The Maryland State Department of Education today [Thursday, August 21] acknowledged that a third school -- Summit Hall Elementary School -- should have been identified by the state earlier this week as having passed all of the categories necessary for annual yearly progress as a federally-funded Title I school.

The error was confirmed this morning after Montgomery County Public Schools staff reviewed individual data received yesterday and found that the elementary school had met all of the 16 criteria -- passing rates for all race and ethnic groups and other subgroups, including special education students. Earlier in the week, the school had been identified by the state as not having achieved a passing grade for special education students.

The change means that three schools -- Broad Acres, Burnt Mills, and now Summit Hall -- achieved passing rates in all of the required categories, based on the results of the 2003 Maryland School Assessments taken last spring, and are poised next year to come off the list of Title I schools identified for improvement if they continue to progress.

In addition, there are now just six of the remaining seven Title I schools on the state's improvement list that passed 15 of the 16 assessment areas assigned to each school. The seventh school passed 12 of the 16 assessments. The standards were not met almost exclusively among small groups of students with limited English proficiency or disabilities. These schools will be required to provide supplemental services for at least two more years.