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Cummings Applauds Achievement of Maryland Schools
Students Across the State Excel on School Assessment Exams
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Baltimore, Md. – Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) applauded the results of the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) for 2008. Statewide, students in all grades showed marked improvement in reading and mathematics scores since 2003, the first year of the assessment.
“I commend the principals, teachers and students across our great State for their remarkable 2008 MSA results,” Congressman Cummings said. “Through improvements across the board, our young people have demonstrated their ability to meet and even exceed the challenges put forth in the No Child Left Behind Act.”
An analysis of the 2008 MSA results determined that the percentage of students statewide scoring at the proficient or higher levels for reading in Grade 3 rose from 58.1 percent in 2003 to 83 percent in 2008. For Grade 5 mathematics, the percentage increased from 55 percent five years ago to 80.5 percent today.
The results also showed a steady decrease in the achievement gap between White and Asian students and African American and Hispanic students, especially in Baltimore City. Seventy percent of African American students in Maryland now score in the proficient range in elementary school mathematics, compared to just 40 percent in 2003. Further, elementary school reading scores for Hispanic students have gone from 44.4 percent proficient in 2003 to 74.3 percent today.
“Closing the achievement gap so that all of our students have equal access to a quality education is one of my top priorities,” Congressman Cummings said. “The State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Nancy Grasmick, has also worked extremely hard to implement effective programs to address this issue statewide, and I commend her for her leadership in improving overall achievement.”
The No Child Left Behind Act was created in 2001 to close the achievement gap and ensure that all children are held to the same national standard. Congressman Cummings is working to improve the law through its reauthorization to ensure that schools have the resources they need to continue to succeed.
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