Percentage

More African-American students in Maryland's Class of 2012 successfully passed a rigorous Advanced Placement exam than ever before, as the state continued to lead the nation in the percentage of students deemed college- and career-ready, according to data released Wednesday by the national College Board. The 11.4 percent of black students who earned a score of 3 or better on an exam still comprises a small fraction of the 29.6 percent of all Maryland seniors who passed a test. But it is among the highest percentages in the nation, reflecting the increased access and success for black students on the exams.

The New England Patriots' pass defense has been improving lately, and one of the reasons can be traced to the presence of cornerback Aqib Talib, who was acquired in a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 1. Talib's personal numbers aren't eye-opening (just one interception and two pass breakups in the team's last eight contests), but the defense's statistics have been much better. After surrendering an average of 285.3 yards, a 66.1 completion percentage and 19 touchdowns in the first nine games, the Patriots have trimmed those numbers to a 253.4 average, a 57.3 percentage and 10 scores.

When Dan Duquette was hired roughly a year ago as the club's executive vice president, the Orioles pointed to his impressive track record in the past with the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox. He was in charge of some very good teams - although none went to the World Series. Of course, the Expos in 1994 might have had the season not ended in August due to labor unrest. And Duquette was one of the primary architects of the Red Sox team that twice won world championships after he left.

Homeowners should be wary of property insurers trying to charge percentage deductibles for damage caused by Sandy, the hurricane-turned-post-tropical-cyclone, according to a bulletin released Tuesday by the Maryland Insurance Administration. Only if the National Hurricane Center of the National Weather Service issues a hurricane warning for Maryland can property and casualty insurance carriers charge a percentage deductible - instead of the more familiar flat-rate deductible - for damage done by a hurricane or other storm, according to Maryland law. The National Hurricane Center did not issue a hurricane warning for Maryland before Sandy hit. Therefore, most homeowners should be charged a flat rate “dollar deductible” on their property insurance claims, not a deductible that is calculated as a percentage of the total value of the policy.

The number of serious violent crimes not reported to police fell from 50 percent to 42 percent from 1994 to 2010, but in recent years the percentage of crimes unreported because of concerns about police has doubled, according to a study released today by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.  Highlights from the report include:  -Rape and sexual assault continue to be unlikely to be reported to police at a startling rate - 65 percent went unreported...

Joe Flacco's accuracy was scrutinized throughout the 2011 season, from his 15-for-32 passing performance in a Week 2 loss to the Tennessee Titans to the AFC divisional round win over the Houston Texans, in which Flacco connected with receivers on just 14 of his 27 attempts. His 57.6 completion percentage was a career-low and also the first time it had dipped below 60 percent. Looking at his splits, there wasn't much fluctuation in his completion percentage; it didn't seem to matter if he was indoors or outside, at home or on the road, or winning or losing at the time.

Baltimore's spending panel Wednesday approved a contract extension that gives a Dallas-based speed camera company a higher percentage of revenue from some tickets. The five-month deal with Xerox State and Local Solutions Inc. - formerly known as ACS State and Local Solutions - will permit the company to continue giving out speed camera tickets within the city limits through the end of 2012. The company's current contract was set to expire on July 31. The company first contracted with the city in 2003, when it began providing red light cameras.

Maude McCourry Lansdowne, sr., pitcher •Four-year varsity player had two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and 10 shutouts •Opponents batted just .200 against her •All-County selection batted .460 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs   Mackenzie Thompson Liberty, sr., pitcher •Led the Lions to the Class 2A state championship, the first in program history ...

Capturing the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament crown helped Loyola close out the regular season as the team with the best RPI (ratings percentage index) in Division I. In the fourth version of the list released by the NCAA Monday evening, the Greyhounds (14-1) jumped from third to first in RPI, which uses a formula of compiling a team's winning percentage, that squad's opponents' winning percentage and the team's opponents' opponents' winning percentage. Loyola is second in the latest Sun rankings.