Bethesda Elementary
Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster · 7600 Arlington Rd, 20814
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Academics
MCAP proficiency over time.
Data table
| Series | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELA | 68.8% | 53.8% | 74.5% | 77.3% | 77% | 67.4% | 69.5% |
| Math | 69.6% | 49% | 62.9% | 69.9% | 65.9% | 59.6% | 61.5% |
| Science | 55.1% | 69.3% | 55% | 59% | 46.5% | 47.3% | 51.9% |
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 * | 23.0 * | 21.0 * | 19.8 * | 19.2 * | 22.5 * | 22.0 | 22.8 |
| Grades 1 to 3 | 22.8 * | 24.6 * | 24.6 * | 19.3 * | 21.4 * | 20.3 * | 27.1 | 21.9 |
| Grades 4 to 5 | 25.0 * | 25.6 * | 25.0 * | 19.0 * | 21.8 * | 24.3 * | 26.9 | 26.5 |
- Kindergarten22.8target 25 · within guideline
- Grades 1 to 321.9target 26–27 · within guideline
- Grades 4 to 526.5target 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 % | 60% | 68.1% | 66.3% |
Time in general education (2025): 80%+ of the day 62.1% · 40–79% 19.7% · under 40% 18.2%
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.
Academics
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 | 619 | 640 | 611 | 584 | 645 | 597 |
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 | 94.6% | 93.9% | 94.2% | 93.8% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 11.6% | 5.2% | 17.6% | 17% | 17.8% | 16.6% |
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 | 619 | — | — |
| 2018–19 | 650 | — | — |
| 2019–20 | 665 | — | — |
| 2020–21 | 619 | — | — |
| 2021–22 | 640 | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 611 | — | — |
| 2023–24 | 583 | — | — |
| 2024–25 | 645 | — | — |
| 2025–26 | 597 | — | — |
| 2026–27 | — | 584 (543–630) | 605 |
| 2027–28 | — | 580 (514–648) | 593 |
| 2028–29 | — | 579 (497–662) | 595 |
| 2029–30 | — | 589 (496–692) | 592 |
| 2030–31 | — | 598 (502–707) | 585 |
| 2031–32 | — | 603 (512–715) | — |
| 2032–33 | — | 610 (517–724) | — |
| 2033–34 | — | 619 (521–733) | — |
| 2034–35 | — | 621 (521–733) | — |
| 2035–36 | — | 626 (522–740) | — |
- Approved development near this school is expected to add roughly 63 students within five years (probability-weighted; approval does not guarantee construction).
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.