Md. Schools Show Gains On Test Scores

Schools that fail to make adequate progress can be put on watch lists and, if they lag repeatedly, must offer students extra tutoring and a chance to enroll in a better public school. Schools can face further state sanctions if test scores don't improve.

State officials said all 24 school systems showed gains, with certain groups of black and Hispanic students making faster progress as they seek to catch up to their white and Asian American peers.

For example, 64 percent of African American third-graders scored at proficient or better in math, up from 47 percent in 2003. In third-grade reading, 63 percent of Hispanic students reached or exceeded proficiency, up from 39 percent in 2003.

"That's pretty stunning," Grasmick said.

What's more, scores showed that some historic achievement gaps are narrowing. In 2003, 79 percent of non-Hispanic white third-graders scored at proficient or better in math; this year, 87 percent did.

Black students are now 23 percentage points behind non-Hispanic white students, after being 32 points behind two years ago.

A comparable narrowing occurred with Hispanic third-graders in reading, as the gap with non-Hispanic white students shrank to 22 percentage points from 33 points.

In third, fifth and eighth grades -- the only ones with data available from 2003 through 2005 -- there was no instance in which blacks and Hispanics statewide fell appreciably further behind non-Hispanic white students in reading or math. However, the data showed that racial and ethnic achievement gaps appeared to be widest and most unyielding in the eighth grade.

State officials also reported that low-income students and disabled students who qualify for special education had achieved higher test scores.

Across Maryland, school systems touted improved test scores after days of analyzing the numbers privately. The public got to see the scores for the first time about noon yesterday on a state Web site, http://www.mdreportcard.org/ .

In Anne Arundel County, the percentage of third-, fifth- and eighth-graders achieving advanced levels in math more than doubled in two years. And more students were reaching proficiency.

"There are 2,000 more students who are proficient in math this year than there were last year. Those are real kids," said Jonathan Brice, who oversees the Anne Arundel school assessment.

In Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's counties, schools reported broad gains. "I think the key is data-driven decision-making in the classroom, constantly analyzing where the child is in the learning process . . . and having fidelity to the curriculum," said Lorraine Fulton, interim superintendent in St. Mary's.

In Montgomery, four out of five elementary school children scored at least proficient in reading and math, with fourth-graders making the greatest strides while sixth-graders slipped a bit in reading. In Howard, at least 80 percent of test-takers scored proficient or better in reading in every grade, and at least 60 percent did so in math, with scores rising by double digits for some grades.

Howard Superintendent Sydney L. Cousin called the results "nothing short of remarkable."

Staff writers Daniel de Vise, V. Dion Haynes, Rosalind S. Helderman, Ann E. Marimow, Ylan Q. Mui, Joshua Partlow and Nancy Trejos contributed to this report.