The 2001 results of the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) for the Montgomery County Public Schools display great variation and inconsistencies among elementary and middle schools, with the districtwide results down by 4.4 points from last year.

The range of individual school scores included a nearly 30-point difference between the elementary schools with the largest gain and the largest decline. A difference of nearly 18 points separated the middle school results.

Similar inconsistencies occurred statewide, with 20 of the 24 school districts experiencing a decline from the previous year. Overall, the state declined by 1.6 points.

Montgomery County principals and community superintendents have been asked by Dr. Jerry D. Weast, superintendent of schools, to continue reviewing individual school data to detect any factors that may help explain the wide fluctuation. They were asked to review historical data, identify patterns, if any, and not to draw conclusions based on one year’s results.

“Although we will continue to explore the reasons for the inconsistencies among our schools, we recognize that our teachers and principals have done an excellent job in focusing greater attention and commitment to academic performance,” said Reginald M. Felton, president of the Board of Education, in a letter to community leaders and elected officials. “We want them to know that their efforts, in fact, have made a difference in the education of our students.”


Note: The first link below provides a complete report of the MCPS data, including individual school results, as a PDF file. In addition, comparative school system and individual school data can be viewed on the Internet at the second link.