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Should Maryland drop the 180-day school calendar?
Maryland students are mandated a 180-day school year. But is it time for some innovation?
MARYLAND - Maryland officials released the first school report since 2019 highlighting how the state's schools have bounced back in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Maryland State Department of Education released the 2022 Maryland School Report Card on Thursday for the first time since the 2018-2019 school year. The report found that a majority of Maryland schools have earned a three, four, or five star rating, with over half them retaining their pre-pandemic ratings.
According to Department of Education, the number of stars a school is given are based on four indicators for elementary and middle schools, and five indicators for the high school level. The indicators include academic achievement, academic progress, progress toward English language proficiency, and school quality and student success. High schools were judged by the same four indicators with graduation rate also being factored in.
Superintendent fights to drop 180-day calendar for Maryland schools
Anne Arundel County Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell wants to do away with Maryland's calendar mandate of 180 days.
The report found that 75 percent of Maryland schools earned a three, four or five star rating in 2022. The report further broke down the numbers indicating that 63 percent of the state's schools had the same rating, 25 percent had lower ratings, and 11 percent received a higher star rating.
The report also had that each of Maryland's local education agencies (LEA) had at least one four or five star school.
"The data collected from the 2022 Report Card is the starting point for us to shape local education agency policy and work toward implementing evidence-based, best-in-class work to drive student outcomes. That work is more urgent now than ever," says State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury. "This broad collection of information will help our LEAs monitor and support students based on their individual needs, especially the needs of students in historically underserved communities. It will also help MSDE better understand the needs of our LEAs, so we can effectively deliver on the promise of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and provide every Maryland child with the excellent education they deserve."
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The report card also factored in responses to a statewide school survey of students in grades 5 through 11.
"We value academic achievement, and we value the learning environments of our students," says Maryland State Board of Education President Clarence C. Crawford. "We want to ensure that each student feels supported and feels they have the tools to be successful in the classroom and beyond. The pandemic presented many challenges, many priorities shifted, and our educators at our LEAs stepped up. They created a safe and welcoming space in the classroom and the results of the 2022 Maryland School Report Card reflect that."
Click here to read through the full report and see how each individual school did.