Half of Maryland schools earn four or five stars out of five on latest report card

Half of the slightly more than 1,300 public schools in Maryland earned four or five stars out of five on the state’s annual report card of individual school performance, an increase from last year, according to data released Thursday.

Performance on the 2026 report card was up slightly from the year before, when 43% of schools earned the top two marks, improvement that was attributed in part to improvements in attendance in recent years and in comprehensive test scores.

Statewide, nearly 89% of public schools statewide received at least a three-star rating on this year’s report card, compared to about 86% that got three, four or five stars last year.

Schools that earn a score of at least 75% on a formula that measures overall school performance get give stars under the star-rating system. From 60% to 74%, schools get four stars and scores between 45% and 59% earn three stars.

Geoff Sanderson, deputy state superintendent of accountability for the state Department of Education, said there remains “continuous improvement” in student achievement.

Sanderson said one reason for the improvement is a decrease in student chronic absenteeism, which decreased from nearly 23% during the 2025-26 school year from 31% in the 2021-22 school year. State officials also attribute minimal gains on test scores.

But this will be the last year for the star-rating system. State officials have said the current assessment does not take into account academic progress a school can make annually.

While he was pleased by the gains the latest report, State Board of Education President Joshua Michael said Thursday the current system is “flawed.” A school that showed a 12-point gain in a year, for example, could still be at three stars, its improvements not recognized or properly rewarded.

Michael has also said the new system would show a better outlook on student achievement in schools, especially those with a high population of low-income families.

The change to the school rating system comes as the state prepares to phase out its current Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, a standardized student assessment on which the school ratings are partly based on, to use the newly designed Maryland System of Testing Academic Readiness (MSTAR).

The new test is slated to be used this spring for students in grades 3 through 8 for English and math tests. It is expected to be about 25% shorter than the MCAP, provide accessible features for students with special needs and an online portal for families to review student progress.

“What are we willing to do for children who are not our own?” Michael said during opening remarks Thursday morning. “We are increasingly becoming a state whose public schools reflect the expectations we hold for our own children. We are not there yet … but I will say we are just getting started as it relates to improving public education in our state.”

School improvement

Some of the criteria schools are measured on the report card include academic achievement, progress in English language proficiency and school quality and student success. High schools are specifically assessed on graduation rates and post-secondary readiness.

Based on state data, 74%, or 964, of the schools saw no change in their star status this year.

About 19%, or 252 schools, increased by one star. Some of the schools that increased from four to five stars were South Shore Elementary in Anne Arundel County, Huntingtown High School in Calvert County, Herbert Hoover Middle School in Montgomery County, Chapel District Elementary in Talbot County and Williamsport Elementary in Washington County.

Worcester County, which has achieved the highest level of proficiency on the state’s standardized tests in English for the last three years, had 10 of its 11 schools — 91% — earn four or five stars.

Once again, Pocomoke and Snow Hill high schools received five stars. Pocomoke Elementary, a Title 1 school that receives additional resources due to the number of economically disadvantaged students there, joined the five-star club this year after getting four stars last year.

Several schools maintained a five-star status for at least a third straight years, including the Academy of Health and Sciences at Prince George’s Community College. It came in second place with 88 points, one point down from last year’s score.

Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore County recorded the highest number of points earned at 94, two points higher than last year.

Baltimore County recorded the second-highest number of five-star schools at 25, behind Montgomery County with 36.

“BCPS staff have worked relentlessly to advance excellence for all students, and we are seeing the positive results of our collective efforts to provide the highest-quality instruction and programs for students,” Baltimore County Superintendent Bill Heiser wrote in a letter to the school community. “We will continue to build on this momentum and strive for excellence in all our schools.”