Maryland's New Accountability System
The latest federal legislation about school accountability is the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed into law in 2015. Under ESSA, each state is required to submit a plan detailing how the law will be implemented, including how it will hold schools accountable for student performance. Some parts of the accountability system are required by law--for example, all high schools, nationwide, are accountable for their graduation rate. The law also allows states to choose components of the accountability system that are important to its students and stakeholders.
The State Board of Education and the Maryland State Department of Education developed this new accountability system, which was approved by the U.S. Department of Education in early 2018.
What Does Maryland's Accountability System Measure?
The Maryland accountability system includes multiple ways to describe student and school performance. The major components of the accountability system are called “indicators.” The indicators are:
Elementary and Middle Schools:
Academic Achievement, Academic Progress, Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency, and School Quality and Student Success
High Schools: Academic Achievement, Graduation Rate, Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency, Readiness for Postsecondary Success, and School Quality and Student Success
How Is Information Reported?
Each school’s results on the Maryland accountability system are compiled and reported on the Maryland Report Card website.
The following documents provide more information about school-level report cards for each level:
For additional information, visit the Maryland State Department of Education’s Report Card website, MDReportCard.org.