GCPS reports modest year‑over‑year gains on state assessments; AP participation and scores rise
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Summary
Garrett County Public Schools reported a 50.6% overall ELA proficiency rate (up from 50.1%) and noted increases in several grade bands; AP participation rose by about 70 exams with multiple 100% success rates.
District leaders presented 2024 state assessment results and advanced placement (AP) outcomes at the Sept. 9 board meeting, reporting modest gains in several grade bands and an increase in AP participation and success.
District staff said Garrett County’s overall English language arts (ELA) proficiency rate across tested grades is 50.6%, a slight rise from 50.1% the prior year; that level places the district near the state average and around 13th among Maryland districts, according to the presentation. Presenters noted the state’s three‑year trend shows small increases in proficiency statewide.
Presenters highlighted other notable changes: a substantial year‑over‑year increase in eighth‑grade math proficiency (reported as rising from 16.4% to 37.24% in the district’s slide) and continued district strength in science at grades 5 and 8. The district attributed some math shifts to course sequence changes at the secondary level and to targeted instruction ensuring eighth graders covered Math 8 standards.
AP results also improved: the district reported roughly 70 additional AP exam administrations compared with the previous year and said five exams had a 100% pass rate. Presenters said only two students who took AP courses last year opted not to sit for the corresponding AP exam; the district pays exam fees for students, a factor presenters said helps maintain high exam participation.
District leaders cautioned the state will move to a new statewide assessment next year and noted ongoing revisions to ELA and math standards; ELA changes were described by staff as modest while math revisions are more substantial. The district said it plans continued focus on standards‑aligned instruction, expanded math professional learning and use of intervention platforms (Panorama) to support tiered interventions.
Board members asked about comparability of state tests across states and the district noted that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the primary instrument for apples‑to‑apples interstate comparisons. No formal board action was taken on assessment policy at the Sept. 9 meeting.
