Middle school is a very important time for many kids: it is a major change in their educational lives.
Middle School students having fun while learning science
Suddenly, as soon as they enter middle school, they have transitioned from being young children to being “responsible” students in charge of their own lives at school (well, at least their schedule and their homework…).
In middle school, students are exposed to many more fun activities, sports, and are given plenty of opportunities to develop their own interests.
In Middle School, academics are very important
Also, in middle school, academics become even more important than in elementary school
For example, to apply for the highly-competitive Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST)*, one of the criteria is to have a high GPA in 7th grade (most middle schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools district only cover 7th and 8th grade).
Speaking of good academics, one way to rank the middle schools in Fairfax County is to compare their SOL passing rates**:
Fairfax County Middle School Rankings (2012-2013)
| Rank | Middle School | School District | High School Pyramid | SOL Pass % 2012-13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Run MS | FCPS | Chantilly | 96 |
| 2 | Longfellow MS | FCPS | McLean | 95 |
| 2 | Carson MS | FCPS | Oakton | 95 |
| 4 | Cooper MS | FCPS | Langley | 92 |
| 4 | Frost MS | FCPS | Woodson | 92 |
| 4 | Kilmer MS | FCPS | Marshall | 92 |
| 7 | Thoreau MS | FCPS | Madison | 91 |
| 8 | Franklin MS | FCPS | Chantilly | 89 |
| 8 | Irving MS | FCPS | West Springfield | 89 |
| 10 | Henderson MS | City of Falls Church | George Mason | 87 |
| 11 | South County MS | FCPS | South County | 86 |
| 12 | Liberty MS | FCPS | Centreville | 84 |
| 12 | Lanier MS | FCPS | Fairfax | 84 |
| 12 | Stone MS | FCPS | Westfield | 84 |
| FCPS Average | 84 | |||
| 15 | Jackson MS | FCPS | Falls Church | 82 |
| 15 | Hughes MS | FCPS | South Lakes | 82 |
| 17 | Twain MS | FCPS | Edison | 78 |
| Virginia Average | 78 | |||
| 18 | Key MS | FCPS | Lee | 77 |
| 18 | Holmes MS | FCPS | Annandale | 77 |
| 20 | Sandburg MS | FCPS | West Potomac | 76 |
| 21 | Herndon MS | FCPS | Herndon | 74 |
| 22 | Poe MS | FCPS | Annandale | 71 |
| 23 | Whitman MS | FCPS | Mount Vernon | 65 |
| 24 | Glasgow MS | FCPS | Stuart | 64 |
As you can see, there are several middle schools who have SOL passing rates that are well above the County’s average of 84%.
How to attend a highly rated Fairfax County middle school
And, as you know, for a student to be eligible to attend one of these middle schools, s/he must live within the attendance boundary of the school.
But really, since most middle schools span only 2 years, you probably won’t want to just choose to live within the middle school boundary. Ideally, you’ll want to choose the right combination of middle and high school boundaries.
And the best way to start your home search is by choosing a high school boundary.
What is it like to live in a particular High School boundary?
To see where each high school boundary is in relation to the Washington D.C. area, log in to see the Fairfax County school district, for a map of the entire area covered by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS):
Click for the Fairfax County Map of High School Boundaries
- Click to access the Fairfax County Map (with UP-TO-DATE high school boundaries)
Access the Fairfax County Map of School Boundaries (a.k.a the Affordability Map) to see the location of each of the most UP-TO-DATE boundaries within Fairfax County and to choose your ideal boundary.
When you access the Fairfax County Map of School Boundaries, you will find:
- UP-TO-DATE High School boundaries
- School scores for elementary, middle and high schools in each boundary
- Photos and videos
- Highlights of the area covered by each boundary
- Transportation options
- Statistics about housing
If you haven’t subscribed yet, why wait?
- The FREE No-Tears Guide to Moving to Fairfax, VA
Downloading The No-Tears Guide to Moving to Fairfax, VA is free, and you’ll get access to our unique home-search (by school boundary).
Plus, you get the Fairfax County Real Estate Affordability Map, AND access to detailed information about each Fairfax County School boundary.
* TJHSST – Learn more about how to get into Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
** SOL passing rates are the Standards of Learning Tests which are administered by the Virginia Department of Education. The results of the tests are published as a percentage of students who passed the tests each year.
Image by RDECOM on Flickr
Everybody is welcome to find a home by school boundary. A school boundary
is simply a geographical area, just like a zip code or a postal city.
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