Howard County test scores: 10 top schools in a year of slow growth

Howard County Public School System test scores held steady this year, surpassing statewide proficiency rates but showing little growth.

Results for the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, known as MCAP, were released this week for the 2025–26 school year. The annual assessments test students statewide in grades 3-8, and some high schoolers, in English, math and science.

Among Howard County students, 65.9% who took the English language arts exam were considered proficient, compared to 51.7% statewide.

On the math exam, 42.1% of Howard students received a proficient score, compared to the state’s result of 27.1%.

The science test, taken by fifth and eighth graders, saw strong scores from Howard students. In fifth grade, 47.9% of students earned a proficient score, compared to 32.4% of their peers statewide. Forty-four percent of Howard’s eighth graders were considered proficient on the their science exam, compared to 30.9% statewide.

Still, the proficiency rates were largely flat compared to the 2024-25 school year, rising less than 1 percentage in both subjects. The slow growth mirrors stagnation across the state.

Howard County Schools Superintendent Bill Barnes said in a statement that the school system is working to better support student groups who are still behind, including students learning English, Black and Hispanic students and students with disabilities.

“While the majority of our student population performs well, we know we still have opportunities to close persistent achievement gaps and become a great school system for every student,” Barnes said.

Check out which schools scored highest in the county on the math and English exams.

10 top-performing schools in math

Bushy Park and Rockburn elementary schools were bumped out of this year’s top 10 schools with the highest math proficiency rates. Bushy Park’s rate fell 10.5 percentage points from last year, while Rockburn’s dipped a little over 3 points.

Pointers Run Elementary took over the top spot from Triadelphia Ridge Elementary.

Clarksville and Manor Woods elementary schools joined the top ranks, surpassing last year’s proficiency rates by 3.3 percentage points each.

1. Pointers Run Elementary, 80.3%
2. Triadelphia Ridge Elementary, 74.3%
3. Worthington Elementary, 74.3%
4. Clarksville Middle, 72.8%
5. Folly Quarter Middle, 72.2%
6. Mount View Middle, 72%
7. Clarksville Elementary 71.3%
8. Waverly Elementary, 70.9%
9. West Friendship Elementary 70.6%
10. Manor Woods Elementary, 70.1%

10 top-performing schools in English language arts

River Hill High School unseated Glenelg High School for the top spot on the English exam, increasing its proficiency rate by 5.2 percentage points.

Howard High, Folly Quarter Middle and Triadelphia Ridge Elementary replaced West Friendship Elementary, Clarksville Middle and Burleigh Manor Middle in the top 10.

Howard High, for example, increased its proficiency rate by over 4 percentage points.

1. River Hill High, 93.3%
2. Glenelg High, 90%
3. Marriotts Ridge High, 89.5%
4. Folly Quarter Middle, 85.6%
5. Worthington Elementary, 85.2%
6. Centennial High, 84.2%
7. Mount View Middle, 83.9%
8. Lime Kiln Middle, 83.7%
9. Howard High, 82.4%
10. Triadelphia Ridge Elementary, 81.9%