Md. students fare better

More schools meet federal target

Carroll schools put in a repeat performance this year, with no schools failing to meet adequate yearly progress. Gregory Bricca, Carroll's director of research and accountability, said the accomplishment reflects the district's expectations. "It really is a cumulation of the MSA results that we got weeks ago," Bricca said.

Five schools in Howard County - two elementary and three middle - did not meet federal standards this year. The schools are: Bollman Bridge Elementary, Stevens Forest Elementary, Harpers Choice Middle, Patuxent Valley Middle and Oakland Mills Middle.

School system officials said that there are plans to redirect additional support to them. "There are forces in place with curriculum [department] to deal with the schools," said Portia White, Howard County's coordinator of testing. "This system has rallied around these schools and has put the [measures] in place to help them succeed next year."

Superintendent Sydney L. Cousin said there was no need for alarm.

"All of these schools have successfully met our local standard of having 70 percent or more of their students scoring at proficient or above in both reading and mathematics," Cousin said.

In Harford County, only Aberdeen and Edgewood Middle schools are on the list of schools needing improvement and each has only a small group of students who did not pass the Maryland School Assessment.

Parents whose children are at schools that do not meet progress for several years in a row can ask for free tutoring services for their children or can request a transfer to a school not on the list.

School systems will mail out letters to those students who qualify in the next few weeks.

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Sun reporters Arin Gencer, Nicole Fuller and John-John Williams IV contributed to this article.