For the fourth year in a row, elementary and middle school students in Montgomery County raised their reading and math scores, the Maryland State Department of Education announced Tuesday.
On average, 74 percent of middle schoolers and 84 percent of elementary schoolers scored at the proficient or advanced level on the Maryland School Assessments, mandatory under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Compare that to about 71 percent and about 82 percent, respectively, last year.
“We’re very focused on providing high-level opportunities for kids to succeed,” said Kate Harrison, the county school system’s assistant director of public information, in explaining the reasons for the high marks. “And we found on every measure that our students are doing very well.”
Students in special programs, such as Limited English Proficiency services, showed progress on their MSA scores but they still are lagging behind students not in special programs.
Performance gaps also exist with black and Hispanic students, who hovered around 70 percent compared to about 90 percent for white and Asian students.
Harrison said there are plans in the works to add more learning opportunities for struggling students to catch up either after school or during the summer.
What’s Next
» Later this summer, Montgomery County will find out which of its schools made adequate yearly progress, as well as how its high-school students fare on their mandatory assessment tests.
