Calvert County Public Schools students outperformed statewide proficiency rates across nearly every tested grade and subject on this year’s Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, and the county posted the largest year-over-year improvement in math scores of any school system in Maryland, according to results the Maryland State Department of Education released July 28.
Across all tested grades, 66.6% of CCPS students scored proficient in English Language Arts, nearly 15 percentage points above the statewide rate of 51.7%. In math, 37.9% of CCPS students scored proficient, compared with 27.1% statewide. Students scoring at performance Levels 3 or 4 out of four are considered proficient under the MCAP scale, a bar the state has said reflects more than basic reading or calculation skills — requiring students to analyze information, apply concepts to complex problems and explain their reasoning in writing.
Calvert’s math results stood out even within a strong statewide showing. The Baltimore Banner’s analysis of this year’s results found Calvert County earned the state’s “most-improved” distinction in math, posting the largest percentage-point gain of any of Maryland’s 24 school systems. A separate state presentation on the results identified Calvert and neighboring St. Mary’s County as the two Maryland systems “leading in math” statewide, underscoring a strong showing for Southern Maryland school systems this year even as statewide math proficiency growth remained comparatively modest, up just 0.3 percentage points from 2025.
“These results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers, support staff, administrators, families, and community partners,” Calvert County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marcus J. Newsome said. “While we are proud of our accomplishments, we remain committed to continuous improvement. Our focus is not only on celebrating success but also on using data to identify opportunities to strengthen instruction and accelerate learning for every student.”
In English Language Arts, CCPS students beat the state average in every tested grade. Highlights included 66.7% proficiency among third graders, compared with 50.4% statewide; 67.4% among seventh graders, compared with 54.6% statewide; and 80.1% among 10th graders, compared with 59.7% statewide. Across grades 3-8 combined, 64.3% of CCPS students scored proficient in ELA, against a statewide rate of 50.2%.
In math, 60% of Calvert third graders scored proficient, compared with 42.6% statewide, while 50.7% of students in grades 3-5 combined were proficient against a statewide rate of 35.8%. In Algebra I, 25.8% of CCPS students were proficient, ahead of the 21.3% statewide rate. The district noted that geometry results this year should be interpreted cautiously, since statewide changes to Maryland’s secondary math course sequence caused geometry test participation to drop by roughly 40% statewide, significantly altering which students took the exam and limiting comparisons with prior years — part of the state’s broader transition toward an integrated algebra-geometry course sequence.
CCPS also topped state averages in science, with 44.4% of fifth graders and 40.8% of eighth graders scoring proficient, compared with 32.4% and 30.9% statewide, respectively. State officials separately flagged fifth-grade science as an area of statewide growth this year, with Maryland’s overall proficiency rate in that grade climbing six percentage points from the prior year.
This year’s results carry added significance statewide: 2025-26 marked the fifth and final full administration of the MCAP, which Maryland first introduced in 2022 following the retirement of the previous PARCC exam. Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, Maryland will replace the MCAP with a newly designed exam, the Maryland System of Testing Academic Readiness, for grades three through eight, with high schools transitioning in 2027-28 — meaning this year’s scores represent the final data point in the current testing series before the state’s assessment framework shifts again.
CCPS said school and district teams will review this year’s results by grade, subject, school and student group, alongside classroom assessments and other measures, to identify successful instructional practices and target additional support where needed. Additional state assessment results, covering areas beyond this release, are expected from MSDE in August and September.
