MSDE released the Maryland Report Card for the 2024–25 school year on Nov. 5, reporting modest statewide improvement with persistent subgroup disparities.

Jeff Sanderson (MSDE accountability) told the state board that 43% of Maryland schools earned four or five stars in the latest ratings, up from 41% the prior year, and that 83% earned at least three stars. Middle schools produced the largest share of upward movement: several moved from two‑star to three‑star ratings and a portion moved into four stars. Sanderson cautioned that while many schools showed stability, around 15% increased by one star and roughly 9.5% decreased.

Disaggregated data reveal continuing gaps: median points earned for white students were substantially higher than for African American and Hispanic students (66% vs. 53% median points). By service group, median points were 58% overall, 47% for multilingual learners, 51% for economically disadvantaged students and 42% for students with disabilities.

Sanderson and board members said the ratings system will be reviewed further by the Maryland accountability advisory committee to better align measures of school quality and growth with state priorities and to ensure the system differentiates schools needing support. Board members and staff discussed how to reward growth, the role of chronic absenteeism (which declined and helped some schools gain points), and whether metrics for "access to well‑rounded curriculum" differentiate effectively.

Ending: The report card and underlying data are posted online for public review; MSDE will return with advisory‑committee recommendations on refinements to the accountability system.