Schools Receiving 5 Stars Rise by 43%

On Thursday, March 9, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released its accountability report card—the Maryland Report Card—for every school in the state of Maryland, designed to measure the success of schools and identify areas for improvement. The Maryland Report Card was last released in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MCPS STAR Ratings for 2022

The Maryland Report Card is designed to measure school success in several ways, including:

• State assessments in English language arts and math

• Postsecondary readiness

• Progress of English learners in achieving English language proficiency

• Graduation rate

• Maryland school survey

• Chronic absenteeism

• Students with access to and earning credit for a well-rounded curriculum

Based on these performance indicators, the state gave each school a percentile rank, a total earned points percentage and a Star rating on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Although the Maryland Report Card uses multiple indicators in several categories, academic achievement and growth for students are, however, measured solely on one data point, the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics assessments. 

MCPS Equity Accountability Model

MCPS developed the Equity Accountability Model, which provides a more detailed and focused report of school success. The Equity Accountability Model uses multiple and frequent measures of students’ progress to determine if a school is meeting the needs of all students with a special emphasis on reducing and eliminating disparities in student achievement. 

The MCPS strategy for student success is multi-faceted and designed to meet the needs of all students. We remain committed to ensuring our graduates are ready to be successful in college, career, community and life.