While Baltimore area school districts saw increases on Maryland’s annual math and English tests, student achievement elsewhere in the state has stalled.

Just under half of students passed the English and 24% passed the math test given each spring in grades three through eight and select high school classes. The results showed no improvement over last year.

Students in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties made steady progress on both tests, far out performing their pre-pandemic achievement, but lagging in math on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, known as MCAP.

In Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, the scores rose by nearly 2 percentage points on the English test, to a pass rate of 54% in Anne Arundel and 42% in Baltimore County.

Baltimore City continued its eight years of steady improvement in English, although at a slightly slower pace. City English scores rose 1.7% points to 28% passing.

School districts in the Washington, D.C. region, including Montgomery and Prince George’s counties have not made the same progress, in some instances seeing declining scores.

Scores on the MCAP science test, given in fifth and eighth grade, declined. In fifth grade, the passing rate went from 35% to 24%, while the eighth grade scores dipped slightly.

One bright spot in the statewide results was the increase in pass rates for students on the 10th grade English test, but that bit of improvement was offset by the dip in third-grade scores.

Maryland State School Superintendent Carey Wright said the flat scores indicated the need for changes in reading instruction to a more phonics-based approach known as the science of reading.

“It’s a bit of a puzzle about the flatness of the scores, so I want to dig into that a little bit more. That’s always concerning when you’re not really seeing a major uptick.” The state has convened work groups to study how to improve math and English instruction.

Math scores in the state are still abysmal. Across Maryland math achievement remains frustratingly far below pre-pandemic levels — so low that state and local education leaders are beginning to revamp the math curriculum.

Overall just one in five students across the state can pass the math test, and only 7% of eighth graders passed the regular math test. In Baltimore county less than 5% of seventh and eighth graders passed the math test. The city’s seventh graders slightly outperformed the county’s seventh graders with a 7.9% pass rate. Like the county, the city had less than 5% of eighth graders passing.

The eighth grade scores can be deceptively low because advanced math students take Algebra I in middle school instead and high school students take Geometry and Algebra II at the end of the year they take the class.

“In this back-to-school season, this is a moment to really get back to the basics,” said Josh Michael, president of the Maryland State School Board. “We need students in seats, and we need them ready to learn.”

Chronic absences are still higher than before the pandemic.

Even more than in other subjects, Michael said, the quality of math instruction makes a big difference in achievement. Michael said that the pass rates are so low that schools are going to have to take a two-prong approach to improving math.

“We have to set high standards that students can meet,” he said, but also provide support that bridges the gap between where students are now and the skills they are supposed to know.

Baltimore City schools saw continued significant increases in their middle grades, with seventh-grade math scores low but at the state average, along with 3-and 4-percentage-point gains on English.

“We are seeing the growth. This is about consistent substantial growth,” CEO Sonja Santelises said.

Under Santelises, Baltimore City adopted the science of reading far earlier than other school districts around the state. The effects of that approach were evident years ago in increases in elementary test scores, but now those students are older.

City school officials are now applying some of the lessons of improvements in literacy to math. The city bought new math teaching materials, called Reveal, at the beginning of last school year, and is gradually phasing more students into the approach, which emphasizes more practice on basic math facts, as well as giving math teachers more training.

Anne Arundel Superintendent of Schools Mark Bedell also introduced Reveal last school year and credits it with getting some results. Bedell said he’s “very, very pleased” with the nearly 2 percentage-point jumps the district saw in both its math and English pass rates.

”I’m not looking for miracles as a superintendent,” Bedell said. “I just want steady progress.”

This year, Anne Arundel is implementing a new elementary reading curriculum based on the science of reading, one of the last districts in the state to make the switch.

Despite the slight gains, Bedell said there are things they still need to scrutinize. Science scores in the district, for example, fell by nearly 11 percentage points for fifth graders.

”I don’t want people to think everything is rosy,” Bedell said.

Baltimore County’s Melissa DiDonato said the county has focused on providing teachers more training in math and English curricula.

Despite the increases, the county’s scores, particularly in math, are below the state average. The “reality is we still have a lot of room for growth,” she said. Math, English and students receiving special education instruction continue to be areas of focus in Baltimore County.

The pandemic continues to cast a shadow over the pace of learning for some children across the state. While math scores are still depressed, today’s third graders who learned to read on Zoom are not scoring as well as students even a year older who had the basics of reading before the pandemic hit.

Research shows that students who haven’t learned to read by the end of the third grade don’t achieve as well during the rest of their education. Michael said the dip in third grade underscores the need for a comprehensive policy the state board is now considering. It would require students to be reading on grade level by the end of third grade and would provide extra help for students who are behind in reading after kindergarten.

The tenth graders had the highest pass rates on the English test. Fifty-five percent of tenth graders statewide passed the English 10 test, up nearly 2 percentage points since last year.

Tenth graders may be more motivated to do well on the English 10 test. Students need a passing score in order to go on to advanced level coursework in high school or in community college.

Howard County’s increased passing rate is a result of “student engagement,” said Tim Guy, director of assessment and reporting and the Blueprint coordinator for Howard County Public Schools. Students who pass get the cost of their AP exams covered.

While the school system made incremental progress overall, Guy said the district has a long way to go in addressing gaps in performances between student groups. ”It’s a continuing problem across the state and it’s no different here,” Guy said.

Baltimore Banner reporters Jess Nocera, Maya Lora and Kristen Griffith contributed to this report.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.