Executive Summary

Statewide implementation of the College and Career Readiness pillar is rated Meets overall. Of Maryland's 24 districts, 15 (63%) are on track: two (Howard and Worcester Counties) exceed expectations and 13 meet them. Six districts are approaching expectations (Talbot, Dorchester, Kent, Baltimore County, Cecil, and Charles), and three do not meet them (Prince George's County, Baltimore City, and Somerset County).^[1]

Student outcomes have improved over the five-year window. Statewide, grades 3-8 ELA proficiency stands at 50.2% and grades 3-8 math proficiency at 29.9%, with both rising in each of the last four years.^[1] The strongest district results are in Worcester County (70.0% ELA, 54.6% math)^[1] and Howard County (64.3% ELA, 47.3% math).^[1] Baltimore City has also made large gains, with grade 3 ELA proficiency up 12.1 points since 2021-22.^[1] Career counseling Memoranda of Understanding have been approved in many districts, and dual enrollment has grown substantially in places such as Calvert, Queen Anne's, and Carroll Counties.^[1]

Significant challenges remain. Statewide proficiency is still well below AIB targets: 50.2% against 57% for grades 3-8 ELA, and 29.9% against 37% for grades 3-8 math.^[1] Fifth grade math slipped to 30.2% from 30.7%,^[1] and the districts rated Does Not Meet face deep gaps. Only 23.9% of Baltimore City high school completers and 38.6% of Prince George's County completers met the CCR standard,^[1] and Somerset County's grade 5 math proficiency is 9.3%.^[1] Several districts also report widening proficiency gaps for multilingual learners and students with disabilities, and inconsistent Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention.^[1]