Executive Summary

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) requires standardized tests to measure proficiency in ELA. Data for MCPS Grade 8 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 54.0% MCPS students demonstrated proficiencybetween 2018 and 2019, with 55.4% demonstrating proficiency in 2019. However, there was a large decrease in 2021 with only 42.0% of students achieving proficiency. The average decrease in proficiency was 12.0% The 5 middle schools with the largest decreases were spread throughout 4 clusters. 

Grade 8 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 testresults 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.

2018: The average proficiency in Grade 8 ELA throughout MCPS middle schools (39 schools) was 52.6%.

• 3 schools (8%) had 75 to 100% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 14 schools (36%) had 50 to 75% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 21 schools (54%) had 25 to 50% of students demonstrating proficiency.

• 1 school (3%) had fewer than 25% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

Thomas W. Pyle had the highest proficiency (80.6%). Montgomery Village had the lowest proficiency (18.3%).

2019: The average proficiency in Grade 8 ELA throughout MCPS middle schools (40 schools) was 55.4%. 

• 5 schools (13%) had 75 to 100% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 18 schools (45%) had 50 to 75% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 16 schools (40%) had 25 to 50% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 1 school (3%) had fewer than 25% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

Robert Frost had the highest proficiency (86.8%). Montgomery Village had the lowest proficiency (18.5%).

2021: The average proficiency in Grade 8 ELA throughout MCPS middle schools (40 schools) was 42.0%.

• 0 schools (0%) had 75 to 100% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 10 schools (25%) had 50 to 75% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 23 schools (58%) had 25 to 50% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 7 schools (18%) had fewer than 25% of students demonstrating proficiency.

Thomas W. Pyle had the highest proficiency (70.1%). White Oak had the lowest proficiency (19.9%).

Changes in Percent Proficiency by Year

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

40 MCPS middle schools showed an average proficiency rate of 54.0% in Grade 8 ELA between 2018 and 2019. 

• 4 schools (10%) had at least 75% of students demonstrating proficiency. 

• 17 schools (43%) had between 50 and 75% proficiency.

• 18 schools (45%) had between 25 and 50% proficiency.

• 1 school (3%) had fewer than 25% of students demonstrating proficiency.

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.

There was a 12.0% average decrease across the 40 schools.

• 2 schools (5%) had decreases between 25 and 50%

• 37 schools (93%) had decreases between 0 and 25%.  

• 1 school (3%) had increases between >0 and 5%.

. Rosa Parks had the largest decrease (30.3%). Montgomery Village had an increase of 2.6%.

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Proficiency by Cluster

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

The 5 middle schools with the largest decreases in proficiency (20% and greater) include the following high school clusters (note that some schools feed to multiple high schools):

• 1 Clarksburg

• 2 NEC

• 1 Poolesville

• 2 Sherwood

This represents 4 of the 19 clusters (21%).  

The 7 middle schools with the smallest decreases in proficiency (less than 5%) include the following high school clusters:

• 3 DCC

• 1 NEC

• 1 Northwest

• 1 Seneca Valley

• 1 Watkins Mill

This represents 5 of the 19 clusters (26%).