Carson Middle

Summary:

Carson Middle is a public magnet middle school serving grades 7-8 in Herndon, Virginia, part of the highly-ranked Fairfax County Public Schools district. With a diverse student population, Carson Middle consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Virginia, delivering exceptional academic performance and effectively serving the needs of diverse learners.

Carson Middle's academic excellence is evident in its consistent statewide rankings between 5-48 over the past 10 years and its 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's students excel on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests, often outperforming the Fairfax County and Virginia state averages, particularly in subjects like Geometry, Algebra I, Algebra II, and English Reading. The school's performance is particularly strong for Asian, multi-racial, military-connected, and students with disabilities, suggesting a focus on equity and inclusion.

While Carson Middle outperforms many nearby schools in the Fairfax County district, some schools in the Loudoun County Public Schools district, such as Mercer Middle and Stone Hill Middle, also demonstrate strong academic performance and may provide useful benchmarks for comparison. However, the school's relatively lower performance for Hispanic and low socioeconomic status students suggests opportunities to further support these student populations and address any achievement gaps.


Detail:

Public, Magnet 7-8

 13618 McLearen Road
       Herndon, VA  20171


(703) 925-3600

District: Fairfax County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
48th of 417 Virginia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,413 Help


Students who attend Carson Middle usually attend:

High:    Westfield High

Feeder schools for Carson Middle:

Elementary:    Coates Elementary
    Crossfield Elementary
    Floris Elementary
    Fox Mill Elementary
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  16.1 Help
Number of students:  1,361

Racial breakdown:

Asian:
47.1%
White:
27.8%
African American:
9.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  15.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Carson Middle ranks better than 88.5% of middle schools in Virginia. It also ranks 5th among 23 ranked middle schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.38. (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 Carson Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Fairfax County Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Carson Middle is $9,413. 20 middle schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Carson Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Carson Middle 48th of 417 Virginia public middle schools. (See Carson Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fairfax County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Fairfax County Public Schools 41st of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Carson Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 88.46 6th 340 98.2%
2006 85.95 12th 383 96.9%
2007 84.92 10th 387 97.4%
2008 84.34 10th 391 97.4%
2009 81.95 13th 390 96.7%
2010 81.03 13th 408 96.8%
2011 78.57 29th 413 93.0%
2012 84.83 9th 413 97.8%
2013 91.52 4th 416 99.0%
2014 90.38 6th 416 98.6%
2015 87.95 5th 412 98.8%
2016 82.64 25th 409 93.9%
2017 83.69 19th 415 95.4%
2018 81.17 27th 413 93.5%
2019 84.50 18th 424 95.8%
2021 81.47 30th 419 92.8%
2022 80.48 38th 415 90.8%
2023 83.23 34th 422 91.9%
2024 81.38 48th 417 88.5%
See the entire list of Virginia Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 87.07 11th 231 95.2%
2024 81.97 21st 237 91.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 55.97 27th 100 73.0%
2024 65.83 24th 122 80.3%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 56.72 170th 402 57.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 79.87 51st 411 87.6%
2024 80.97 43rd 407 89.4%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 80.27 40th 278 85.6%
2024 81.18 35th 281 87.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 81.39 10th 114 91.2%
2024 90.75 1st 123 99.2%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 84.95 26th 409 93.6%
2024 80.94 47th 407 88.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 75.89 17th 132 87.1%
2024 72.40 17th 128 86.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 82.32 32nd 298 89.3%
2024 76.22 45th 299 84.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 51.14 127th 275 53.8%
2024 57.78 105th 272 61.4%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Carson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 78.31 44th 402 89.1%
2024 77.35 48th 396 87.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia 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.

Carson Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
50%

0%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Thursday, May 29, 2014

Open Quote Best Middle School in FCPS. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Carson Middle

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1999 671 35 99 19 0 n/a n/a 0 824
2000 695 44 98 20 2 n/a n/a -4 855
2001 724 66 139 32 3 n/a n/a 0 964
2002 713 61 185 43 3 n/a n/a 29 1034
2003 713 61 185 43 3 n/a n/a 29 1034
2004 705 65 226 54 3 n/a n/a 57 1110
2005 680 68 232 55 3 n/a n/a 60 1098
2006 637 75 261 51 3 n/a n/a 54 1081
2007 672 65 308 39 2 n/a n/a 57 1143
2008 666 74 309 57 2 n/a n/a 70 1178
2009 638 87 367 60 2 n/a n/a 78 1232
2010 620 78 411 72 1 n/a n/a 76 1258
2011 581 89 456 103 2 0 59 0 1290
2012 600 113 476 98 1 0 67 0 1355
2013 569 128 478 109 3 0 73 0 1360
2014 537 100 513 120 4 1 69 0 1344
2015 551 94 567 137 6 4 73 0 1432
2016 530 96 626 131 4 5 79 0 1471
2017 534 93 678 133 2 5 83 0 1528
2018 494 92 668 129 0 3 89 0 1475
2019 497 95 687 144 1 2 75 0 1501
2020 468 104 717 152 1 2 93 0 1537
2021 385 125 731 128 2 2 99 0 1472
2022 366 135 712 126 2 0 105 0 1446
2023 378 123 641 122 2 0 95 0 1361

