African American and Hispanic Students Achieve Substantial Gains; Significant Gains Also Noted for Students with Disabilities, Limited English Proficiency, and Receiving Meal Assistance

Nearly All Middle School Algebra Test Takers (97 Percent) Passed Exam

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) achieved the highest-ever passing rates on three Maryland High School Assessments (HSAs) last spring—boosted significantly by continued improvement among African American and Hispanic students, who reached an all-time highest passing rate of about 60 percent or greater in Algebra, Biology, and Government.

The systemwide improvements also reflect substantial gains made by students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, and students participating in the Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMS). Each group reached the highest performance levels ever on all three tests—as the school system continues working to narrow the achievement gap by race and ethnicity and special services, while also raising standards and expectations for all students. In fact, all groups of students achieved the highest-ever passing rates on all three tests, with Asian American and White students scoring passing rates of 89 percent or better on each exam.

“We’re pleased with the progress students have made on the HSAs this year, especially among African American and Hispanic students who posted their highest scores ever,” said Dr. Jerry D. Weast, superintendent of schools. “Middle school Algebra students performed exceptionally well, with nearly every student passing the test. We have more students than ever before taking Algebra in the eighth grade, which puts them on track for more advanced math courses in high school.”

Data released by the Maryland State Department of Education today show that MCPS outperformed statewide scores by approximately 10 percentage points on average among the three tests. Seventy-nine percent of students passed the Algebra test, compared with 67 percent statewide. Seventy-eight percent of MCPS students passed the Biology test, compared with 68 percent statewide. Similarly, 81 percent of MCPS students passed the Government HSA, compared with 74 percent for the state.

At the individual school level, the most impressive results were for middle schools in Algebra, in which nearly every middle school student who took the test passed it (97 percent, or nearly 5,800 students). Passing rates in Algebra were no lower than 84 percent among middle schools, with seven middle schools achieving a passing rate of 100 percent, underscoring the continued progress in the school system’s efforts to improve the rigor of the middle school program.

Significant gains by African American and Hispanic students contributed to a major jump of 11 percentage points overall in Algebra scores this year—with an increase in the passing rate to 60 percent for African American students and 63 percent for Hispanic students (an increase of more than 34 percent for both groups, compared with the year before).

Scores for African American and Hispanic students on the Biology HSA also improved substantially, with an increase of 13 percentage points for each group compared with the year before. Government scores were up approximately 7 percentage points for Hispanic students and 6.5 percentage points for African American students.

The improved performance by African American and Hispanic students on the HSAs, and Algebra in particular, reflects continued progress in narrowing the achievement gap. Nonetheless, there remains a gap of approximately 30 percentage points in Algebra scores when compared with passing rates of Asian American and White students (91 percent). Still, this year’s results for African American students increased from 43 percent passing last year to 60 percent this year. Similarly, the passing rate for Hispanic students increased from 47 percent last year to 63 percent.

The improved passing rates for special education students in Algebra (46 percent) were substantially above the performance the year before, in which only 29 percent passed. A similar pattern of improvement occurred among students with limited English proficiency and students participating in FARMS, not only in Algebra, but also in Biology and Government. Nonetheless, the passing rates are far below the performance levels achieved by all other groups of students and reflect a central focus area for the school system’s ongoing academic reforms.

Notwithstanding the continued progress in students passing the exams, efforts also are under way to help students who must retake the exams in order to qualify for graduation. Students entering Grade 9 last year comprise the first class in which passing scores are required for the assessments.