Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) elementary and middle school students continue to show improvement on the reading and mathematics Maryland School Assessment (MSA), according to data released today by the Maryland State Department of Education. In elementary schools, 86.7 percent of students scored proficient or advanced on the reading MSA and 85.4 percent on the mathematics test. In middle schools, 82.9 percent of students scored proficient or advanced on the reading MSA and 80.6 percent on the mathematics test.
The scores continue the steady progress made over the past nine years. Composite elementary reading scores have increased 22.2 points since 2003 when the test first started. Elementary mathematics proficiency has increased by 20.2 points. Composite middle school reading scores are up 16.7 points since 2003, and mathematics has risen 34.5 points.
The MSA scores released today are the first reported under Maryland’s recently granted flexibility regarding the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Under NCLB, all students must be scoring at proficient levels by 2014, and progress toward that goal was measured statewide by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Under Maryland’s new “School Progress” plan, each school is measured against its own targets, and must work to increase academic achievement across all subgroups. The annual measurable objective (AMO) is the performance target that assesses the progress of student subgroups, schools, school systems and the state annually, according to MSDE. The annual measurement requires that the non-proficient students will be reduced by 50 percent in reading/language arts and mathematics by the end of the school year in 2016-17.
“The change in the measurement maintains high accountability for students, staff and schools. It focuses on academic achievement and growth to determine if a school is meeting its goals. There is still a focus on the success of all students and monitoring of each subgroup of students and their achievement, but it removes the one size fits all requirement used by AYP. This allows schools to work to focus its improvement plans to include instructional interventions with any subgroup of students not meeting goals,” said Superintendent James E. Richmond.
Maryland’s State Curriculum is being updated through the State’s involvement in the Common Core State Standards program. Maryland joined 44 other states and the District of Columbia in developing rigorous new standards in reading/English language arts and mathematics designed to better prepare students for careers and college. Charles County Public Schools is implementing the Common Core standards beginning this school year.
“I am pleased to see continued steady growth in the achievement of our students, and the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in the coming school year will continue to raise the standard of academic excellence and rigor for all students,” Richmond said.
