MCPS Grade 3 English Language Arts (ELA) Proficiency – Test Score Data By School Over Time

Executive Summary

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) requires standardized tests to measure proficiency in ELA. Data for MCPS Grade 3 ELA scores in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were analyzed to answer 3 questions:

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

An average of 49.1% MCPS students demonstrated proficiency between 2018 and 2019, with 50.5% demonstrating proficiency in 2019. However, there was a large decrease in 2021 with only 36.3% of students achieving proficiency. The average decrease in proficiency was 12.8% The 14 elementary schools with the largest decreases were spread throughout 9 clusters. Notably, 11 schools showed increases in proficiency in 2021.

Grade 3 ELA is typically taken by all students.

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. 2018-2019: Excel format 2018-2019 data download
  3. 2018-2019: searchable format by individual school 2018-2019 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.

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Results and Conclusions

Percent Proficiency of Students by Year

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

Table 1. Percent proficient students in Grade 3 ELA 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 (n/a).

2018

The average proficiency in Grade 3 ELA throughout MCPS elementary schools (127 schools) was 47.6%.  

  • 15 schools (12%) had 75 to 100% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 45 schools (35%) had 50 to 75% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 52 schools (41%) had 25 to 50% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 15 schools (12%) had fewer than 25% of students demonstrating proficiency.

1 school (0.8%) reported over 90% proficiency (Cold Spring). 9 schools (7%) reported under 20% proficiency (Gaithersburg, Georgian Forest, JoAnn Leleck at Broad Acres, Kemp Mill, Oak View, Stedwick, Twinbrook, Weller Road, Whetstone).

2019

The average proficiency in Grade 3 ELA throughout MCPS elementary schools (128 schools) was 50.5%.

  • 16 schools (13%) had 75 to 100% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 51 schools (40%) had 50 to 75% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 47 schools (37%) had 25 to 50% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 14 schools (11%) had fewer than 25% of students demonstrating proficiency.

1 school (0.8%) reported over 90% proficiency (Seven Locks). 6 schools (5%) reported less than or equal to 20% proficiency (Arcola, Clopper Mill, Harmony Hills, Rock View, Rolling Terrace, Twinbrook).

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2021

The average proficiency in Grade 3 ELA throughout MCPS elementary schools (129 schools) was 36.3%.

  • 3 schools (2%) had 75 to 100% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 32 schools (25%) had 50 to 75% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 57 schools (44%) had 25 to 50% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 37 schools (29%) had fewer than 25% of students demonstrating proficiency.

0 schools (0%) reported over 90% proficiency; 1 school (0.8%) had over 80% proficiency (Westbrook).   28 schools (22%) reported less than or equal to 20% proficiency; 6 schools (5%) had less than 10% proficiency (Arcola, Captain James E Daly, Gaithersburg, JoAnn Leleck at Broad Acres, Kemp Mill, Weller Road).

Changes in Percent Proficiency by Year

2018 to 2019

Average proficiency at each school was calculated for 2018 to 2019.

Table 2. Average percent proficient students in Grade 3 ELA between 2018 and 2019. 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 (n/a).

128 MCPS elementary schools showed an average proficiency rate of 49.1% in Grade 3 ELA between 2018 and 2019.

  • 11 schools (9%) had at least 75% of students demonstrating proficiency.
  • 47 schools (37%) had between 50 and 75% proficiency.
  • 54 schools (42%) had between 25 and 50% proficiency.
  • 16 schools (13%) had fewer than 25% of students demonstrating proficiency.

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2018 to 2021

The average proficiency between 2018 and 2019 was compared with 2021 rates. The decrease in the percent proficiency from the average in 2018-2019 to 2021 was calculated for each school.

Table 3. Change in percent proficiency in Grade 3 ELA between the average of 2018-2019 and 2021. Orange indicates a decrease between 25 and <50%.  Yellow indicates a decrease between 0 and <25%. Green indicates an increase up to 15%. Gray indicates n/a due to newer schools opening after 2018. Bel Pre, Montgomery Knolls, New Hampshire Estates, Roscoe Nix, Rosemary Hills, Takoma Park Elementary Schools have only grades K-2 and are not included.

There was a 12.8% average decrease across the 128 schools in 2021.

  •  14 schools (11%) had decreases between 25 and 50%
  •  103 schools (80%) had decreases between 0 and 25%.
  •  11 schools (9%) had increases between >0 and 15%.

Proficiency by Cluster

The decrease in proficiency between the average of 2018-2019 and 2021 was analyzed by high school cluster.

Table 4.  Change in percent proficiency in Grade 3 ELA between the average of 2018-2019 and 2021 by high school cluster. Orange indicates a decrease between 25 and <50%. Yellow indicates a decrease of between 0 and <25% in proficient students. Green indicates an increase up to 15%. Gray indicates n/a. Cluster and receiver school designations were found on the MCPS website, Schools at a Glance.
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The 14 elementary schools with the largest decreases in proficiency (25% and greater) include the following high school clusters (note that some schools feed to multiple high schools):

  • 1 Churchill
  • 3 Clarksburg
  • 2 Damascus
  • 1 DCC
  • 1 Magruder
  • 3 NEC
  • 1 Northwest
  • 1 Quince Orchard
  • 3 Seneca Valley

This represents 9 of the 19 clusters (47%). 

The 11 elementary schools with increases in proficiency include the following high school clusters:

  • 1 B-CC
  • 1 Damascus
  • 1 DCC
  • 3 Richard Montgomery
  • 1 Rockville
  • 2 Wootton
  • 1 Whitman
  • 1 Watkins Mill

This represents 8 of the 19 clusters (42%).

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See the rest of our series on MCPS Test Score Data:

MCPS Test Score Data (Through 2021) Compilation & Analysis

See the rest of our candidate responses:

Moderately MOCO 2022 Candidate Questionnaire Responses
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