BALTIMORE, MD—Student scores on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) for the 2024-2025 school year are continuing to rise, showing progress in English language arts and mathematics as students rebound from learning loss experienced during the pandemic.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released the full results Tuesday, showing a steady overall gain of 5.5 percentage points since the 2021-2022 school year. While progress was seen in both subjects, English language arts (ELA) proficiency has recovered more quickly than mathematics.
“Maryland students are making progress. For the third year in a row, we have seen performance increases,” said State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright. “I am excited that we’re headed in the right direction.”
ELA proficiency reached 50.8%, a 2.4 percentage point increase from the previous school year. Math proficiency rose to 26.5%, an increase of 2.4 percentage points from the year before.
According to the MSDE, some of the most notable gains were seen among specific student groups. Black/African American students saw their ELA proficiency increase by 3.2 percentage points to 39.4%, while economically disadvantaged students improved their ELA proficiency by 3.4 percentage points to 34.5%.
Despite the improvements, the MSDE noted that achievement gaps persist. Multilingual students, economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities continue to have lower proficiency rates compared to their peers.
“Our latest MCAP results show modest but meaningful growth—especially for our economically disadvantaged students,” said Dr. Joshua L. Michael, president of the State Board of Education. “This progress proves that when we focus on the fundamentals, our efforts pay off.”
The state recently updated its ELA and math standards for the first time in 15 years. The MSDE plans to provide new resources to parents and teachers to support continued student success.
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