MSDE Releases 2018-2019 School Report Cards

December 3rd, 2019

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) today released its 2018-2019 School Report Card, containing data about all schools in the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS).

Each School Report Card provides a snapshot of how a school is performing based on the ESSA indicators, which include academic achievement, rate of chronic absenteeism and access to a well-rounded curriculum. Other indicators include academic progress for elementary and middle schools, and college and career readiness indicators and 2017-18 graduation rates for high schools.

Additional indicators factored into the scores for the first time this year include student achievement on the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) and Maryland School Survey results. The school survey is completed by all teachers and students in grades 5-11 to collect information about relationships, engagement, the school environment and safety.

Each Maryland school received a star rating. Ratings for HCPSS comprehensive schools range from three to five stars, with 25 schools receiving five stars, 37 schools with four stars, and 12 schools with three stars. The decline for some schools mirror similar declines in school systems throughout Maryland, and reflect the addition of the new MISA and school survey indicators into the results.

HCPSS educators leverage the data provided in the reports to inform instruction and school improvement plans and identify supports needed to help students thrive in the classroom.

School reports are posted on the Maryland Report Card website, and MSDE provides a help guide for interpreting the results. Additional information on ESSA is provided on the HCPSS website.