The number of elementary and middle schools in Maryland failing to meet state standards in math and reading decreased slightly this year, with troubled schools continuing to be concentrated in Baltimore City and Prince George's County, according to data released yesterday.
Of the state's more than 1,000 elementary and middle schools, 173 were deemed "in need of improvement" - a drop from last year's 179 - in this annual reckoning of how well schools measure up on the Maryland School Assessment exams given every March.
While 10 of the 22 schools to be promoted off Maryland's list of failing schools were in Baltimore and Prince George's, the two systems are still struggling to make the progress demanded under President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. Of the 173 schools that fell short, 129 were in those two jurisdictions, including all of Baltimore's traditional middle schools.
FOR THE RECORD - An article yesterday about Maryland schools failing to meet state standards misstated information about the Carroll County school system. In Carroll, three out of 30 elementary and middle schools failed to make sufficient progress on this year's Maryland School Assessment exams.
The Sun regrets the error.
In Baltimore's suburbs, teachers and principals are still bedeviled by the federal mandate that all groups of children - including special-education pupils, minorities and children from low-income families - meet standards. However, newly relaxed rules regarding disabled children may offer some relief.
Some advances
While low-performing schools in Baltimore tended to fail in many testing areas, suburban schools often missed the mark in just one or two, frequently special education.
State education officials said they were pleased with the progress among some pupils in grades three through eight but would like to see more.
"It's very hard work," said state schools chief Nancy S. Grasmick. "My feeling is it is working. There's never been such a focus on the quality of instruction."
The list of schools released yesterday remains tentative, as local officials may appeal for schools that barely fell short. To be included on the list, a school must fail to meet the state goal in the same subject - reading or math - for at least two years in a row.
The longer a school remains on the state's radar, the more onerous the penalties become. In the first two years, schools with large percentages of poor pupils must provide free tutoring or allow transfers to other schools. In the third and fourth year on the list, schools must develop and implement detailed plans to restructure themselves, such as by hiring a turnaround specialist or replacing staff.
