STANDARDS
MBRT believes
that high standards produce high achievement.
MBRT believes
that high standards are essential to educational success. We must bring out the very
best in all students.
MBRT believes
that settling for the lowest common denominator of performance is unacceptable.
Without high standards, low expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies.
Standards should be benchmarked against the highest in the world. |
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| Since its
founding in 1992, the MBRT has been a staunch proponent of high standards, rigorous
assessments, and strong accountability. We believe that these components are
essential in order to improve student performance.
New Statewide
Assessments: The Maryland State Department of Education
(MSDE) has announced a new statewide assessment to replace the highly-regarded
MSPAP exam. While MSPAP was acknowledged as a national model
for school improvement, it did not provide individual scores and
required hand scoring by teachers - a lengthy process. The
Maryland School Assessment (MSA) will allow parents
to see just how their children are performing, instead of having
to rely only on the scores of their child's school.
Mandated by the federal No
Child Left Behind Act, the new test will be provided this school year in grades
3, 5 and 8 in mathematics and reading, and a new test in reading for grade 10. Those
tests will be followed by new tests in reading and math for grades 4, 6 and 7 by the
spring of 2006. Tests in science also will be required by the spring of 2008.
The High School Assessment in geometry will become part of No Child Left Behind's
requirements for a high school test in math in the spring of 2003, and the High School
Assessment in biology will fulfill the requirement for a high school science test by the
spring of 2008.
High School Assessments:
Maryland has started to administer the High School Assessments (HSAs) to test
student knowledge in English I, government, algebra/data analysis, geometry and biology.
Results of the first round of examinations will be available this fall.
Although students are required to take the exams again this year, those exams are
not yet a graduation requirement. The exams could be made a requirement next year,
pending State Board action. With that action, students entering grade 9 - as well as
middle schoolers enrolled in high school-level classes - would be required to take and
pass the currently available HSAs in order to graduate from high school.
Statewide Curriculum:
Maryland educators also are working with MSDE officials to develop a voluntary
state curriculum, designed to help teachers align instruction with state standards.
Adequate Yearly Progress:
Beginning this fall, Maryland must provide annual report cards to the federal
government with a range of information, including statewide student achievement data
broken down by subgroup. MSDE will be modifying its statewide report card to include
this information. Under the Adequate Yearly Progress regulations, schools must show
movement toward state educational goals. If schools fail to make progress in two or
more years, students must be provided with options to transfer and supplementary
educational services.
For annual
school performance data, please visit http://www.mdreportcard.org
For more information, visit the
Maryland State Department of Education's website at http://marylandpublicschools.org. |
