ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland State Department of Education has released its first School Report Card since the 2018-2019 academic year.
Coming off the pandemic, results appear to show a mixed bag of positives and negatives.
The good news is more than 75 percent of public schools in the state earned a rating of 3, 4, or 5 stars.
Schools are rated from a low of one star to a high of five stars.
At the elementary and middle school levels, star ratings are based on the percentage of total points accrued in the following four categories: Academic Achievement, Academic Progress, Progress Toward English Language Proficiency, and School Quality and Student Success.
High School star ratings are assessed by those same categories, as well as graduation rate.
Compared to the last time ratings were calculated, 63 percent of schools maintained the same number of stars, while 11 percent of school saw their score increase.
Over a quarter of schools however finished with a lower rating than before.
It should be noted these latest results reflect a one-year adjustment approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
The adjusted target goals and scoring was granted due to the pandemic. The changes impacted how growth was measured in English language Arts and Mathematics proficiency for elementary and middle schools. Normal point deductions for chronic absenteeism was also adjusted.
All school districts across the state have at least one school with a 4 or 5 star rating, although more than half of them also have schools with a 1 or 2 star rated school.
In Anne Arundel County 28 of 116 rated schools earned five stars, up five from the 2019 report card. Overall, 95 percent of Anne Arundel Public Schools earned 3 stars or higher.
Out of 149 Baltimore City Schools that were graded, only one scored 5 stars which equates to less than one percent. Ten earned four stars, while 26 others received three.
Baltimore County Public Schools saw their graduation rate dip 1.7 percentage points from the previous year. The current County graduation rate is 1.8 percentage points below the state average of 86.3 percent.
To read the full report card, click here.
