Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) was named a "gold medal" school system for the fifth consecutive year by Expansion Management magazine as a measure of the attractiveness of the school system to the business community.

MCPS was recognized for offering companies considering expansion or relocation among the best educational services nationally, including well prepared high school graduates and excellent schools for employees to enroll their children.

Superintendent Jerry D. Weast called the award a reflection of the school system's commitment to prepare students for the world of work in a highly technological society. "Even as we strive to raise achievement levels for all students and close the gap in student performance by race and ethnicity, it is well to remember that Montgomery County has an excellent school system providing some of the finest educational opportunities in the nation," he said.

MCPS and Howard County Public Schools were the only school systems in Maryland to earn the gold medal designation this year. In the Washington metro area, school systems in Fairfax and Manassas counties were also gold medalists.

The 153 gold medal districts nationally constitute the high scorers on a three-part "education quotient" that includes the Graduate Outcome Index (graduates' scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and graduation rates); the Resource Index (including per pupil expenditure, student-teacher ratios, and teacher salaries); and the Community Index (socio-economic factors such as level of education and family income).

The annual Expansion Management review gathers data from approximately 1,500 school districts around the nation, representing communities with populations of at least 25,000.