Participation

With Howard County's average SAT score at its highest ever, school officials are encouraged by what they see as a gradual improvement among the school system's black and Hispanic students, who have consistently lagged behind their white and Asian counterparts. Results released last week by the College Board show that the county's class of 2005 posted an average score of 1113 on a 1600-point scale - a 16-point jump compared with last year. The verbal score averaged 552; the math score averaged 561. Each section is scored on a scale of 200 to 800. The school system's data analysis, which aimed to weed out errors, produced a slightly higher average of 1115.

EVERY YEAR when the Scholastic Assessment Test scores come out, the choir on the right hauls out the hymnals and sings: "See, money makes no difference!"The song goes something like this: The states that score well on the SAT are relatively low-spending. Conversely, high-spending states such as Maryland perform relatively poorly -- in Maryland's case in the middle of the national pack.Southern politicians swell with pride. Mississippi, one of the poorest states economically, ranks in the teens among the 50 states if only raw scores are considered.

Maryland high school students posted lower marks last year on the SATs but saw increases in Advanced Placement college exam participation and results, according to data released on Monday by the College Board. The state's test takers during the 2011-2012 academic year registered a 5-point drop in average SAT scores (1,487 on the 2,400-point scale) from the previous year, said the College Board, which administers the college readiness exams. Maryland scored 497 in critical reading (down two points)

River Hill 12th annual 4th of July Parade Location: Great Star Drive, Columbia Time: 9 a.m. to noon Description: Parade starts at Pointers Run Elementary School and will proceed down Great Star Drive. Six fire vehicles will lead the parade, which will incorporate floats as well as pedestrians. Participants include the Pheasant Ridge Rapids swim team, Pointers Run Piranhas swim team, Moms Club of Clarksville and local Boy and Girl Scout troops. The Precision Lawnchair Marching Dads, crowd favorites for their chants, lawn chair routines and patriotic boxer shorts, are expected to make an appearance.

Joel A. Getz, son of Alan and Carollee Getz of Bel Air, recently received the Joseph R. Hamlin Award from Harvard University for Outstanding Alumni Participation.NB Mr. Getz, a graduate of Harford Day School, the Gilman School,and Harvard University, was elected president of his class and served as chairman for its fifth reunion.Mr. Getz also led his class to the highest participation level of any fifth-reunion class in Ivy League history and broke all fifth, 10th, 15th and 20th Harvard reunion participation records.

Private pesticide training is available this month Maryland Nutrient Management Regulations require that all people who own or operate agricultural land and apply any nutrient to more than 10 acres must hold an applicator voucher issued by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The Carroll County Extension Office will hold private pesticide training from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and March 16 at 700 Agriculture Center, Westminster. Applicators are required to attend one two-hour training session every three years.

Introducing the Baltimore Sun Book Club The Sun is launching a reader book club with Emily Giffin's "Where We Belong" (St. Martin's Press, $27.99). Participation is easy: 1. Read the book 2. Go to the Baltimore Sun's Read Street Facebook page and start chatting with us as we ask questions about the book. We'll be chatting right up until Sept. 29. 3. Come hear Giffin when she discusses her new novel 12 p.m., Sept. 29 at the Baltimore Book Festival. The Sun is sponsoring her festival appearance at the Bank of America Literary Salon ( map )

75 years ago Assistant Secretary of the Navy Col. Theodore Roosevelt addressed the U. S. Naval Academy commencement exercises. This is the last of the wartime classes. -- The Sun, June 2, 1922.A popular minstrel show put on by the volunteer fire department of West Annapolis was again a hit. The popular end men was Clinton Shaw and Will Rogers. -- The Sun, June 16, 1922.A separate ceremony for 18 male members of the graduating class of Annapolis High was held yesterday. They were denied participation in the regular June 14 commencement because of participation in a hazing incident.

Minority contractors part of Pier Six plan I am outraged at the media's recent portrayal of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church's participation in the Pier Six concert venue project ("Pier Six deal is seen as suspect," Jan. 14). This is a political smear campaign that has absolutely zero basis in fact and smacks of racism. Bethel AME's participation does not come in lieu of any required minority equity participation, minority contracting participation or any other form of minority participation in the project.

Cecil Elementary wins library award in reading program BALTIMORE - Cecil Elementary School had the highest participation among all city schools in the Enoch Pratt Free Library's annual summer reading program, the fourth year in a row that Cecil has won the library's Director's Cup award in the program. In all, 250 Cecil Elementary pupils - 61 percent of the student body - took part in the program, reading a total of 2,514 books. Citywide, more than 7,300 children finished the summer reading program.