Most schools achieve AYP

Officials pleased with MSA results

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Maryland State Department of Education released scores for the Maryland School Assessments, tests given to students in grades 3 through 8 in the areas of math and reading as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Students and school systems strive to achieve set standards on these tests, hoping to score proficient or better.

The tests measure adequate yearly progress, or AYP, which is defined on the Maryland School Report Card Web site as "the gain that schools, school systems and states must make each year in the proportion of students achieving proficiency in reading and math."

Calvert and Southern middle schools were the only county schools that did achieve adequate yearly progress.

Calvert Middle School did not make AYP in the areas of special education reading and math and in reading in the subcategory of students who are receiving free and reduced meals, while Southern Middle School did not make AYP in the area of special education math.

According to a press release from the Calvert County public school system, both schools "will receive additional support from the school system during the 2009-2010 school year to further identify and implement student interventions in specific areas of need."

The press release went on to say that because this is the first year the two schools failed to make AYP, no state action will be taken. If schools fail to meet AYP for two consecutive years, the state steps in to identify and address problems.

Jack Smith, superintendent of schools, remarked on this development in the press release saying, "As we get closer to 2014 when [the No Child Left Behind Act] requires that all students be proficient in reading and math, we will inevitably have more schools failing to make AYP."

Supervisor of Accountability and Instructional Support and Enhancement Cathy Page said that the additional support brought in to Calvert and Southern middle schools will include help with data analysis and instruction.

"When we're looking at MSA results our concern is always with the individual student," Page said, continuing, "… We're very pleased with the overall growth of the system and we were especially pleased to see the overall progress of our African-American students."

The African-American subgroup of which Page spoke rose from last year in proficiency in reading and math in both elementary and middle school levels.

Calvert schools have been successful over the years with overall scores often being among the top in the state and leading among Charles and St. Mary's counties.

According to the press release, in Calvert County approximately 93 percent of elementary students are proficient or advanced in reading and math. For middle school, 90 percent of students are proficient or advanced in reading and more than 83 percent are proficient or advanced in math.

The two schools that stood out this year for consistently rising scores in every single subject per grade level were Calvert Elementary School and Northern Middle School.

In 2008, no grade level at Calvert Elementary surpassed 90 percent in either reading or math, while this year, with the exception of fifth grade math, which scored 86.2 proficient, each grade level was more than 90 percent proficient in each subject.

Sunderland Elementary School fourth graders were also successful, rising from 99 percent proficient to 100 in both reading and math.

Mount Harmony Elementary School fourth and fifth graders, however, went back to 99 from last year's 100 percent proficiency in reading. On the other hand, Mount Harmony third graders jumped from 93.1 to 100 percent proficiency in math.

Barstow Elementary School, which opened last fall, had no record to surpass but scored more than 85 percent proficient in all six categories, with the school's highest score going to fifth graders who scored 92.7 percent in reading.

"While we are pleased with our MSA results, we know that what is really important is that each of our students achieve his or her potential. So, we will continue to focus intensely on meeting the needs of each child," Smith said in the press release. "By doing this, we know that the achievement gaps will continue to close and MSA scores will continue to rise."

lbuck@somdnews.com