Prince George’s County results
Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) posted slight gains in mathematics while holding steady in reading on the 2012 Maryland School Assessment (MSA).
The scores, released Tuesday by the Maryland State Department of Education, show that increased focus on teacher training, academic interventions and course rigor are making a difference in student achievement.
“These results indicate that we are continuing to move in the right direction,” said Dr. William R. Hite, Superintendent of Schools. “Our investments in increasing early reading skills will pay off down the line, just as our work to improve math performance is paying off now. We are maintaining our progress in reading scores for student subgroups while making slight gains in math.”
“Though we are pleased with our progress, we know that much work remains to boost student achievement throughout Prince George’s County Public Schools,” said Verjeana M. Jacobs, Board of Education Chair. “We will continue to work with teachers, administrators and the community in giving all students the best opportunities for bright futures.”
For most grade levels, MSA performance on both tests generally improved from 2011 to 2012. Math scores increased at every grade level except for a small dip in fourth grade. Reading scores improved for fourth through sixth grades, and fell slightly for third, seventh and eighth grades.
For more information visit the Prince George’s County Public Schools website.
Changes on the Horizon
Maryland’s much praised assessment program is undergoing a transition period. The end of the NCLB-era School Improvement process was the first of several changes Maryland schools and students will be experiencing in the coming years.
Maryland’s State Curriculum is being updated through the State’s involvement in the Common Core State Standards program. Maryland joined 44 other states and the District of Columbia in developing rigorous new standards in reading/English language arts and mathematics designed to better prepare students for careers and college. Nearly 7,000 teachers from across the State this summer are taking part in the second series of Educator Effectiveness Academies, funded through Maryland’s Race to the Top grant, designed to build understanding of the new curriculum. The three-day Academies will be held again next summer, and the curriculum will be fully implemented in State classrooms in the 2013-14 school year.
Following implementation of the Common Core State Standards, Maryland will introduce a new testing program currently under development by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Maryland is a governing board member of the 24-state consortium putting together the new tests in reading/English language arts and mathematics. Those tests will be rolled out in the 2014-15 school year.
More Results on the Way
Scheduled for release in the coming months are the 2012 MSA science scores at the elementary and middle school levels, High School Assessment (HSA) scores, graduation rates, and attendance figures. High school and system-wide information will be available when the HSA scores are released.
Statewide, system, and local school MSA data can be found on the Maryland State Department of Education’s updated report card website, www.mdreportcard.org.
