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Maryland report card: Allegany County schools above state average; attendance cited as chief concern
Summary
District schools posted star ratings above the statewide share of 3+ stars; chief academic officer said attendance—particularly chronic absences—is the primary driver of lower achievement and the recent drop in graduation rate.
Dr. Caldwell, the district—s chief academic officer, briefed the board on the Maryland report card star ratings during the Jan. 14 meeting and highlighted areas of strength and ongoing concern across Allegany County schools.
Caldwell said the Maryland school report card is a snapshot of school performance and that 87% of Allegany County schools earned 3 or more stars, compared with 83% statewide. She noted 10 district schools earned 4 stars; four elementary schools moved from 3 to 4 stars, and one elementary school achieved the highest possible points for growth (12.5 points in both ELA and math).
When asked by board members about priorities, Dr. Caldwell identified attendance as the most critical area of concern. "Attendance is chief overall, what we need to improve on and what our families need to improve on," she said, describing research that shows student absences have more than doubled since the COVID pandemic. Caldwell described two measures used in state reporting: chronic truancy (missing 10% of the school year) and habitual truancy (missing 20% of the school year), and she warned that even missing two to three days per month has a cumulative negative effect on achievement.
Caldwell also connected attendance to the district—s recent drop in graduation rates, which a board member flagged as a 5.49% decrease. She said some students who accumulated 10 consecutive absences were withdrawn from district enrollment and not accessing education services, which the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) asked the district to review for withdrawal determinations; those withdrawals contributed to the reported decrease in the graduation rate.
Board members said they will follow up with Caldwell and central office staff for additional data on lower-performing feeder patterns and the graduation-rate decline. Dr. Caldwell offered to share the Maryland report card user guide and the district—s school improvement plans, which staff are reviewing with school-based teams.
