The Maryland State Department of Education Releases Latest School Accountability Report Card

92% of Montgomery County Public Schools Score 3 or Higher on State Star Rating/
Schools Receiving 5 Stars Rise by 43%

March 10, 2023

Dear Parents and Guardians,

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.

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.

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.

Although the Maryland Report Card provides important information, its view of the progress of our more than 160,000 students is limited. School improvement is inherently a local responsibility. We know our students best, how they are impacted, who is thriving and who needs more support.

MCPS, for example, uses 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.

Montgomery County Public Schools

Visit the MCPS Maryland Report Card Information website

*Primary schools serving only grades prekindergarten through 2 were not awarded a Star rating.*

*Report Card available in Chinese, English, French, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese at https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/.