MCPS Middle School Algebra 1 Proficiency – Test Score Data By School Over Time

Executive Summary

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) requires standardized tests to measure proficiency in math. Data for MCPS Middle School Algebra 1 scores in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 were analyzed to answer 3 questions:

  1. What is the percent of proficient students at each middle school by year?
  2. What is the change in the percent of proficient students at each middle school in 2021?
  3. Which clusters have the largest change in the percent of proficient students in 2021?

An average of 54.5% MCPS middle school students demonstrated proficiency between 2015 and 2019, with 47.3% demonstrating proficiency in 2019. However, there was a dramatic decrease in 2021 with only 13.8% of students achieving proficiency. The average decrease in proficiency was 40.7% The school attaining the highest proficiency in 2021 was Takoma Park Middle School (35.2%).  Herbert Hoover attained 31% proficiency, and no other school reached 30%.

Middle school Algebra 1 students are typically grade 7 honors students taking accelerated math courses and grade 8 students taking the expected on-grade level math courses. They are on a course path to take college level AP calculus and/or statistics in 11th and 12th grades.

Background and Source Data

The MSDE defines the test scores that are considered to indicate proficiency. The MSDE provides data for standardized test results for all Maryland public school districts. Data are presented by year, subject, school district, individual school, and demographic groups.

Sources for MSDE data are:

  1. 2021: Excel format  2021 data 
  2. 2017-2019: Excel format 2017-2019 data download
  3. 2017-2019: searchable format by individual school 2017-2019 searchable data

The MSDE data have a few considerations. Asterisks, <5%, or >95% are sometimes provided in the data. It appears this may be due to preserving anonymity of students in cases of small numbers. PARCC tests were administered from 2015 to 2019, but they appear to be referred to as MCAP in some of the MSDE data. No testing was done in 2020. A shortened version of the MCAP test that replaced PARCC was administered in Fall 2021.

Results and Conclusions

Proficiency in 2021 by School

The number of students and percent of proficient students by school were determined for 2021.

Table 1. Number and Percent of Proficient Students in Middle School Algebra 1 by School in 2021.

24 of 40 schools (60%) reported results. 16 of 40 schools (40%) indicated an * for the tested count, thus there were insufficient numbers of students to evaluate data.

Percent proficiency in the 24 schools reporting data ranged from the highest proficiency (35.2%) at Takoma Park Middle School to the lowest proficiency (5.1%) at Briggs Chaney Middle School. The average proficiency at the 24 schools is 13.8%.  The average proficiency is all MCPS (including high school) is 10.3%.

Maryland designates 3 levels of proficiency with Level 3 as the highest. Three schools had greater than 5% of students reaching Level 3 proficiency (Takoma Park with 11.6%, Herbert Hoover with 11.1%, and Robert Frost with 6.6%).

Percent Proficiency by School and Year

The percent of students with scores in the proficient range were compared by individual school and by year for 2015 to 2021.

Table 2. Percent proficient students in Middle School Algebra 1 by school and year. Percent of proficient students is indicated by green (75 to 100%), yellow (50 to <75%), orange (25 to <50%), red (0 to <25%), and gray (fewer that 5% tested/reported, *, or blank in state data).

2015

The average proficiency in Algebra 1 throughout MCPS middle schools (38 of 40 reported data) was 55.9%.

  • 10 schools (26%) had at least 75% of students reach proficiency.
  • 14 schools (37%) had 50 to 75% of student reach proficiency.
  • 7 schools (18%) had 25 to 50% of students reach proficiency.
  • 7 schools (18%) had fewer than 25% proficient students.

2016

The average proficiency in Algebra 1 throughout MCPS middle schools (38 of 40 reported data) was 63.0%.

  • 16 schools (42%) had at least 75% of students reach proficiency.
  • 12 schools (32%) had 50 to 75% of student reach proficiency.
  • 5 schools (13%) had 25 to 50% of students reach proficiency.
  • 5 schools (13%) had fewer than 25% proficient students.

2017

The average proficiency in Algebra 1 throughout MCPS middle schools (39 of 40 reported data) was 53.6%.

