Historic Marks for Pr. George's Schools

County Meets Md. Test Standards for First Time Since 2003

The Prince George's County school system made "significant progress" in the 2007-08 school year, the first time it has met Maryland academic standards since a new testing regimen began in 2003, state officials announced yesterday.

The county joined Baltimore City schools in taking the first step on the road to being removed from Maryland's list of school systems required to take "corrective action," a label that highlights districts that have struggled academically and need improvement. If Prince George's and Baltimore schools, the only systems on the list, meet state standards again this school year, they will be removed from it.

"We're very, very pleased," said Prince George's Superintendent John E. Deasy. "This is the first time in the county's history we've [met state standards], and it is obviously a huge affirmation that we are enhancing achievement and closing gaps in this county."

The county's test scores have risen steadily since 2003. That year, 44 percent of the county's students showed proficiency on a state exam in reading, and about 33 percent passed an exam in math. In fall 2006, soon after Deasy took office, the county was ordered to take corrective action.

By 2006-07, 65 percent of students were passing the reading test, and about 59 percent were passing in math. Comparable figures for 2007-08 are not available because the state has not included the most recent high school test data.

But composite passing rates for elementary and middle schools since 2003 have climbed 29 percentage points in reading, to 73 percent, and 33 percentage points in math, to 66 percent.

Deasy, who is leaving office at the end of this month for a job with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is receiving a parting reward for the academic progress. The school system issued a statement Thursday night saying that the county school board gave Deasy a strong performance rating in his annual evaluation, under his contract. He qualified for a $26,580 bonus out of a maximum of $35,000. His base salary is $273,000.

The board gave Deasy an overall score of 4.14 out of 5. Last year, he received a 4.46, a $16,666 bonus and a $23,000 raise.

Deasy said his strong suits in the evaluation were supporting students' academic achievement, giving them access to challenging courses and improving relations with the community. He said he needed to work on sharing information with the board and ensuring that the school system could afford in the long term the programs he had put in place.

Whether academic progress can be sustained in a severe economic downturn is dogging superintendents across the region. Deasy repeatedly has told county officials that reduced funding for education could harm classroom performance.

Yesterday the state also announced that six high schools and secondary programs in Montgomery and Prince George's counties are moving off the watch list because of improved test scores. The number of high schools on the watch list statewide has declined since 2005 from 71 to 45.

In Prince George's, Forestville, Friendly and Parkdale high schools left the watch list; in Montgomery, the Gateway to College Program, Longview School and Montgomery County Evening High School Centers also scored well enough on state tests to move off the list.

"I'm ecstatic," said Edward O. Ryans, Friendly High's principal. When he arrived in fall 2004, the percentage of students passing some state exams was in the single digits. During the most recent round of testing, 68 percent of students passed in reading, and 66 percent showed proficiency in math.

"We frame all of our actions, all of our programs, for the best interests of children," he said. "We have a culture of learning here that is contagious, and again we're just striving to get better."