August 27, 2024 Staff and Community Update: BCPS Students Make Gains on 13 of 16 2024 English and Math State Assessment Data Points
Dear Team BCPS—
Data released today, August 27, by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) show that Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) students continue to make gains in performance on the English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics state assessments. MSDE released final data from the 2024 administration of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) in English Language Arts, mathematics, and science.
The MCAP provides critical information on the progress students and schools are making on state academic content standards as well as student progress toward graduation and career readiness. State assessments are just one of several important measures that BCPS uses to monitor student growth and achievement.
Highlights of BCPS Student Performance
- Student performance on the Algebra 1 assessment showed significant improvement from last year, growing from a 7.4 percent proficiency rate in 2023 to 15.1 percent in 2024.
- Students showed improvement on the ELA 10 assessment, with 47.5 percent of students scoring proficient or higher, up 4.9 percentage points from 2023.
- Students saw significant gains on the ELA 7 assessment, with 39.5 percent of students scoring proficient or higher, which is up 3.4 percentage points from 2023.
- Student performance on the ELA 4 assessment improved, with 47.2 percent of students scoring proficient or higher, which is a 2.8 percentage point increase from 2023.
- Students showed improvement on the ELA 5 assessment from last year, growing from a 38.9 percent proficiency rate in 2023 to 41.0 percent in 2024.
BCPS students also demonstrated small increases in proficiency rates on the following assessments—
- Mathematics 6: 15.0 percent proficiency rate, which is a 1.2 percent point increase from 2023
- Mathematics 4: 30.1 percent proficiency rate, a 0.9 percentage point increase from 2023
- English Language Arts (ELA) 8: 35.8 percent, a 0.6 percentage point increase from 2023
- Algebra 2: 22.2 percent proficiency rate, a 0.5 percentage point increase from 2023
These improvements are a testament to the unwavering dedication of our educators and administrators and the resilience and hard work of our students. And while we celebrate these gains, our results are also a stark reminder that far too many of our students are still not meeting proficiency levels, and we continue to have significant performance gaps compared to the state.
|
Assessment
|
BCPS 2023
Percent Proficient or Distinguished
|
BCPS 2024
Percent Proficient or Distinguished
|
MD 2024
Percent Proficient or Distinguished
|
|
Alg 1
|
7.4
|
15.1
|
20.0
|
|
Alg 2
|
21.7
|
22.2
|
24.0
|
|
ELA 3
|
43.9
|
43.7
|
46.5
|
|
ELA 4
|
44.4
|
47.2
|
49.3
|
|
ELA 5
|
38.9
|
41.0
|
44.2
|
|
ELA 6
|
38.1
|
37.4
|
47.9
|
|
ELA 7
|
36.1
|
39.5
|
48.6
|
|
ELA 8
|
35.2
|
35.8
|
46.2
|
|
ELA 10
|
42.6
|
47.5
|
55.3
|
|
Geo
|
13.7
|
13.1
|
21.9
|
|
Math 3
|
35.3
|
35.5
|
40.0
|
|
Math 4
|
29.2
|
30.1
|
32.8
|
|
Math 5
|
25.8
|
26.1
|
28.8
|
|
Math 6
|
13.8
|
15.0
|
19.8
|
|
Math 7
|
≤5.0
|
≤5.0
|
15.3
|
|
Math 8
|
≤5.0
|
≤5.0
|
7.0
|
Our students are making progress, and we are moving forward in the right direction. Student learning is our core purpose. We are holding ourselves accountable for getting results, doing the necessary work to address gaps in performance, and making certain that we meet the needs of all students and eliminate disparities in achievement. We are doing this work in a number of ways, including the continued implementation of our evidence-based English Language Arts and Illustrative Math curriculum, a new curriculum for multilingual learners, and robust professional development.
Over the summer, we provided 30 days of systemwide professional development and training for all staff. Principals and assistant principals received training on high leverage strategies for administrators to lead effectively and improve results. Nearly 5,500 teachers and paraprofessionals were trained in content and pedagogy. And with this systemic and strategic level-setting, we started this school year strong with educators who share common knowledge around clarity, high expectations, and routines. We are confident that this level of investment in training will have a positive impact on instruction, which will lead to greater student achievement.
With continued emphasis and investments in our four academic priority areas and ongoing assessments of learning, we are confident that we will see more significant rebounds in student performance in the coming years.
Regards.
Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.
Superintendent