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July 2009 News Releases

July 15, 2009 (#2009-003)

Performance Gaps Continue to Close as MSA Scores Rise;
55 Howard County Elementary and Middle Schools Make AYP

Superintendent Sydney Cousin announced today that Howard County's student performance on the Maryland School Performance Assessment continues to improve across grades and student groups, with few exceptions. Composite data show that all the percentage of students scoring at proficient or above in reading increased at all grades levels in 2009 and held steady at Grade 4. The same was true in mathematics, were all grades showed increases except Grade 3, which held steady.

Superintendent Cousin reported that since the first administration of the Maryland School Assessment in 2003, Howard County students in Grades 3 through 8 have made sustained, steady progress in reading and mathematics in every grade and across student groups. The improvement has been most notable among Hispanic, African American, and special services students groups.

He said the percentage of students scoring at proficient or advanced increased over the last six years by 11 points in reading and 13 points in mathematics. He pointed out that the percentage of students scoring at the advanced level has also risen steadily since 2003, up 15 points in reading and 17 points in mathematics.

Overall, 92 percent of students in Grades 3 through 8 scored proficient or advanced in reading, a 1 percent gain over 2008. Reading performance improved at every grade level, except Grade 4, which held steady at about 94 percent proficiency. Every grade level is now performing at the 90 percent or higher in reading.

In mathematics, 88 percent of students in Grades 3 through 8 scored proficient or advanced, a gain of about 2 points over 2008. Math performance improved from 2008, except in Grade 5, where it remained at about 88 percent. Every grade level is now performing at 84 percent proficient or higher in mathematics.

Superintendent Cousin noted gains made by several student groups. Special education students made the greatest gains at both levels. Middle school special education students posted a 14.3 percentage point gain in reading and a gain of 11.1 points in mathematics since last year.

At the elementary level, the performance of special education students increased by 4.5 points in reading. At 70.9 percent, elementary special education students achieved the local standard in reading. Special education students posted a 3.4-point gain in mathematics.

All elementary all student groups have met or exceeded the local standard of 70 percent proficient in reading. In mathematics, Hispanic middle school students reached 75 percent proficiency and African American middle school students reached 70.1 percent proficiency.

Oakland Mills and Murray Hill Middle Schools Make AYP

Superintendent Cousin also announced that as a result of their MSA performance, 55 of 58 elementary and middle schools in Howard County met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The three county schools that did not make AYP in 2009 are Bollman Bridge Elementary School, Patuxent Valley Middle School and Cradlerock School.

Murray Hill Middle School, which has been in School Improvement for two years, met AYP in 2008 and again in 2009 and therefore exits school improvement this year. Oakland Mills Middle School, identified for School Improvement with "Focus Developing" last year, met AYP in 2009. The school maintains its "Focus Developing" AYP status until it makes AYP for two consecutive years.

Patuxent Valley Middle School has not met AYP for three consecutive years and, as a result, has been identified by the Maryland State Department of Education as a school in School In Improvement -- Year 1, Developing Focused Needs. The school will be closely monitored by the school system and continue to receive differentiated support throughout the upcoming school year.

Although not on the list of schools designated for school improvement, Bollman Bridge and Cradlerock are identified for "local attention." If these schools do not make AYP in the same content area next year, then they will move into the state's improvement status. School officials in curriculum and school administration have examined the school's performance data and are planning differentiated support for these schools throughout the school year.

"As the bar continues to rise it becomes more and more difficult for all student groups in all schools to hit the target. In most cases, our schools miss AYP by only a few students in one or two groups," says Cousin.

"We are not sitting around waiting for the AYP results to be released in order to take action. School improvement in Howard County is continuous. Data show that our instructional strategies are working and that our educators know what to do to help every student succeed."

In order to achieve AYP, the total population and every identified student group with five or more students must reach the Annual Measurable Objective (AMO). These student groups include African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, White, English Language Learners (ELL), students receiving Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMS), and students receiving special education services. In addition to meeting the reading and mathematics targets, elementary and middle schools are also required to meet a school attendance target to achieve AYP.

July 15, 2009 (#2009-002)

Cradlerock Students Take 2nd Place in National MESA Competition

A team of four middle school students from Cradlerock School in Columbia won second place for design efficiency and accuracy in the Trebuchet, a sophisticated type of catapult, competition at the 2009 MESA USA National Engineering Contest in Denver, CO, June 25-28. Students Alexis Ligon, Caroline Pyon, Xinxin Guo and Ben Kale, who participate in the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement Program (MESA) at Cradlerock School, represented the Howard County Public School System and the State of Maryland in the national competition, where they competed against middle and high school students from eight other states.

This was a repeat performance for the Cradlerock students, who represented Howard County and Maryland in a similar competition last year. The purpose of these contests is to stimulate the interest of students in careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Professional engineers evaluate the student projects on the basis of performance in mathematics, oral and written communications, and expertise and proficiency in architectural and engineering applications.

July 8, 2009 (#2009-001)

HCPSS Television Services Wins 14th Telly Award

The Television Services Office of the Howard County Public School System learned that it picked up its 14th Telly Award in the Film/Video Category when the winners of the 30th Annual Telly Awards were announced this week. Television Production Assistant Terry McClung produced, directed and edited the award winning entry -- a video used to introduce the 2009 candidates for the student member to the Board of Education to the middle and high school electorate. The award is the first for McClurg.

Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards Program honors outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest film and video productions, and groundbreaking web commercials, videos and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. The Telly Awards Program receives over 13,000 entries annually from all 50 states and countries around the world.