Maryland shifts school ratings to 70% academic metrics

Maryland’s annual school ratings, known as the Maryland School Report Card, are scheduled for release Thursday morning. The system currently evaluates schools using standardized test scores, staff and student surveys, attendance data, and the breadth of class offerings. State education officials aim to alter this framework to better reflect school performance rather than demographic factors.

Josh Michael, president of the Maryland State Board of Education, stated that current ratings function largely as a proxy for family income. Schools serving higher-income families consistently receive higher ratings, while those with a majority of low-income students tend to score lower. Michael noted that if the state assigned stars based solely on family income, the results would closely mirror the current multi-factor ratings.

The legislature recently mandated an increase in academic factors, raising their weight from 65% to 70% of the total points available for star ratings. The state is also dropping the well-rounded curriculum metric after the U.S. Department of Education indicated the measure was no longer meaningful because nearly all schools met the goal. This factor previously awarded points for instruction in social studies, art, and music alongside core subjects.

A committee comprising county superintendents, teachers, administrators, and state school board members is reviewing the remaining measures. Scott Marion, a former executive director for the Center for Assessment advising the group, said the panel is determining which indicators are within a school's control and which are driven by socioeconomic status. The group is also evaluating a new opportunity measure that would track academic growth among students scoring in the bottom third of their grade.

Maryland School Superintendent Carey Wright has expressed a desire for a more transparent public reporting system. The committee is currently drafting methods to assess staff quality, including teacher attendance. Attendance metrics for students, specifically chronic absence defined as missing 10% of school days, are likely to remain in the system according to a staff report to the state school board.

The state school board plans to vote on these changes during the winter and spring months. If approved, the new rating system will be implemented by next fall, coinciding with the release of the next set of star ratings.

The current system includes academic achievement based on state math and English language arts tests, as well as academic progress measured by year-to-year test score improvement. The redesign seeks to reward schools for helping struggling students catch up to grade level, even if those students do not pass the state test.