The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) unveiled the 2024 Maryland School Report Card on Dec. 3, presenting a comprehensive view of academic growth, student performance, school quality, and attendance across the state’s school systems for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) demonstrated notable progress in this year’s report, with seven schools earning four stars, 27 schools receiving three stars, and five schools achieving two stars. None of the schools in the district received a one-star rating.
Key Gains for CCPS
This year, five CCPS schools advanced by one star compared to their previous rating, while 31 maintained their ratings from last year. Only one school experienced a drop in its star rating, a significant improvement compared to the 12 schools that dropped ratings in the previous report.
Superintendent Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D., commended the efforts of the school community while emphasizing the continued focus on academic achievement and expanding opportunities.
“The improvements are a result of the hard work our teachers and staff put in each day to ensure students are learning and excelling,” Navarro said. “We continue to see increases in our attendance rates as well, which means more students are consistently coming to school each day ready to learn and thrive. As outlined in the school system strategic plan, our focus this year remains on student learning and achievement, increasing access and opportunities, and focusing on school culture and climate.”
Understanding the Star Ratings
The Maryland School Report Card assigns schools a rating between one and five stars based on their performance in various indicators. These include:
- Elementary and Middle Schools: Academic achievement, academic progress, English language proficiency, school quality, and student success.
- High Schools: Academic achievement, graduation rates, English language proficiency, readiness for postsecondary success, and school quality and student success.
The report card reflects a holistic evaluation, incorporating measures such as student attendance, survey results, and access to a well-rounded curriculum.
Notable Areas of Improvement
Charles County schools demonstrated progress in several key areas:
- School Quality and Student Success: Improvements were noted at all grade levels in metrics such as attendance, curriculum access, and student surveys.
- Postsecondary Readiness: High school students showed gains in completing rigorous or comprehensive coursework, indicating better preparation for life after graduation.
- Academic Performance: Students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and economically disadvantaged students showed improved outcomes in math and English/language arts.
- Graduation Rates: Positive trends were observed among specific subgroups, including students identifying as Asian, Hispanic/Latino, and multilingual learners.
Statewide Trends
Across Maryland, 41% of schools earned four or five stars, with 80% achieving at least three stars. This marks an overall increase in school ratings compared to the 2023 report card.
Accessing the Data
CCPS provides individual school reports through the Performance Report link on each school’s website under the “About” menu. The MSDE website also offers resources for understanding the report card data.
This report highlights ongoing efforts in Charles County and across Maryland to enhance education quality and provide students with the tools for success in their academic and professional journeys.
