Howard County’s public elementary and middle school students once again outperformed state averages in the annual reading and math exams.

The Maryland State Department of Education on Tuesday released the results of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, known as MCAP.

The yearly assessment tests students in grades 3–8 and some high schoolers in English, math and science. Students are scored from 1 through 4 on the various subjects, with the top two ranks considered proficient.

While acknowledging the school system’s successes, Superintendent Bill Barnes said in a statement that there are “tremendous opportunities” for improvement.

“Too many disparities continue to exist, and while this high-level data provides a glimpse of our challenges, staff are digging deeply to understand the needs of each individual student and provide what is needed to overcome those challenges,” Barnes said.

Here are four takeaways from Howard County’s state test results, based on a Banner analysis of school data:

Double-digits in English

In Howard County, 65.2% of students who sat for the English Language Arts exam were considered proficient. Statewide, 50.8% of students hit that.

Atholton, Hammond and Oakland Mills High Schools — all Columbia area schools — recorded double-digit improvements in 10th grade English exams compared to 2024.

Hammond High saw the most improvement, jumping slightly more than 12 percentage points in proficiency year over year to reach a 78.4% pass rate. Oakland Mills High followed with an 11.7 point increase from last year’s results, with 63.7% of students earning proficiency this year. Atholton High schoolers increased the school’s overall English score by a hair more than 10 points, with a 76.3% proficiency score this year.

Girls outpace boys

Since the 2022 MCAP results, Howard female students have surpassed their male peers on the English exams. This year was no different.

Almost 70% of all female students received a proficient rating, outpacing their male peers by 9.3 percentage points. Girls even increased their overall proficient score from the 2023-2024 school year by 1.6 points.

Black and Hispanic students saw growth

While Howard’s Black and Hispanic students trailed their Asian, multiracial and white peers on the English and math assessments, both groups made progress in each subject area.

Black and Hispanic students saw greater growth in their overall English scores — 3.5 percentage points for Hispanic students and 2.1 points for Black students — than their year-to-year math results. Both student groups saw roughly a 1 percentage point growth in math.

Overall, math scores dragged

For math, 42% of all Howard students received a proficient score, compared to the state’s overall result of 26.5%.

Only two Howard grade levels —third and fourth graders — surpassed 50% proficiency on their math exams. Third grade hit 57% proficiency, and 52.9% of fourth graders reached proficient status.

While third grade hit the highest mark in the county in 2025, the grade did slip in its progress from the year prior. As did fifth graders.

Banner data journalist Allan James Vestal contributed to this report.