LA PLATA — Six Charles County public schools moved up a star on the 2026 Maryland School Report Card and only two slipped, down from four drops last year and 14 in 2021, according to Charles County Public Schools.
The Maryland State Department of Education released the ratings Thursday. Of Charles County Public Schools’ 39 rated schools, 10 earned four stars, 27 earned three stars and two earned two stars, the school system said in a release. No CCPS school has received a one-star rating since the system started.
The results point to steadier footing rather than a jump. Most Charles schools held their rating, and the number falling back has shrunk sharply since 2021. But the large majority still sit in the middle tier, and the release listed no five-star schools, a contrast with neighboring Calvert County, where five schools reached the top rating this year.
Fewer schools sliding
CCPS compared this year’s movement with 2021. The number of schools keeping their rating has nearly doubled since then, while drops have nearly disappeared.
| Charles schools | 2021 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved up a star | 5 | Not stated | 6 |
| Kept the same rating | 17 | Not stated | 30 |
| Dropped a star | 14 | 4 | 2 |
The school system did not say which schools gained or lost a star. Ratings for each school are linked from every CCPS school website under the School Performance Report area of the About menu, and on the state’s Maryland School Report Card site.
“We have several assessment measures in place to look at student growth and areas of improvement,” Superintendent Maria Navarro said in the release. “School administrators and teachers continue to view this data and use it to model instructional strategies to target the needs of every student. I am proud of the gains our students make each day.”
Where Charles stands
Statewide, nearly 89% of public schools earned one of the top three ratings this year, according to MSDE. In Charles, 37 of 39 rated schools, or about 95%, are at three stars or above.
The picture changes at the top. About a quarter of Charles’ rated schools hold four stars. When the 2025 report card came out last November, 43% of Maryland’s 1,312 rated schools had four or five stars, according to the governor’s office. In Calvert this year, more than 81% of rated schools reached four or five stars, Calvert County Public Schools reported Thursday.
The ratings cover the 2025-26 school year. Elementary and middle schools are scored on academic achievement, academic progress, progress toward English language proficiency, and school quality and student success. High schools are also scored on graduation rate and readiness for college and careers.
A new system on the way
The stars may soon be calculated differently. Maryland is redesigning its accountability system, and the Maryland Assessment and Accountability Advisory Committee, made up of state and local education leaders, is advising on measures meant to add transparency and put more weight on student growth. Navarro serves on the committee, and CCPS said she looks forward to an assessment system that better measures how much students improve.
When last year’s ratings came out, State Superintendent Carey Wright said the current formula was too complicated and should be simplified so it rewards growth. Until the new system takes effect, the stars remain the state’s main public grade for each school.
The ratings arrive as the school system steers money toward the same buildings and programs the report card measures. Earlier this week the Chronicle reported that Charles schools carried $1.9 million forward for repairs and community school programs.
Charles County Public Schools serves 27,904 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade at 39 schools.
