Of Harford County’s 54 public schools, 10 increased their rating in the Maryland Report Card while two decreased, according to state data released Tuesday. Superintendent Sean Bulson attributes the changes to chronic absenteeism.

The Maryland Report Card is an annual report outlining school performance across the state. Schools are ranked through a star-rating system with the lowest ranking being one star, and the highest being five stars. This year, Harford County Public Schools saw more schools increase in their star-rating than decrease.

The 10 schools to increase were:

  • Bel Air Elementary, from four to five stars
  • Church Creek Elementary, from three to four stars
  • Emmorton Elementary, from four to five stars
  • Halls Cross Roads Elementary, from three to four stars
  • Jarrettsville Elementary, from four to five stars
  • Joppatowne High, from two to three stars
  • Meadowvale Elementary, from three to four stars
  • North Harford Middle, from three to four stars
  • Riverside Elementary, from three to four stars
  • Youths Benefit Elementary, from four to five stars

The two schools that decreased in ranking were Edgewood High, which went from three to two stars; and Prospect Mill Elementary, which earned four stars this year, compared with five last year.

Six schools in Harford County received a five-star rating and one school — Center of Educational Opportunity — received one star. Of Harford’s 54 schools, 50% received four stars, 32% received three stars and 1% received two stars.

Compared to Harford’s peers — specifically Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County and Carroll County — Harford had the highest percentage of four and five star schools, at 69%.

 

Bulson said during the Board of Education’s Monday night meeting that although Harford saw many positive changes this year, he does not like the star rating system.

“I’d feel a little awkward if I celebrated [the increases] too much because I am not a huge fan of the star ratings because I do not think they are a good way to measure a school’s effectiveness,” Bulson said.

Bulson explained that he feels the star rankings are not a reflection of the school’s ability to teach students, but instead put a focus on whether students are in classes. Students who are absent 10% of the school year are considered chronically absent. The state’s chronic absenteeism measure doesn’t count only unexcused absences, it also counts excused absences and suspensions, he said.

Regardless of the reason for the absence, Bulson said students not being in school has an impact on student performance, which also impacts the school’s star-rating.

“Whether absences are excused, unexcused or because of a suspension, there is very clear data tying student achievement to attendance,” Bulson said. “Our teachers can’t be effective if our students aren’t in their classes.”

According to state data, improvements in chronic absenteeism did help increase star ratings but only four Harford schools would have had their scores increase had chronic absenteeism been the only measure that improved.

Schools for which the increase in points earned for chronic absenteeism was equal to or greater than the number of points they needed to increase their star rating:

  • Church Creek Elementary, which increased its chronic absenteeism score by three points only needed one to increase its star rating.
  • Bel Air Elementary, which increased its chronic absenteeism score by two points needed two points to increase its star rating.
  • Meadowvale Elementary, which increased its chronic absenteeism score by 1.5 points but needed only one point to increase its star rating.
  • Youths Benefit Elementary, which increased its chronic absenteeism score by 1.5 points needed only one point to increase its star rating.

Despite needing increases in other categories, the chronic absenteeism improvement was a big driver of Halls Cross Roads Elementary’s increase in star ratings. The school gained 12 points to climb star levels, while its chronic absenteeism rate improved by seven points.

The two schools that saw no changes in absenteeism score are Riverside Elementary and Joppatowne High.

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