MD Comprehensive Assessment Program Shows Harford County Students Making Strides

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — The recently released 2022-2023 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program results show "encouraging advancements" in Harford County's overall student performance.

The MCAP assessments measure a student’s mastery of grade-level standards in English/language Arts, mathematics and science.

Harford County Public Schools saw the largest gains in English/language Arts. HCPS increased its rank compared to all public school systems in Maryland in grades 3, 5, 6 and 7. In the 2021-22 school year, HCPS ranked 10th in Maryland in English/language Arts and increased the rank to ninth place for the 2022-23 school year.

In mathematics, HCPS ranked ninth across all Maryland schools. In grades three through five, 55.1% of students earned a proficient score in English/language Arts compared to the state’s rate of 46.2%. In mathematics, grades three through five students achieved a proficiency rate of 40.3% compared to the state at 33.3%.

In grades six through eight, HCPS saw the largest gains in English/language Arts. Middle school proficiency increased from 45.5% in 2022 to 54% in 2023. HCPS outscored the state performance of 47.4%.

In mathematics, 15% of middle school students taking middle school mathematics courses were proficient compared to the state’s performance of 14.5%. At the high school level, 10th grade student achievement increased on the English 10 assessment from 56.9% in 2022 to 59.1% in 2023. HCPS outscored the state performance of 53.5%.

HCPS performance in algebra I for middle and high school students increased from 14.1% in 2022 to 17.7% in 2023. Maryland students earned a proficiency rate of 17.2% in 2023. In science, students in grades five and eight are assessed. Fifth-grade performance increased from 33.5% in 2022 to 40.4% in 2023. Eighth grade scores decreased from 42.9% in 2022 to 32.8% in 2023.

"This performance aligns with the state’s decline in performance as well from 35 percent in 2022 to 26 percent in 2023. Over the past few years, Harford County Public Schools has proactively embraced changes in curriculum, teaching methodologies and student support systems to ensure a dynamic and effective learning environment. The improvements in the MCAP scores are a testament to the collaborative approach adopted by the district to empower students for success in a rapidly evolving educational landscape," the district noted.