PRESS RELEASE

 

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON

Tuesday, July 15, 2008, at Noon

 

Ms. Linda Dudderar, Chief Academic Officer, 301-475-5511, ext. 108

 

smcps experiences Another Year of Significant MSA Gains

“Double Digit Gains in Math at the Middle School Level”

 

Leonardtown, MD -- For a third consecutive year, St. Mary’s County Public Schools’ (SMCPS) students made significant gains on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA). The results of the 2008 MSA, released by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), confirm that SMCPS students are experiencing academic success.

 

“The MSA trend data from 2005-2008 validates our instructional approach,” said Dr. Michael J. Martirano , superintendent of schools. We can attribute these gains to many school system initiatives implemented to enhance achievement for all students. These test scores are testimony to the hard work on the part of our students, the support of our parents and the outstanding work of our entire staff.”

 

SMCPS continues to exceed the state averages in both reading and mathematics for all grade and content levels.

 

MSA Mathematics Proficient/Advanced Percentages 2007-2008
Mathematics	2007-2008 Maryland	2007-2008 SMCPS
Grade 3	82.0	87.5
Grade 4	88.0	91.9
Grade 5	80.0	86.0
Grade 6	76.0	83.1
Grade 7	68.0	76.9
Grade 8	62.0	70.8

 

 

   

 

 

The MSA exams are given to third through eighth grade students in reading and mathematics. The data is used to meet the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. Under NCLB goals, all students must score at proficient levels on state tests by 2014.

 

The elimination of the achievement gap continues to be one of the major priorities for the school district as outlined in the Superintendent’s Fifteen Point Plan of Priorities. “Although academic gaps remain between our student groups, I am pleased to state that we are continuing to make significant progress in our efforts toward the elimination of achievement gaps between student groups. We have narrowed the gap by double digits for some of our tested grades. We narrowed the gap in 10 of the 12 tested categories in grades 3-8 between our White and African American student groups while improving overall student achievement for both student groups,” said Dr. Martirano. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Student improvement on the MSA can be attributed to many efforts in the school system,” said Ms. Linda Dudderar , chief academic officer. “None of this would be possible without focus, top notch leaders, and the outstanding highly qualified workforce in our school system. The implementation of the Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) with fidelity is proving to be very successful. The implementation of full-day kindergarten has improved school readiness by enabling all children to benefit from early learning experiences. The utilization of the data warehouse and our quarterly benchmark and formative assessment data are providing immediate instructional feedback for our students, teachers and principals. The renewed focus on targeted professional development is providing the training we need for our teachers and principals to better meet the differing needs of our children. Our cultural proficiency work has allowed us to focus on the achievement gap and on children who need additional support.”

 

 “We are pleased to report that the overall number of students moving from proficient to advanced has improved. We have also made significant gains in all tested areas at the middle school level and we have made double digit gains in math for both seventh and eighth grades,” stated Dr. Martirano. “Our scores at grades 3, 4, and 5 are all in the 80’s and 90’s as far as the percentage of students who have performed at the proficient and/or advanced levels and this builds a solid foundation for students’ success for many years to come. Although we are continuing to make significant progress, we have more work to do and challenges to confront.”