Failing Grades: Which Maryland Schools Miss the Mark?

Several Maryland school districts were given letter grades on report cards compiled by the Brookings Institution, with Baltimore City Schools receiving the best score and two county schools earning an F grade. 

The city schools ranked 11th overall out of the country's largest school districts, for a B-grade. Nearby Washington, D.C., schools were ranked seventh, but also earned a B- grade in the rankings.

At the bottom of the heap were the Anne Arundel and Howard County Schools, both earning F marks. While the index authors said the systems perform well in many areas, they needed improvement in needs improvement in the availability of alternative schools, accessible online information, restructuring or closing undersubscribed schools, and transportation.

The 2013 Education Choice and Competition Index is an annual guide to the conditions of K-12 school choice in the nation’s largest school districts, according to a news release.

The rankings use data from 2013. To view data you can find the complete index on the Brookings Institution’s website.

• Baltimore City Public Schools rank 11th with a score of 56 out of 100 points, a B- grade.
• Baltimore County Public Schools rank 22nd with a score of 49 out of 100 points, a C grade.
• Prince George’s County Public Schools rank 29th with a score of 47 out of 100 points, a C grade.
• Montgomery County Public Schools rank 42nd with a score of 44 out of 100 points, a C- grade.
• Anne Arundel County Public Schools rank 77th with a score of 33 out of 100 points, an F grade.
• Howard County Public Schools rank 101st with a score of 24 out of 100 points, an F grade.