ANNAPOLIS–The Maryland State Department of Education released its annual schools report card on Tuesday, showing small improvements including 43% of schools earning a four or five-star rating.
That’s a gain of 2% from last year. Also, the percentage of schools earning three or more stars reached 86%, compared to 83% during the 2023-24 school year.
The star ratings are based on indicators such as academic achievement, English language proficiency, school quality and student success. High schools are also scored on graduation rates. Each school earns a star rating based on the percentage of points earned across indicators.
Chronic absenteeism dropped 2% since last year. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of school days during the year. During the 2022-23 school year, data indicated a statewide chronic absenteeism rate of 30%. After that data was released, the MSDE set a goal of reducing absenteeism by 15% over three years. The 2024-25 data reported an average chronic absenteeism rate of 25%.
This is the sixth year the MDSE has released the report card. In 2024, Carey M. Wright, state superintendent of schools, announced the formation of an Assessment and Accountability Task Force. The task force set out to reassess the report card system in order to increase transparency and clarity. The group consists of 30 education stakeholders who hope to implement a new system by the 2026-27 school year.
“While we remain focused on refining our accountability system to better support schools and students, this progress demonstrates that educators and district leaders are deeply engaged in the work of school improvement,” said Joshua L. Michael, state board of education president, in a press release.