The 2023-2024 MCAP results reflect consistent performance by MCPS students, with improvements in eight out of 14 assessments compared to the previous year. 

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students once again outperformed state averages on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), particularly in elementary and middle school English Language Arts and Literacy (ELA/L) and Math. MCAP assessments measure student proficiency in academic standards and complex skills like critical thinking, persuasive writing and problem-solving. 

The Maryland State Department of Education released the results of the 2023-2024 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) for English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA/L) and Mathematics (Math). These results were presented to the State Board of Education on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 and provide insights into the performance of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students compared to the previous year. 

Key Findings:

Elementary School: MCPS students continue to improve in ELA/L and Math, with proficiency rates slightly fluctuating compared to the previous year.  

• ELA/L Grades 3-5: MCPS students outperformed their peers statewide. Specifically, 54.9% of Grade 3 students were proficient, a decrease of 2.7 percentage points from 2022-2023. For Grade 4 and 5 students, proficiency rates were 55.9% and 52.0%, representing a decrease of 1.7 points and an increase of 1.5 points, respectively.
• Math Grades 3-5: Similarly, MCPS students surpassed state averages in Math. In Grade 3, 50.4% of students met proficiency, a decrease of 3.2 percentage points from last year. 43.1% of Grade 4 students and 40.8% of Grade 5 students were proficient, with the latter marking a 0.9-point increase.

Middle School: Middle school students showed modest improvements in both ELA/L and Math, with some grades experiencing more significant gains.

• ELA/L Grades 6-8: Proficiency rates in middle school ELA/L showed notable improvement in Grade 7, where proficiency increased by 1.2 percentage points. Grade 6 saw a 0.9-point increase, while Grade 8 remained steady.
• Math Grades 6-8: Middle school students demonstrated slight improvements in Math proficiency with increases in proficiency rates for Math 6 and Math 7 by 1.3 and 2.7 points, respectively and a decrease of 0.2 percentage points for Math 8.

High School: High school students demonstrated a significant increase in ELA/L proficiency, while Algebra 1 proficiency rates remained relatively stable.

• ELA/L 10: High school students showed a significant increase in ELA/L 10 proficiency, with 61% achieving proficiency, a 5.9-point increase from 2022-2023.
• Algebra 1: Proficiency rates for middle and high school students who took the Algebra 1 assessment were 42.5% and 5.4%, respectively, marking an increase of 4.5 and 0.9 percentage points from the previous year.

Performance Gaps and Student Demographics:

• Disparities: Proficiency rates among student demographic groups highlighted ongoing performance gaps and areas for focus, with Asian students consistently outperforming other groups.
• Students on the Cusp: A significant number of students were close to achieving proficiency, indicating potential for growth with targeted support, with Hispanic/Latino students achieving number and percentage of cusp students at 3.6–7.0%.

For more information or for media inquiries contact Liliana Lopez at Liliana_L_Lopez@mcpsmd.org.