MCPS Middle School Geometry Testing 2024 Updates

Executive Summary

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) requires standardized tests to measure proficiency in math. Previous reports on www.moderatelymoco.com were updated to include new 2024 data for Middle School Geometry.

With the MSDE reports out now, we’ll be continuing to update previous reports and also putting out some new information.

The following questions were studied:

  1. What are the geometry proficiencies in each MCPS middle school by year (2017-2024)?
  2. Has geometry proficiency improved since the lowest levels in 2021?
  3. Has geometry proficiency improved since last year, 2023?
  4. Has geometry proficiency improved to reach the highest levels in 2018?
  5. How does MCPS compare to the other Maryland school districts?

In summary, MCPS proficiency across all middle schools in 2024 was 48.4%. Proficiency at individual schools ranged from 8.1% to >95%.  Almost all middle schools showed improvement in proficiency in 2024 compared to 2021 (38 of 40, or 95%, of schools). 25 of the 40 schools (63%) showed improvement in proficiency in 2024 as compared to 2023. 1 of the 40 schools (3%) reached their previous 2018 proficiency level in 2024. MCPS ranked second in Maryland, behind Howard County public schools, for geometry proficiency in 2024.

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. 2021-2024: Excel format 2021-2024 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.

Calendar years indicate the second half of the school year in MDSE data.  For example, the 2024 report is for the 2023-2024 school year.

Geometry proficiency in each MCPS middle school by year (2017-2024)

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

Table 1. Percent proficient students in Middle School Geometry 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). Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle is named Odessa Shannon Middle in 2022.

48.4% of MCPS middle school students tested (and 56.7% of all MCPS students tested) were proficient in geometry in 2024. 

8 schools (in green) had at least 75% proficiency. 6 schools (in red) had below 25% proficiency.

Geometry proficiency in each MCPS middle school in 2024

The percent of students with scores in the proficient range were compared by individual school in 2024.

Table 2. Percent proficient students in Middle School Geometry by school in 2024. Percent of proficient students is indicated by green (75 to 100%), yellow (50 to <75%), orange (25 to <50%), and red (0 to <25%). Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle is named Odessa Shannon Middle in 2022.

Proficiency ranged from 8.1% of students to >95% of students at each school. The top 4 schools in Geometry proficiency in 2024 were Thomas W. Pyle, Robert Frost, Cabin John, and Kingsview. They reached over 80% proficiency.

The 4 schools with the lowest proficiency rates in 2024 were White Oak, Benjamin Banneker, Forest Oak, and A. Mario Loiederman. They were below 15% proficiency.

Geometry Proficiency in 2024 vs 2021

The percent of proficient students at each school in 2024 vs 2021 was compared. 2021 was selected because MCPS middle schools had the lowest proficiency in 2021 (22.7%). This could be expected due to the school closures during the 2020-2021 school year.

Table 3. Change in Average Proficiency between 2021 and 2024 by School. The difference between the percent of proficient students in 2024 vs 2021 was calculated. Increased proficiency in 2024 is highlighted in green, no change is highlighted in yellow, decreased proficiency in 2024 is highlighted in red.

Almost all schools showed increased proficiency in 2024 as compared to 2021. Sligo had the biggest change of 60.2 (75% of students proficient in 2024 vs 14.8% in 2021). White Oak was unchanged, (8.1% of students proficient in both 2024 and 2021). Roberto W. Clemente was the only school that had decreased proficiency (32.1% of students proficient in 2024 vs 45.2% in 2021).

Geometry Proficiency in 2024 vs 2023

The percent of proficient students at each school in 2024 vs 2023 was compared. 2023 was selected to determine improvement in schools over the past year.

Table 4. Change in Average Proficiency between 2023 and 2024 by School. The difference between the percent of proficient students in 2024 vs 2023 was calculated. Increased proficiency in 2023 is highlighted in green and decreased proficiency in 2023 is highlighted in red.

The MCPS middle school average proficiency showed improvement in 2024 as compared to 2023 (increase of 3.8% proficiency). 25 of MCPS middle schools (63%) showed improvement, while 15 of 40 (37%) had decreases in proficiency. The largest increase was at Sligo (75% in 2024 vs 17.5% proficiency in 2023).  The largest decrease was at Newport Mill (32.1% in 2024 vs 63.2% in 2023).

Geometry Proficiency in 2024 vs 2018

The percent of proficient students at each school in 2024 vs 2018 was compared. 2018 was selected because it was the year with the highest geometry proficiency in MCPS (85.4% middle schools; 91.2% all schools).  Additionally, 30 of the 36 schools reporting data (83%) had proficiency of at least 75%.

Table 5. Change in Average Proficiency between 2018 and 2024 by School. The difference between the percent of proficient students in 2024 vs 2018 was calculated. No change in proficiency is highlighted in green, Differences >0 and <25 are highlighted in yellow; differences between 25 and <50 are highlighted in orange, and differences >50 are highlighted in red.

Thomas W. Pyle is the first MCPS middle school to regain its proficiency level of 2018.  Two schools are approaching the 2018 levels with differences between 2024 and 2018 student proficiency percentages under 10 (Eastern with 79.6% proficiency in 2024 vs 85.1% in 2018; Silver Spring International with 69.1% in 2018 vs 62% in 2024).

Shady Grove, Roberto W. Clemente, and Briggs Chaney have made slower progress with differences of over 60% of proficient students remaining. Shady Grove had 93.8% proficiency in 2018 vs 28.6% proficiency in 2024; Roberto W. Clemente had 95% proficiency in 2018 vs 32.1% proficiency in 2024; and Briggs Chaney had 78% proficiency in 2018 vs 15.3% in 2024.

Geometry Proficiency in MCPS vs Maryland School Districts

MCPS proficiency for Geometry was compared to other public school districts in Maryland for 2024.

Table 6. Geometry Proficiency by School District in 2024.

All Maryland schools had an average of 21.9% proficiency. The top 3 districts were Howard (71.6%), Montgomery (56.7%), and Caroline (43.0%).  Three districts had proficiency below 5% (Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Talbot), as did the SEED schools. Cecil, Charles, and Somerset schools had an * in the state data.

Straightforward comparison is difficult because districts vary in reporting middle school and high school students taking Geometry.

Table 7. Geometry Proficiency Data Reported by District in 2024. Data reporting for middle school, high school, or both middle and high school for each district is shown.

A direct comparison of districts reporting geometry proficiency of only middle school students shows Howard County first (71.6%), Montgomery County second (56.7%), and Baltimore City third (32.8%).

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