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Overview
Forward Thinking

Quote...Unquote Honors - School System Honors - Blue Ribbon Schools - Individual School Honors - Teacher and Staff Honors - Student Honors Alumni Achievements Flash Lights 2006 Annual Report – Forward Thinking

The students in Baltimore County’s classrooms today are tomorrow’s citizens, workers, innovators, and leaders, and they will work and live in a global, technological society.

To prepare its students with 21st century skills, Baltimore County Public Schools has increased academic rigor for all students. As a result, Baltimore County Schools is achieving what all school systems strive for -- consistent progress in raising student achievement.

Supporting this success is the school system’s Blueprint for Progress. This foundational document unites staff and stakeholders with common beliefs, priorities, and goals. Lifting the schools higher from that foundation are the intensity of focus and quality of effort demonstrated by teachers, students, administrators, staff members, parents, volunteers, Board members, and supporters. Their dedication, intelligence, skill, consistency, and creativity are reflected in every rising test score and every recognition this school system receives.

Baltimore County’s diversity adds unique depth to classroom and school experiences. Baltimore County Public Schools provides students and staff with an array of opportunities for learning and growth. County schools range in size and settings – from suburban to rural. Neighborhood-based schools strengthen and unite communities. Magnet programs and smaller learning groups allow students and teachers to focus on areas of interest.

Since 1999, Baltimore County Public Schools has been engaged in the largest school renovation and major maintenance program in Baltimore County’s history, one that is bringing physical improvements to nearly every school.

The school system also continues to garner national and international recognition for its excellence in the fine arts and its use of technology to support and enhance teaching and learning.

Recent major honors

Academics

• Recognized by Education Week for having the fourth highest graduation rate among the nation’s largest school districts.
• Recognized by the Schott Foundation for having a higher graduation rate for African American males than any other large school district in the nation.
• 10 schools named National No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools, by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Recognized by the American Music Conference as being one of the “Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America” in 2004, 2006, and 2007.
• 10 high schools (40% of all BCPS high schools) named among the top five percent of high schools in the nation by Newsweek magazine; two of these schools also recognized as among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report.
• 13 schools awarded Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence.
• BCPS teachers honored, during 2007-2008 school year, as elementary and high school Teachers of the Year by the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics and as elementary, middle, and high school Teachers of the Year by The Maryland Art Education Association.
• Studio arts program at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology named the best in the world (for a school of its size), by College Board.

Technology

• Outstanding Leadership Award from the International Society for Technology in Education, an international honor
• ET3 Technology to Empower Community (TEC) Champion Leadership Award, a national honor
• MICCA 2005 Outstanding Technology Leader in Education Award, a statewide honor

Management

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2007 Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Excellence Award – one of only three school districts in the nation to receive this honor.
• The Achievement of Excellence in Procurement award from the National Purchasing Institute.
• The Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials International.
• Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International.
• The Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
• The Government Finance Officers Association’s Award of Financial Reporting Achievement
• Governor’s Citations presented to five schools for their superior maintenance

By the numbers

• $1,511,872,369 combined revenue and expenditures budget for FY 2008
• 104,714 students
• 3rd largest school system in Maryland
• 25th largest school system in the nation (based on fall 2004 enrollment)
• 171 schools, centers, and programs (including 103 elementary schools, 27 middle schools, 24 high schools, 11 centers, 4 special education schools, and 2 programs)
• 17,000 employees, including 8,850 classroom teachers
• More than 24,000 volunteers
• Nearly 15.7 million square feet of building space
• 15 million miles logged each year transporting students
• 11.3 million nutritious meals served in schools annually
• More than 7,400 graduates each year
• Nearly 63% of high school graduates go on to higher education

Student Achievement Highlights (from 2006 – 2007 results)

• Notable increases in student performance have been achieved on the Maryland School Assessments (MSA). Elementary reading and mathematics MSA scores have risen for the past five years.
  
  
• The percentage of diploma-bound students achieving proficient/advanced on the MSA in reading during the 2006-2007 school year continued to exceed the percentage proficient/advanced from 2002-2003. At both the elementary and middle school levels, all student subgroups have evidenced improvement on MSA reading from 2002-2003 to 2006-2007.
  
  
• The percentage of diploma-bound students achieving proficient/advanced on the MSA in mathematics in grades 3-8 during the 2006-2007 school year continued to exceed the percentage proficient/advanced from 2002-2003. At both the elementary and middle school levels, all student subgroups have evidenced improvement on the MSA mathematics from 2002-2003 to 2006-2007.
  
  
• A high percentage of students taking the Alt-MSA continued to score in the proficient or advanced category in both reading and mathematics. In reading, 91.2% of students taking the Alt-MSA scored in the proficient or advanced category in 2006-2007, and 91.8% scored in the proficient or advanced category in mathematics in 2006-2007. These percentages remained well above the state standard of 70.0%.
  
  
• The percentage of students passing the Algebra High School Assessment (HSA) by the end of ninth grade increased from 56.8% in 2002-2003 to 69.4% in 2006-2007, an increase of 12.6 percentage points. All student groups evidenced improvement in their performance, with the exception of the special education group, which stayed the same.
  
  
• AP test participation has continued to increase from a baseline of 8.6% in 2002-2003 to 11.5% in 2006-2007. During this period of dramatic increase in participation, pass rates have remained above the global pass rate of 60% and near the BCPS pass rate goal of 70%. The systemwide pass rate for 2006-2007 was 68.7%. Determined efforts to support improvement in the AP participation and pass rate will continue.
  
  
• The rate of student participation in the SAT test has risen for the past five years. For the class of 2007, 70.8% of BCPS high schools met or exceeded the national SAT participation rate, as compared with 47.8% for the class of 2003, an increase of 23.0 percentage points. SAT data for 2005-2006 indicated an increase in the percent of high schools that met or exceeded the national SAT combined average of 1021. Overall, SAT combined scores decreased slightly as participation increased (a national trend); however, SAT combined scores increased for some student groups such as White and special education students.
  
  
• The rate of English Language Learners scoring in the proficient or advanced category on MSA reading improved 31.8 percentage points from 25.4% in 2002-2003 to 57.2% in 2006-2007. This includes students who have been receiving ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) services for one to three years.
  
  
• The percentage of highly qualified teachers increased from 90.4% in 2002-2003 to 95.2% in 2006-2007. The percentage of highly qualified paraprofessionals has more than doubled from 45.1% in 2002-2003 to 92.3% in 2006-2007. The percentage of highly qualified middle school mathematics teachers rose from 31.9% in 2002-2003 to 94.4% in 2006-2007. The percentage of newly-hired highly qualified teachers in Title I schools was 71.6% in 2002-2003 and increased to 97.0% in 2006-2007.
  
  
• The BCPS standard of providing one computer per five students was exceeded in 2006-2007, with a student to computer ratio of 3.3 to 1.