MSA Science Results -- SMCPS Exceeds State Average

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Created on Thursday, 02 September 2010 09:29

Linda Dudderar, Chief Academic Officer, 301-475-5511, ext. 108
LEONARDTOWN, MD - St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) exceeded the state average in the recently released 2009-2010 science portion of the Maryland State Assessment (MSA). SMCPS’ fifth grade students rank seventh in the state among the 24 counties. SMCPS’ eighth grade students are ninth in the state.

Achievement continued to increase for students, with some notable increases in the percentage of students achieving at the advanced levels, reflective of the STEM-for-All focus across SMCPS:

• At grade 5, 78.9% proficient/advanced (an increase of 5.6%), with a 5.5% increase in advanced scores.
• At grade 8, 78.4% proficient/advanced (an increase of 1.9%), with a 5% increase in advanced scores.

Students in grades 5 and 8 take the Science MSA in the spring. The fifth grade test assesses science concepts from grades 3, 4, and 5; the eighth grade test measures concepts taught in grades 6, 7, and 8. Science MSA scores are not factored into Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculations.

These gains represent a concentrated and collaborative effort. As Claudia Wortman, supervisor of instruction for science said, “The exciting gains made on Science MSA this year are a result of a focus on inquiry approaches to learning science, skill development, and applications to the real world in STEM-for-All curriculum units. These significant gains are a reflection of the hard work of our teachers Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade.”  

“The continued success we have seen on this assessment can be directly attributed to the alignment of our instruction with the Science State Curriculum, rigorous expectations, and an inquiry approach to instruction,” stated Dr. Michael Martirano, superintendent of schools. “These results are further evidence that we have many outstanding teachers that support all students towards high levels of achievement. SMCPS continues to be a very high achieving school system as measured on yet another important state test. We are proud of our students and our staff.”

Detailed data regarding this assessment can be found on the Maryland Report card website http://www.mdreportcard.org.