TOPIC AREA
Education and Youth

INDICATOR:

Maryland School Assessment (MSA) Test Scores
for 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades

Why is this indicator important in Baltimore City?

The percent of 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade students scoring in certain ranges in the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) math and reading are indicators of student achievement and potential success.

These indicators are presented by the area where students live, not where they go to school. This helps to understand if there are other factors within the areas that could affect learning, other than just circumstances in schools.

This indicator is used as the standard by the Maryland State Department of Education and Baltimore City Public Schools systems to measure achievement and progress in school.

Students are required to demonstrate their achievement in reading and math

What has been happening in Baltimore City?

3rd Grade students:
--In school year ending 2004, 15.5 percent more 3rd grade students scored in the advanced/proficient range in reading than in the previous year. (54.6 percent in 2004 from 39.1percent in 2003).
-- In school year ending 2004, 5.1 percent more 3rd grade students scored in the advanced/proficient range in math than in the previous year. (54.2 percent in 2004 from 49.1 percent in 2003).

5th Grade students:
--In school year ending 2004, 5.5 percent more 5th grade students scored in the advanced/proficient range in reading than in the previous year. (49.9 percent in 2004 from 44.4 percent in 2003).
--In school year ending 2004, 12.5 percent more 5th graders scored in the advanced/proficient range in math than in the previous year. (43.8 percent in 2004 from 31.3 percent in 2003).

8th Grade students:
--In school year ending 2004, 10 percent more 8th grade students scored in the advanced/proficient range in reading than in the previous year. (42.9 percent in 2004 from 32.8 percent in 2003).
--In school year ending 2004, 7.5 percent more 8th grade students scored in the advanced/proficient range in math than in the previous year. (19.0 percent in 2004 from 11.5 percent in 2003).

Definition:

MSA Test scores measure the number of students scoring in one of three classifications out of all students in Baltimore City public schools enrolled in that grade- students either have advanced, proficient, or basic knowledge of reading and math.

The Maryland State Department of Education reports these scores at the 3rd, 5th, 8th and 10th grade levels in order to comply with No Child Left Behind Law, and to gauge student achievement over time.

The Maryland School Assessment tests replace the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) tests.
.

Calculation considerations:

The indicator is presented here as the percent of students scoring in two ranges - advanced/proficient and basic.

The indicator reflects students in public schools only; students in private or parochial schools are not included.

Some areas in Baltimore City do not have a lot of students taking the test. The students may be in private or parochial schools who are not required to give these tests or report results to the Baltimore City School Systems or the State Department of Education. Many students may not choose to take the test.

--Therefore, in any area where there were less than 10 students in public school in a given grade, the data are not portrayed and listed as "N/A." This is for confidentiality purposes and data reliability only, and does not reflect the lack of achievement in those areas.

Home-school students under the Maryland home-schooling program are required to take the MSA tests and are included here.

The same is true for students attending Maryland approved Charter and "New" schools.

Results for Edison Schools students are not included in these figures.

Data source:

Baltimore City Public Schools Systems
Maryland School Performance Report 2004

Analysis:

Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance staff
Jerry Cunningham, Baltimore City Public Schools System

Years tracked:

School year 2003-2004 (for access to data by school and for past years, contact us or log onto the Maryland State Department of Education website at www.mdreportcard.org)

Geography:

Citywide, CSA

To access the Indicator:

Download Vital Signs 3

Activate the interactive mapping system

Obtain the Vital Signs by census tract

Download Community Statistical Area profiles

For more information about the Alliance and the Vital Signs, go to the website www.bnia.org.

To find out about your neighborhood, go to the Vital Signs section.

.