by Nicholas Jones ‘28

During the 2024-2025 school year, MCPS students showed increases in test scores in reading, math, and science, according to data from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). In MCPS, 57 percent of students are proficient in English Language Arts, while 35.7 percent are proficient in math. Although the scores might not seem impressive, they showed a 2.9-percent increase in math and a 1.7-percent increase in English Language Arts compared to the 2022-2023 school year.

“This is an important growth for our students,” stated MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor. “I believe that these results show that we are turning the corner and moving in the right direction. However, we still have much work to do to get to where we need to be and to ensure students will be Future Ready. We are up to the challenge.”

Future Ready refers to Taylor’s strategic plan for MCPS for 2025-2030. According to the plan, an indicator of success will be that there will be improved student outcomes by at least 50% for students identified as 100% of MCPS schools earn four stars or higher on the Maryland School Report Card.

MCPS improves student outcomes by increasing proficiency rates by at least 50% on the Maryland School Report Card for students identified as Economically Disadvantaged, Multilingual Learners, students receiving Special Education services, Hispanic/Latino students, and Black/African American students. Other indicators of success are that MCPS annually graduates 95 percent of Grade 12 students, and all schools earn four stars or higher on the Maryland School Report Card. 

Concrete steps in the right direction that Taylor sees may include reducing phones, which is being seen with the new 2025-2026 school year phone policy. In many Sherwood classes, phones are now being put in new phone storage pockets, and stricter consequences for having them out while in class. 

Along with the new phone policy, a new grading policy calculates the final semester by marking period averages. and deadlines are stricter. Time will tell how effective these new policies are and how they will impact the test scores for the 2025-2026 school year.