Prince George’s school test scores hold steady — and so do achievement gaps

Prince George’s County Public Schools are holding steady in English and math achievement, according to standardized test scores released Tuesday. But county schools are still among the bottom five statewide in English language arts, and significant racial disparities persist.

The results come from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, an annual standardized test in English, math and science given to students in grades three through eight, as well as some high schoolers.

Here are some takeaways from this year’s scores.

Scores stagnated countywide

Countywide performance in math and English remained stagnant year-over-year.

PGCPS’ English proficiency rate rose less than one percentage point to 38.9%. That rate trails the state’s, at 51.7%, and places the district in the bottom five Maryland school districts alongside Wicomico (41.5%), Dorchester (37.5%), Somerset (34%), and Baltimore City (32.9%).

Math scores in the county also increased slightly, from 13.1% proficiency to 13.7%. That’s still well below the statewide 27.1% proficiency rate.

Science scores lag behind state averages, too

Prince George’s County students’ fall below the statewide average on standardized science tests, which are only given to fifth and eighth graders.

In fifth grade, 19.6% of students tested proficient, compared to the state’s 32.4% proficiency rate. In eighth grade, Prince George’s students’ 16.2% falls well below the statewide average of 30.9%.

A charter school made the biggest improvements

English language arts scores at Imagine Foundations at Morningside Public Charter School saw the biggest improvement in the county. Its proficiency rates jumped from 30.3% to 53.2%.

Imagine Foundations at Leeland Public Charter School saw the biggest improvement in math, tripling its proficiency rates from 10.7% to 32.5%.

Two schools were among the best performing in the state

Glenarden Woods Elementary earned a spot in the top five statewide on the English test, with a proficiency rate at least 95%; the school’s math scores ranked sixth at 83%.

Heather Hills Elementary in Bowie landed in the top 15 in English at 91.7% and ranked 12th in math with 80.8%.

Racial disparities persist

Hispanic and Latino students across all grades recorded an English proficiency rate of 29.1%, below that of their white (59.5%), Asian (52.8%) and Black peers (44.3%).

In math, Hispanic and Latino students across all grades had a proficiency rate of 9.8%, compared to white (34.1%), Asian (14.4%) and Black students (44.3%).

10 top-performing schools in English

1. Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC: ≥ 95.0%
2. Heather Hills Elementary: 91.7%
3. Glenarden Woods Elementary: 91.1%
4. Dora Kennedy French Immersion: 77.5%
5. Robert Goddard Montessori: 76.4%
6. Thomas G. Pullen: 68.7%
7. Yorktown Elementary: 68.2%
8. Capitol Heights Elementary: 68.1%
9. Phyllis E. Williams Elementary: 67.1%
10. Eleanor Roosevelt High: 66.3%

10 top-performing schools in math

1. Glenarden Woods Elementary: 83.0%
2. Heather Hills Elementary: 80.8%
3. Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC: 61.5%
4. Robert Goddard Montessori: 48.2%
5. Dora Kennedy French Immersion: 46.7%
6. Capitol Heights Elementary: 46.5%
7. Longfields Elementary: 43.6%
8. Whitehall Elementary: 39.8%
9. Yorktown Elementary: 35.9%
10. Thomas G. Pullen: 33.1%

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