  • 10 schools (26%) had at least 75% of students reach proficiency.
  • 11 schools (28%) had 50 to 75% of student reach proficiency.
  • 11 schools (28%) had 25 to 50% of students reach proficiency.
  • 7 schools (18%) had fewer than 25% proficient students.

2018

The average proficiency in Algebra 1 throughout MCPS middle schools (40 of 40 reported data) was 52.8%.

  • 9 schools (23%) had at least 75% of students reach proficiency.
  • 9 schools (23%) had 50 to 75% of student reach proficiency.
  • 15 schools (38%) had 25 to 50% of students reach proficiency.
  • 7 schools (18%) had fewer than 25% proficient students.

2019

The average proficiency in Algebra 1 throughout MCPS middle schools (40 of 40 reported data) was 47.3%.

  • 7 schools (18%) had at least 75% of students reach proficiency.
  • 9 schools (23%) had 50 to 75% of student reach proficiency.
  • 16 schools (40%) had 25 to 50% of students reach proficiency.
  • 8 schools (20%) had fewer than 25% proficient students.

2021

The average proficiency in Algebra 1 throughout MCPS middle schools (24 of 40 reported data) was 13.8%.

  • 0 schools (0%) had at least 75% of students reach proficiency.
  • 0 schools (0%) had 50 to 75% of student reach proficiency.
  • 4 schools (17%) had 25 to 50% of students reach proficiency.
  • 20 schools (83%) had fewer than 25% proficient students.

Changes in Percent Proficiency by Year

2015 to 2019

Average proficiency in Algebra 1 at each school was calculated between 2015 to 2019. This is important because many schools showed large fluctuations between years, for example, Roberto Clemente had 83.7% proficiency in 2015 and 43.5% proficiency in 2018; Gaithersburg had 70.1% proficiency in 2016 compared to 21.3% in 2018; and William H. Farquhar had 82.1% proficiency in 2016 compared to 42.4% in 2017.

Table 3. Average percent proficient students in Middle School Algebra 1 between 2015 and 2019. Percent of proficient students is indicated by green (75 to 100%), yellow (50 to <75%), orange (25 to 50%), and red (0 to 25%).

The 40 MCPS middle schools showed an average proficiency rate of 54.5% in Algebra 1 between 2015 and 2019.

  • 9 schools (23%) had at least 75% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 13 schools (33%) had 50 to 75% proficiency.
  • 14 schools (35%) had 25 to 50% proficiency
  • 4 schools (10%) had 0 to 25% proficiency

2015 to 2021

The average proficiency between 2015 and 2019 was compared with 2021 proficiency. The decrease in the percent proficiency from the average in 2015-2019 to 2021 was calculated for each school.

Table 4. Change in percent proficiency in Middle School Algebra 1 between the average of 2015-2019 and 2021. N/a indicates schools lacking 2021 data.

All 24 schools reporting data showed large decreases in proficiency. There was a 40.7% average decrease in 2021. Decreases ranged from the best – 5.2% fewer proficient students at Neelsville Middle to the worst – 72.4% fewer proficient students at Rosa Parks Middle.

16 schools (67%) had decreases of at least 50% proficiency.

9 schools had an average of more than 75% proficiency from 2015 to 2019. Four of those schools had greater than 68% decreases in proficient students in 2021 (Rosa Parks, Silver Creek, Thomas W. Pyle, Cabin John).  Three of those schools had less than 56% decreases in proficient students in 2021 (Takoma Park, Robert Frost, North Bethesda).

Proficiency by Cluster

The decrease in proficiency between the average of 2015-2019 and 2021 was analyzed by high school cluster.

Table 5.  Change in percent proficiency in Middle School Algebra 1 between the average of 2015-2019 and 2021 by high school cluster. Cluster and receiver school designations were found on the MCPS website, Schools at a Glance.

The 24 schools reporting data in 2021 encompassed entire clusters (eg, Wootton, Quince Orchard, Seneca Valley) and partial clusters (eg, NEC, Watkins Mill). The 16 schools without reported data also encompassed full clusters (eg, Gaithersburg, Magruder) and partial clusters (eg, Sherwood, DCC).

The 10 schools with the largest decreases in proficiency in 2021 encompass 8 different clusters in different areas of Montgomery County.

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