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 Carson Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 824 n/a 0.0 11.4
2000 855 n/a 0.0 4.4
2001 964 68.8 14.0 4.8
2002 1034 87.4 11.8 5.9
2003 1034 87.4 11.8 5.9
2004 1110 71.3 15.6 6.5
2005 1098 70.4 15.6 7
2006 1081 75.0 14.4 6.4
2007 1143 83.7 13.7 5.6
2008 1178 60.8 19.4 6.1
2009 1232 60.9 20.2 7.4
2010 1258 57.5 21.8 8.5
2011 1290 66.8 19.2 8.2
2012 1355 85.4 15.8 9.2
2013 1360 88.0 15.4 9.5
2014 1344 87.1 15.4 8.5
2015 1432 87.0 16.4 9.8
2016 1471 89.0 16.5 10.4
2017 1528 93.9 16.2 9
2018 1475 93.0 15.8 9.8
2019 1501 92.4 16.2 10
2020 1537 93.6 16.4 11.7
2021 1472 91.9 16.0 n/a
2022 1446 96.3 15.0 12.4
2023 1361 84.5 16.1 15.6

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 Carson Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 824 n/a 0.0 11.4
2000 855 n/a 0.0 4.4
2001 964 68.8 14.0 4.8
2002 1034 87.4 11.8 5.9
2003 1034 87.4 11.8 5.9
2004 1110 71.3 15.6 6.5
2005 1098 70.4 15.6 7
2006 1081 75.0 14.4 6.4
2007 1143 83.7 13.7 5.6
2008 1178 60.8 19.4 6.1
2009 1232 60.9 20.2 7.4
2010 1258 57.5 21.8 8.5
2011 1290 66.8 19.2 8.2
2012 1355 85.4 15.8 9.2
2013 1360 88.0 15.4 9.5
2014 1344 87.1 15.4 8.5
2015 1432 87.0 16.4 9.8
2016 1471 89.0 16.5 10.4
2017 1528 93.9 16.2 9
2018 1475 93.0 15.8 9.8
2019 1501 92.4 16.2 10
2020 1537 93.6 16.4 11.7
2021 1472 91.9 16.0 n/a
2022 1446 96.3 15.0 12.4
2023 1361 84.5 16.1 15.6

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 Carson Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $226 (2.6%) $8,533 (97.4%) $8,760
2020 $160 (1.8%) $8,905 (98.2%) $9,065
2021 $120 (1.3%) $9,293 (98.7%) $9,413

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Carson 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 18th of 424 Middle schoolsRanks 34th of 422 Middle schools
 3.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade Mathematics (Carson Middle)8365.8
 17.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Fairfax County Public Schools)8654.7
 31.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)7851.4
 26.6%
7th Grade English Reading (Carson Middle)9587.7
 7.3%
   7th Grade English Reading (Fairfax County Public Schools)8478.7
 5.3%
   7th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7970.3
 8.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Carson Middle)9258.9
 33.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Fairfax County Public Schools)8339.8
 43.2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)7748.4
 28.6%
8th Grade Science (Carson Middle)9382.3
 10.7%
   8th Grade Science (Fairfax County Public Schools)8370.4
 12.6%
   8th Grade Science (Virginia)7860.7
 17.3%
8th Grade English Reading (Carson Middle)9189.5
 1.5%
   8th Grade English Reading (Fairfax County Public Schools)8277.4
 4.7%
   8th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7670.7
 5.3%
End of Course Geometry (Carson Middle)10099
 1%
   End of Course Geometry (Fairfax County Public Schools)8690
 4%
   End of Course Geometry (Virginia)8380
 3%
End of Course Algebra I (Carson Middle)10097
 3%
   End of Course Algebra I (Fairfax County Public Schools)8986
 3%
   End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)8680
 6%
End of Course Algebra II (Carson Middle)100100
   End of Course Algebra II (Fairfax County Public Schools)9091
 1%
   End of Course Algebra II (Virginia)9186
 5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students15011361
 9.3%
African American95123
 29.5%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian687641
 6.7%
Hispanic144122
 15.3%
Pacific Islander20
 100%
White497378
 23.9%
Two or More Races7595
 26.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients10%15.6%
 5.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Carson Middle

Carson Middle ranks 48th of 417 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,361 students attended Carson Middle.

Students at Carson Middle are 47% Asian, 28% White, 9% African American, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

Students who attend Carson Middle usually go on to attend Westfield 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 Virginia 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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