Former MCPS Researcher Compares MCPS to Rest of Maryland

Washington Post, Sunday October 3, Page C5, Local Opinions:

Among Md. schools, Montgomery is no outlier

By John C. Larson

The Post once again waxes rhapsodic about the Montgomery County Public Schools [“Gold star for Montgomery schools,” editorial, Sept. 23]. And many of the district’s accomplishments unquestionably deserve celebration. But the discourse in the media could benefit from a corrective balance in the light of gains seen elsewhere in Maryland.
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In math, the 2010 average for Montgomery elementary schools was 88.9 percent of students “proficient” or higher. That score was 13th best in the state, making the district part of a cluster of eight others lying within two percentage points of Montgomery. These scores are good, but they simply don’t jibe with The Post’s editorial declaration that MCPS should be “proud of its status as the state’s top-performing school system.”
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Thus, elementary schools outside Montgomery County are converging more rapidly toward the 100 percent proficiency goal than are those in Montgomery.
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The writer is a former coordinator for applied research for the Department of Shared Accountability in the Montgomery County Public Schools. He retired in 2003 after 25 years of service.

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