MD Report Cards Released: See Best Schools By County

MARYLAND — Education officials on Tuesday released the 2024 Maryland School Report Card, which offers a comprehensive look at the performance of all schools and school districts in the state.

The most recent report card data compiled by the Maryland Department of Education shows school ratings improved for the 2023-24 academic year compared to the 2022-23. This year’s results also showed that 41 percent of schools earned the top two ratings of four or five stars, compared to 38 percent for the 2022-23 academic year.

Meanwhile, 83 percent of schools received three or more stars, up from 80 percent for 2022-23.

“We are encouraged to see growth and an increase in schools demonstrating four- and five-star ratings and the number on the Maryland Report Card indicating progress in school quality and student achievement in public schools,” State Board President Joshua Michael said in a statement.

He continued, “The board is committed to improving transparency and accountability through the Maryland Report Card to better answer the question, ‘How are our public schools doing?’”

According to the state, school star ratings are based on multiple indicators that also include non-academic measures. Schools earn between one and five stars based on the percentage of points earned across indicators.

Elementary and middle school are measured on academic achievement, academic progress, progress in achieving English language proficiency, and school quality and student success.

High school indicators are academic achievement, graduation rate, progress in achieving English language proficiency, readiness for postsecondary success, and school quality and student success.

For the second year in a row, Howard County schools have the highest average star rating in the Baltimore region, according to an analysis by The Baltimore Banner. Meanwhile, Baltimore County has the most schools with 5 stars.

Here are the schools in the Baltimore area that received 5-star ratings according to district:

Anne Arundel

• Elementary schools: Benfield, Arnold, Jones, Severna Park, Chesapeake, Crofton Woods, Folger McKinsey, Davidsonville, Hillsmere, Oak Hill, Shipley's Choice
• Middle schools: Chesapeake Science Point
• High schools: Chesapeake Science Point

Baltimore City

• Elementary schools: None
• Middle schools: None
• High schools: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute

Baltimore County

• Elementary schools: Rodgers Forge, Sparks, West Towson, Jacksonville, Pinewood, Fifth District, Timonium, Riderwood, Stoneleigh, Honeygo, Kingsville, Chapel Hill, Woodbridge, Cromwell Valley, Carroll Manor, Seventh District
• Middle schools: None
• High schools: Eastern Technical, Western School of Technology, George W. Carver Center, Hereford

Harford

• Elementary schools: Churchville, Norrisville, Bel Air, Jarrettsville, Emmorton, Youths Benefit
• Middle schools: None
• High schools: Harford Technical

Howard

• Elementary schools: West Friendship, Worthington, Waverly, Centennial Lane, Northfield, Fulton, Triadelphia Ridge, Dayton Oaks
• Middle schools: Folly Quarter, Clarksville, Mount View
• High schools: Marriotts Ridge

Montgomery

• Elementary schools: Seven Locks, Wayside, Bannockburn, Carderock Springs, Wood Acres, Travilah, Bradley Hills, Stone Mill, Beverly Farms, Cold Spring, Wilson Wims, Westbrook, Wyngate, Bells Mill, Belmont, Bethesda, Moncacy
• Middle schools: None
• High schools: Walt Whitman

Prince George's

• Elementary schools: Glenarden Woods, Heather Hills, Robbert Goddard Montessori
• Middle schools: Robbert Goddard Montessori
• High schools: Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC

See the full 2024 Maryland School Report Card and search for individual results by school on the Department of Education's website.

According to state officials, Maryland plans to implement a new assessment system by the 2026-27 school year that prioritizes clarity and coherence in reporting results, as well as helping schools and districts leverage results through comprehensive communications.

Recommendations made by a 30-member task force comprised of key Maryland education stakeholders include creating a single coherent system that meets federal requirements and reflects state priorities, as well as establishing common performance levels for indicators, such as a scale of one to four.

“Over the last five years, the Maryland School Report Card has provided insight into factors that influence school success and student achievement,” State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright said in a statement. “However, as we move forward, we will be exploring ways to ensure that our accountability system evaluates schools in clear, streamlined ways that educators, administrators and families can easily understand.”