.0	13.6	38.9
2011	627	43.1	14.5	43.9
2012	614	41.3	14.8	45.8
2013	735	48.1	15.2	50.3
2014	705	49.3	14.3	51.6
2015	669	48.0	13.9	54.9
2016	681	48.0	14.1	57.7
2017	671	46.5	14.4	63.2
2018	695	46.5	14.9	57.1
2019	710	49.0	14.4	59
2020	769	54.0	14.2	59.2
2021	782	54.5	14.3	60.9
2022	779	53.5	14.5	54.8
2023	781	57.5	13.5	69.5
2024	733	59.5	12.3	70.9

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 Stephen Decatur Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$451 (3.0%)	$14,659 (97.0%)	$15,109
2020	$376 (2.4%)	$14,977 (97.6%)	$15,352
2021	$687 (4.3%)	$15,416 (95.7%)	$16,102
2022	$1,534 (8.3%)	$16,862 (91.7%)	$18,397
2023	$1,726 (9.7%)	$16,133 (90.3%)	$17,858

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Stephen Decatur 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 260^th of 316 Middle schools	Ranks 269^th of 322 Middle schools	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	710	781	10%
African American	538	522	3%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	10	17	70%
Hispanic	140	206	47.1%
Pacific Islander	1	3	200%
White	16	21	31.3%
Two or More Races	4	11	175%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59%	69.5%	10.5%

Schools Near Stephen Decatur 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
Stephen Decatur Middle	Public	6-8	8200 Pinewood Dr	Clinton	20735	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 449-4950	733	60	12.3	70.9%	19 (2.6%)	484 (66.0%)	208 (28.4%)	9 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.4%)	23.7	232^nd of 328 public middle schools	29.3%		18.2	269^th of 322 public middle schools	16.5%	37					28.5	30.6	35.6	31.7	13.5	11.4	$17,858	$1,726	$16,133
Thurgood Marshall Middle	Public	6-8	4909 Brinkley Rd	Temple Hills	20748	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 702-7540	731	41	17.8	82.4%	3 (0.4%)	447 (61.1%)	257 (35.2%)	16 (2.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	15.3	278^th of 328 public middle schools	15.2%		17.1	273^rd of 322 public middle schools	15.2%	5			5.9	5.3	20.1	27.1	21.0	22.6	27.3		$15,755	$1,404	$14,351
Benjamin Stoddert Middle	Public	6-8	2501 Olson St	Temple Hills	20748	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 702-7500	599	40	14.9	83.1%	2 (0.3%)	418 (69.8%)	170 (28.4%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15	282^nd of 328 public middle schools	14.0%		13.7	284^th of 322 public middle schools	11.8%	2					28.6	21.6	20.3	23.7			$19,824	$2,263	$17,562
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	1,075	58	18.5	92.8%	11 (1.0%)	798 (74.2%)	257 (23.9%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	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
James Madison Middle	Public	6-8	7001 Beltz Dr	Forestville	20747	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 599-2422	839	43	19.7	61.6%	23 (2.7%)	639 (76.2%)	167 (19.9%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	25.3	224^th of 328 public middle schools	31.7%		30.8	204^th of 322 public middle schools	36.6%	20					28.2	41.5	31.5	33.6		9.4	$15,997	$1,426	$14,571
Gwynn Park Middle	Public	6-8	8000 Dyson Rd	Brandywine	20613	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 372-0120	727	36	20.1	54.6%	26 (3.6%)	562 (77.3%)	103 (14.2%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.0%)	21.1	246^th of 328 public middle schools	25.0%		20.9	251^st of 322 public middle schools	22.0%	5		7.9			31.1	32.1	30.4	31.1		10.0	$17,149	$1,551	$15,598
Oxon Hill Middle	Public	6-8	9570 Fort Foote Rd	Fort Washington	20744	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 749-4270	867	52	16.6	80.9%	17 (2.0%)	321 (37.0%)	499 (57.6%)	24 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	18.3	262^nd of 328 public middle schools	20.1%		21.9	243^rd of 322 public middle schools	24.5%	19					26.1	32.1	24.6	27.7	13.6	9.4	$19,369	$2,258	$17,111
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	1,049	57	18.5	75.4%	24 (2.3%)	771 (73.5%)	229 (21.8%)	6 (0.6%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.2%)	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
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	749	36	20.8	86.5%	10 (1.3%)	469 (62.6%)	261 (34.8%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	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
Mattawoman Middle School	Public	6-8	10145 Berry Rd	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-7708	887	51	17.3	53.3%	34 (3.8%)	636 (71.7%)	119 (13.4%)	37 (4.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (6.5%)	22	241^st of 328 public middle schools	26.5%		26.3	223^rd of 322 public middle schools	30.7%	18	9.6	5.9	5.2	8.6	33.7	33.6	34.0	33.8	24.1	10.6	$13,785	$554	$13,231

Stephen Decatur Middle

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Rank History for Stephen Decatur Middle

Rank History for all students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Rank History for Female students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Rank History for Military Connected students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Rank History for Male students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Rank History for African American students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Stephen Decatur Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for Stephen Decatur Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Stephen Decatur Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Stephen Decatur Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Stephen Decatur Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Stephen Decatur Middle

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Stephen Decatur Middle