Harford County Public Schools “Hold Steady” on State Tests; Graduation Rate at 85.7 Percent

From Harford County Public Schools:

Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) achieved a graduation rate of 85.7 percent for 2011.  This rate represents a slight increase from the 84.7 percent rate for 2010 and exceeds the statewide rate of 82 percent.   

To meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in Maryland, all students enrolled in a school must reach or exceed increasingly rigorous performance standards, or Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO), in both reading and math, in addition to one other academic indicator.  For high school, this indicator is graduation rate.  

Graduation rate is calculated by dividing the total number of diplomas awarded by the number of students who entered the ninth grade four years earlier.  Bel Air, Fallston, C. Milton Wright, Harford Technical, and Patterson Mill high schools all achieved graduation rates higher than 90 percent.   

In order to graduate, students must pass each of the Maryland High School Assessments (HSA), achieve a combined minimum score on all HSA tests, participate in the Bridge Plan Program, or receive a waiver. Countywide, 95 percent of students met the requirement through success on the assessments.  The remaining five percent of students met the requirement through the Bridge Plan Program or by waiver.   

“Despite increasing targets and changing requirements, as a system we continue to work tirelessly to improve and strive for proficiency for all our students,” said Superintendent Robert M. Tomback.  “We are proud of each and every one of our students for their hard?work and dedication; and, in particular, we would like to commend the students, faculty, staff and parents of Edgewood High School on the accomplishment of achieving AYP again this year.”

Edgewood High School (EHS), which had failed to achieve AYP during multiple years, exited school improvement this year after two successive years of achieving AYP.  This year, EHS students realized an increase in both reading and math, as well as a rise of nearly four percent in graduation rate.    

“Through the hard work and dedication of the staff, and with the collaboration of various community organizations and HCPS personnel, Edgewood High not only made AYP, but continues to improve overall,” said Edgewood High School Principal Larissa Santos.  “The increase in our test scores and graduation rate is merely an indicator of the great things happening in our school.  I am very excited about our progress and extremely proud to be the principal of Edgewood High School.”

There are currently three high schools in School Improvement:  Aberdeen High School, Center for Educational Opportunity, and Joppatowne High School.  System?wide, the AMO was not met in two subgroups for reading and was not met in one subgroup for mathematics; therefore, HCPS did not achieve AYP for reading or mathematics.

According to the press release issued today by the Maryland State Department of Education, President Obama just last week announced plans to offer flexibility to states regarding the No Child Left Behind law that requires all students reach proficiency by 2014.  Maryland officials are currently reviewing the U.S. Department of Education’s guidance for waivers from the federal law.   

Individual high school scores, system-level AYP, and state-level AYP data are now available on the MSDE report card website (www.MDReportCard.org).