9 of 12 Local Schools Meet All Performance Objectives

Nine of the 12 feeder schools from the and met their Annual Measureable Objectives (AMO) last year, according to an Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) release. 

, and Tracey’s elementary schools each fell short of their AMOs in at least one reading category.

Each school’s AMO performances are separated into two subjects, reading and math. They are then split into sub-categories, divided by student groups: seven racial and ethnic groups as well as students that receive free and reduced-price meals (FARMS), special education services and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) services.

A school’s Maryland State Assessment (MSA) scores ultimately determine its “pass” or “fail” grade for the AMOs. For nine of the 12 local feeder schools, each student category reached its objective.

Central Middle, Davidsonville and Tracey’s elementary schools’ total student population as a whole met its AMO goals, but fell short in at least one student group.

Among AACPS elementary schools, and both failed to meet goals for reading among special education students. They were the only county schools to fall short in that category. Davidsonville passed in all other categories, but Tracey’s Elementary also did not meet its AMO for reading among students of two or more races and those in the FARMS program, according to the release.

also fell short in the reading category among its special education students, along with four other middle schools in the county.

Earlier in 2012, Southern Middle principal Jason Dykstra promised his students a chance to if they reached their benchmark goals for the year's MSAs. It appeared his technique paid off as Southern Middle met all its AMO across all student groups. 

Throughout the county as a whole, test scores indicated a four percent increase in reading proficiency among special education students, according to the AACPS release. While three local schools failed in the mentioned categories, AACPS said 97 percent of schools and their categories met each AMO.

“Of more than 2,300 categories in which AACPS schools were measured, there were just 50 instances—less than 3 percent—of a school not meeting an AMO,” according to the release.

In the same release, AACPS also announced its new accountability strategy that will toss aside previously used statewide metrics for more school-centered measurements of success.

“As part of Maryland’s new plan, schools will now be measured against their own targets and their work toward increasing achievement in all 10 student groups,” the release stated. “Previously, AMOs to determine a school’s progress were created on a statewide bases by school level and content. Moving forward, each school will have its own AMOs for reach student group and content.”

The most current data was used to judge progress in comparison to last year’s number for each school, the release stated.