State Board Of Education To Study New School Rating System, But Changes Could Be Years Off

By William J. Ford, Maryland Matters

December 10, 2025

The Maryland State Board of Education is considering changes to its current school rating system, which critics say does not show student growth, but a rollout may not happen for another two years.

The board reviewed a report Tuesday from the Accountability Advisory Committee that recommends eliminating the current star system. School leaders have also said the system, which give schools from one to four stars, does not adequately describe the quality of a school and shortchanges schools with a large number of low-income students, which don’t earn as many stars as schools with students from higher-income families.

The discussion comes as the state’s annual report card, released last month, showed a third straight year of slight improvements, with 43% of schools earning four or five stars in the 2024-25 school year. That’s up from 41% in 2023-24.

“We’re taking a very deliberate approach on this,” school board President Joshua Michael said during a meeting Tuesday, who said a roll out of a new system may not happen until the 2027-28 school year.

Several recommendations were offered in the committee’s report that include rating schools with a common 1-4 scale that most states use, said Scott Marion, with the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment. An example of a chart shows indicator scores would be converted into performance levels.
A graphic shows an example of a rating system based on levels from one to four. (Photo courtesy of Maryland State Department of Education)
“Instead of you trying to figure out a student average, you could look and say, ‘Oh, one [student’s] a level three. One’s a level two,” Marion said. “Whenever you draw a line, somebody’s just over the line and somebody’s just below the line, but it does help in communication.”

Another recommendation is to show student achievement in the lower-performing schools to be called an “opportunity measure,” which would evaluate students who received the lowest test scores one year but showed growth in the following year.

“If you incentivize this in certain ways, schools will get points for it,” Marion said.

Several board members accentuated that point.

“I would always think about two things: What is the performance of the system itself versus the performance of the student in that system?” Board member James C. Bell Jr. said. “Being able to address both of those things at the same time I think will make a great accountability system.”

Another recommendation is to create a standing advisory committee to address ongoing implementation and continuous improvement decisions. Board member Xiomara Medina said stakeholders such as those from student services and special education would be a part of that committee.

Paul Lemle, president of the Maryland State Education Association, said the state should switch from the star system to the “descriptive model” used in Massachusetts. He said that model reduces stigma and supports targeted interventions aligned with continuous improvement.

“The current star system lends itself to oversimplification and indeed weaponization, perpetuating segregation and disinvestment in our communities,” Lemle said to the board. “These labels distort public perception and they place pressure on schools to focus on boosting ratings rather than meeting student needs.”

A final report is expected to be presented next month.

No school on MLK Day

The board unanimously voted to reject requests from Garrett and Queen Anne’s counties to have their public school students attend classes on Jan. 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a recognized state and federal holiday when schools and government offices are closed.

Paul Lemle, president of the Maryland State Education Association, speaks before the state Board of Education on Tuesday. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)

The superintendents from those two counties made the request after their schools were closed due to inclement weather, on Dec. 2 in Garrett County and Dec. 5 in Queen Anne’s.

According to letters from both jurisdictions, 2025-26 school year calendars were approved earlier this year for two other make-up weather days on Feb. 16 (Presidents Day) and April 6.

“This provides an opportunity to recover instructional time prior to state assessments and national assessments, such as AP exams. This day will be beneficial for our students and teachers,” Garrett County Superintendent Brenda E. McCartney wrote in a Dec. 2 letter.

Teresa Dantzler, the state Department of Education’s ombudsman, said the last time Maryland students went to school on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was during the 2011-12 school year.

“So, this would be the first time in over 10 years that students in Maryland would attend school on Martin Luther King Day? I have great concern with that,” Michael said.

Board Vice President Monica Goldson, a former CEO of Prince George’s County Public Schools, said make-up days usually begin in February. She said the state board did approve a waiver to let Queen Anne’s County schools remain open on Presidents Day this year, after schools closed there due to inclement weather.

“I’m trying to put my former superintendent’s hat on and not cut them off at the knees,” she said. “I just think it was extremely too early to begin to start to take days away and then to set a precedent that has not been done in more than 10 years.”

The board also voted to invite local school leaders who want to request and schedule make-up days during this school year to attend the board’s Jan. 27 meeting.

The board also directed Superintendent Carey Wright to inform local superintendents that the state board’s “strong preference” is not schedule any make-up days for this school year and beyond on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.