Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, or MCAP, standardized test results from spring 2024 reflected little overall improvement in English language arts and math, according to data presented at Tuesday’s State Board of Education meeting.

The percentage of English and math test-takers scoring proficiently each rose by less than a percentage point, according to a news release from the Maryland State Department of Education. About 48.4% of students scored proficiently in English language arts, and 24.1% scored proficiently in math across all grade levels.

Though scores were flat overall, there were some shifts among districts, including Baltimore City improving math scores to no longer be the lowest-ranked system in that subject, according to a presentation to the state school board.

Spring of this year marked the third time the full MCAP was administered to Maryland’s public school students. Test scores from the 2022-23 school year reflected improvement in both English and math by over two percentage points, with math scores remaining low.

The education department is expected to release detailed school-by-school data for 2024 later on Tuesday for math and English language arts, but not for science. Statewide, science proficiency declined in fifth and eighth grade, according to the board presentation. Fifth-grade proficiency declined over 10 percentage points from the year prior to 23.9% this year. The decline in eighth-grade proficiency in science was less stark at 1.5 percentage points, falling to 24.9%.

The new results come as several state programs roll out to improve performance, including a new approach to teaching reading. A $6.8 million grant will be used this school year to teach educators the “science of reading” method, which is backed by research and focuses on phonics, understanding syllables and comprehending the meaning of words in sentences, among other techniques.

“It is clear that we must accelerate gains urgently for students across Maryland,” said State Superintendent Carey Wright in the news release. “This is not just about proficiency rates on statewide assessments. A comprehensive approach is needed to meet our goals of ensuring that all students are ready for college, career and life.”

One of Wright’s first actions as state superintendent in April was to create a task force to evaluate the way schools are evaluated — the Maryland Report Card. The task force is expected to provide an update by the end of the year, according to the release.

The report card takes into account MCAP scores in addition to other metrics including graduation rates, attendance and surveys. Wright’s skepticism stemmed from a disconnect between over three-quarters of Maryland schools having three or more stars out of five on the report card when less than a quarter of students scored proficient in math and less than half in English.

Wright, who became interim state superintendent in October last year and was officially appointed in April, is widely credited for dramatically improving math and literacy test scores in Mississippi when she led the education department.

ELA proficiency generally held steady among student subgroups, according to the news release while no groups saw declines in math proficiency. The release said achievement gaps persisted in both subjects for multilingual and economically disadvantaged students as well as students with disabilities.

The MCAP scores were presented to the board ahead of updates and public comment on a literacy policy proposed by Wright in July. The policy would hold back third graders who can’t read on grade level. When proposed at July’s board meeting, board members met the policy proposal with skepticism. State education staff also created a simulation of how many students would be retained based on an MCAP threshold which showed almost 63,000 students would be held back, with more than half being Black or Hispanic/Latino and over a third speaking English as a second language. Uploaded materials to be presented during Tuesday’s board meeting include adjusting the literacy policy to give parents the right to waive a decision to retain a student.

The MCAP took the place of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), which was last taken in the 2018-19 academic year. The state planned to begin the MCAP in the 2019-20 academic year but held off because of the coronavirus pandemic. A diagnostic version of the MCAP was taken by students in the 2020-21 school year to asses students after virtual learning during the pandemic.