Rachel Carson Elementary
Quince Orchard cluster · 100 Tschiffely Square Rd, 20878
School website ↗·Parent info ↗
Academics
MCAP proficiency over time.
Data table
| Series | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELA | 67.2% | 48.7% | 73.5% | 79.9% | 76.9% | 75.9% | 77.6% |
| Math | 65.4% | 41.2% | 66.1% | 71.5% | 67.9% | 71.4% | 67.9% |
| Science | 51.9% | 71.2% | 55.5% | 69.5% | 58.1% | 52.3% | 60.7% |
Testing paused in 2020. Science scoring changed twice (2019 pre-MCAP scale; 2021 three bands, two pooled administrations; four bands from 2022), so science points before 2022 aren't comparable to later ones. Science swung sharply statewide between 2023 and 2026 (down, then back up, one grade at a time); those moves likely reflect the state assessment, not school-level change.
Class size
Average class size by grade band over recent years, with the latest year measured against MCPS's published guideline.
Data table
| Series | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 24.3 * | 22.3 * | 22.4 * | 17.2 * | 18.4 * | 20.4 * | 24.5 | 24.8 |
| Grades 1 to 3 | 24.0 * | 24.1 * | 22.9 * | 21.9 * | 20.6 * | 23.5 * | 22.3 | 23.4 |
| Grades 4 to 5 | 25.9 * | 26.7 * | 26.4 * | 24.9 * | 23.8 * | 24.0 * | 28.4 | 24.7 |
- Kindergarten24.8target 25 · within guideline
- Grades 1 to 323.4target 26–27 · within guideline
- Grades 4 to 524.7target 29 · within guideline
Source: MCPS School Profiles class-size extract vs. MCPS published class-size guidelines · Updated: 2024-2025
Proficiency by student group
This school's MCAP ELA proficiency by group (latest year). The spread is the opportunity gap.
3 groups not shown — too few students to report (withheld for privacy, not zero).
Special education
Data table
| Series | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion % | — | — | — |
Time in general education (2025): 80%+ of the day ≥95% · 40–79% ≤5% · under 40% ≤5%
Staffing rates are per 100 students with IEPs; staffing is from 2025. Withheld values reflect privacy suppression, not zero.
Source: MCPS School Profiles / unified facts (LRE, staffing, SWD enrollment) · Updated: inclusion 2025, staffing 2025
Staffing
Staff relative to enrollment. The chip compares this school to the typical elementary school at this level.
Special education & multilingual support
Source: MCPS unified facts — staff FTE per student (support services = instructional support staff)
Programs & services
Special, choice, and support programs offered at this school — from magnet and application programs to career pathways and special-education services.
Magnet - Application
Special Education
Source: MCPS Office of Student Affairs program catalog (2025). Find schools by program →
Students
Data table
| Series | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 792 | 682 | 698 | 674 | 671 | 644 |
By race / ethnicity (2026).
Climate
Attendance and chronic absenteeism (absent 10%+ of days).
Data table
| Series | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance | ≥ 95.0 | ≥ 95.0 | 94% | 93.4% | 94.7% | 94.2% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 11.3% | ≤ 5.0 | 21.8% | 19.2% | 11.5% | 15.3% |
Enrollment & capacity outlook
A ten-year probabilistic enrollment forecast for this school, checked against its capacity. Part of the countywide capacity outlook, which explains the method and its track record.
Data table
| School year | Actual | Forecast (p10–p90) | MCPS projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | 1022 | — | — |
| 2018–19 | 973 | — | — |
| 2019–20 | 893 | — | — |
| 2020–21 | 792 | — | — |
| 2021–22 | 682 | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 698 | — | — |
| 2023–24 | 674 | — | — |
| 2024–25 | 670 | — | — |
| 2025–26 | 644 | — | — |
| 2026–27 | — | 638 (596–681) | 618 |
| 2027–28 | — | 631 (573–697) | 599 |
| 2028–29 | — | 618 (548–700) | 622 |
| 2029–30 | — | 630 (550–727) | 619 |
| 2030–31 | — | 629 (542–734) | 605 |
| 2031–32 | — | 628 (532–735) | — |
| 2032–33 | — | 628 (532–731) | — |
| 2033–34 | — | 627 (534–730) | — |
| 2034–35 | — | 628 (535–736) | — |
| 2035–36 | — | 625 (538–736) | — |
- Approved development near this school is expected to add roughly 31 students within five years (probability-weighted; approval does not guarantee construction).
⚠ This area's housing has turned over recently; enrollment pressure from turnover is likely already in the trend.
Source: mc-development forecast model — base year SY 2025–26; boundaries 2024-2025; development snapshot 2026-06-02 · Updated: 2026-07-31T00:00:00Z
Data: MSDE State Report Card (2019–2026), MCPS official Sept 30, 2025 enrollment count (extends the enrollment trend to 2025-26), MCPS School Profiles & unified facts, U.S. Census ACS 2024, MD SDAT. “≥95” / “≤5” and dropped groups are privacy-suppressed for small counts — withheld, not zero. Independent project, not affiliated with MCPS or MSDE.