The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) today released new student performance data for the Maryland Report Card. The state report card features information about school accountability measures including student performance, academic growth, school quality, student attendance and school climate. Data included is from the 2022-2023 school year. The Report Card is an overview of student performance across Maryland, and includes performance results statewide, by county and by school. Every Maryland public school receives an overall percentage score measuring its performance with the state’s accountability system. These scores demonstrate how a school is doing in comparison with others in the same county, as well as others across Maryland. The Report Card includes a star rating for schools featuring a scale of one star to five stars, with schools earning a five or a four among the top overall for performance across Maryland. A school’s star rating is based on its overall percentage assigned through the state accountability system. Data released today for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) indicates 29 Charles County schools earned three or more stars, with five schools receiving four stars and 25 schools receiving three stars. No CCPS school earned the lowest rating of one star. A breakdown of star ratings across Maryland is posted on the MSDE Report Card website at https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/. Individual report cards for CCPS schools will be posted to school websites this week. A general guide to understanding school report cards is posted on the CCPS website here. School star ratings this year include three changes from 2022. New this year is the addition of Grade 8 social studies Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) data in the academic growth measure of middle schools. Additionally, the elementary and middle school academic growth measure and the measure of chronic absenteeism at all school levels returned to pre-pandemic methods of calculation. MSDE reports that more than 75% of schools across Maryland earned a star rating of three or higher, with a noticeable trend in a decrease in the number of schools receiving five stars. Additionally, 363 Maryland schools dropped one star level from last year’s reporting cycle. In a presentation to the Maryland State Board of Education last week, MSDE staff noted that there was a statewide increase in English language arts and math performance among students. Staff also shared, however, that several schools now have a lower star rating because the attendance metrics returned to pre-pandemic review, but attendance across Maryland has not returned to pre-Covid numbers. Superintendent of Schools Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D., said CCPS will continue its work to ensure students are making academic gains, have the necessary resources to learn and be successful, and come to school each day, excited to learn. “The Maryland Report Card outlines areas of improvement for the school system around student performance and academic growth, but also our need to address student attendance. Since the pandemic, CCPS has targeted individualized student needs – both academic and personal – and offered additional support and resources to ensure students are making academic gains. We will continue our efforts to ensure students are coming to school each day, are ready to learn and feel supported to be successful,” Navarro said. CCPS systemwide attendance data has already improved from last school year to now. For the 2022-2023 school year, the attendance average for the first quarter was 86.3%. As of Dec. 12, the systemwide attendance average for the current school year is 90%. The data was pulled from the first day of school through December. Schools earn a star rating based on the percentage of points earned across a series of indicators. For elementary and middle schools, the indicators are academic achievement, academic progress, progress in achieving English language proficiency, and school quality and student success. For high schools, the indicators are academic achievement, graduation rate, progress in achieving English language proficiency, readiness for postsecondary success, and school quality and student success. Some of the efforts in place by CCPS to target academic progress include use of i-Ready assessment data in math and reading to target individualized student instruction and the expansion of summer learning programs. CCPS also continues to provide extended learning opportunities for students throughout the school year such as reading and math interventions and targeted support in the classroom. New this school year for middle school students are math and literacy labs built into the student schedule. These labs provide students with additional teacher support. CCPS middle and high schools also provide extended learning opportunities, tutoring and both grade and credit recovery. To encourage consistent attendance for students, schools have rewards programs for students who attend each day. CCPS also has a leveled parent/family communication plan administrators and staff follow when students begin to accumulate absences. “To be successful, students need to be in school. Regular attendance is vital to a student learning and growing academically, socially and personally. Administrators and teachers will continue to support and educate students on the importance of attending school. We also need parents to continue to partner with us to ensure their child is coming to school each day,” Navarro said. Star ratings were not issued for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. The U.S. Department of Education granted a one-year waiver to Maryland for the 2021-2022 school year due to the pandemic, which included adjustments to the student progress/growth and chronic absenteeism measures. According to Maryland Interim State Superintendent Carey Wright, Ed.D., the new Report Card includes baseline data for schools across the state.