August 28, 2018
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Office of Communications
301-952-6001
communications@pgcps.org
UPPER MARLBORO, MD – Today, the Maryland State Department of Education released results of the annual Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Results from the 2017-2018 school year show improvements in English Language Arts (ELA) for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) students and no significant changes in mathematics.
“PARCC scores are one of many sets of indicators we use to monitor student progress toward college and career readiness. We will continue to focus on supporting teachers and students, while engaging parents to prepare children for success after high school,” said Dr. Monica Goldson, Interim Chief Executive Officer.
On a five-point scale, the state recognizes third- through eighth-grade students achieving levels four and five as prepared for coursework at the next grade in English/Language Arts and mathematics, with the goal of preparing students to enter college or a career upon graduation. High school students taking Algebra I and English 10 are required to reach a certain proficiency level as a graduation requirement.
Overall, 28.1 percent of students in third through fifth grades who participated in the ELA assessments met or exceeded expectations, 2.2 percentage points higher than 2017. In sixth through eighth grades, 30.9 percent met or exceeded expectations, compared to 29.0 percent in 2017. Approximately one-fifth of students met or exceeded expectations on the math assessments in third through fifth grades, which is essentially unchanged from 2017. In sixth through eighth grades, 13.3 percent of students met or exceeded expectations in math, up slightly from 13.0 percent in 2017.
Nearly all elementary student demographic groups experienced growth in meeting or exceeding expectations on the ELA exam. Students with limited English proficiency achieved the highest growth rate compared with last year’s performance (4.5 percentage points). Students from multiracial backgrounds experienced the second-highest increase (3.8 percentage points). The percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations on the math exam was essentially unchanged from the previous year.
High school results improved in English 11 and Algebra II and dipped slightly in English 10 and Algebra I. More than one-quarter of the students who took the English 11 exam met or exceeded expectations in 2018, up from about one-fifth in 2017. Students meeting or exceeding standards on the Algebra II exam improved to 6.4 percent, an increase of 1.9 percentage points.
Complete PARCC results are available online at MdReportCard.org
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