Maryland Plans For Miraculous Test Score Illusions In 2026
As I listened to the livestream of a recent county school board meeting, I realized how little people (even those is charge) know about state testing in the State of Maryland.
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It's time for a history lesson.
When I began teaching in the late 70's, standardized tests were something schools did to let parents know how their children were doing academically compared to other students in their grade. I remember administering the CTBS, Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, to my students each year. Heck, I remember taking that test or a similar one when I was in school.
The CTBS is still around, but it is no longer the test used in most public schools. It has merged with another testing series called Terra Nova.
In the 1990's, Maryland and many other states wanted to establish their own statewide tests. The push to do so was because they also established a set of Maryland Core Learning Goals. This was in response to a push for standard based reform after the 1983 report A NATION AT RISK. Here is that report:
Prior to 1995, Maryland required students to pass the Maryland Functional tests in Reading, Math, Writing and Citizenship. These were multiple choice tests except for writing which was comprised of two writing prompts that students had to respond to. It's what many of us might call an "essay test." These tests were all fairly low level. Most students passed them in order to graduate.
After that came the Maryland State Performance Assessment Program in the late 1980's, early 90's. MSPAP was a totally different kind of test that required students in grades 3,5, and 8, to test for a period of two and a half hours each day over five consecutive days. They had to complete science experiments, hands on activities, etc. and respond to them in writing or by drawing graphs. Students had to show their work in coming up with math answers. These tests had to be scored by trained scorers. Each year different test items were rotated in and different groups of students took different versions of each test. Tests required schools to be provided with materials for doing the experiments. Students also worked in small groups to conduct short experiments and used the data collected as the basis for their answers. The assessment modeled good instruction by engaging students and by including “real world” scenarios to assess students’ ability to apply higher order thinking skills to actual problems.
They got a score of 1-5 for the proficiency of their answers. It was a very expensive testing program and was an assessment of school performance rather than individual students. The test did not determine if a student passed their grade level. It also took an inordinate amount of time and money to administer and score. Districts often didn't get scores back until well into the next school year.
And those scores were usually miserably bad.
In 1995, Maryland developed a statewide High School Assessment that was tied to Maryland's Core Learning Goals. This was done to improve state and school accountability. The HSA's were first administered in 2000 as a "no fault" test, meaning students did NOT have to pass them to graduate. Starting with the 2009 graduating class, students had to pass the HSA's to graduate.
Despite the warnings that many students would fail these tests and thus not graduate, the state pressed on. The warnings were right. Many students did not pass even ONE of the tests.
There were alternative measures. When too many students couldn't pass the HSA's in English 10, Algebra/Data Analysis, Biology and Government, (and thus couldn't graduate) MSDE created what they called "bridge projects."
Bridge Projects were a joke. Students who couldn't pass the assessments were told to create projects about a topic that related to the High School Assessment they couldn't pass. Imagine doing something like a book report to graduate except this book report might require some math, science, or government skills.
The bridge projects were ridiculous as most of the same kids who couldn't pass the HSA's didn't have the ability, knowledge or motivation to do a bridge project. Teachers who were assigned to oversee these projects practically had to do the projects for the students.
Rather than sticking to the higher standards for students in order to graduated, the State of Maryland chickened out and changed the goal posts. Those students graduated, but they didn't meet standards. No real accountability for student or school system.
Around the same time the Maryland State Assessments were instituted in 2002 due to the "No Child Left Behind Act," a federal act that demanded accountability for school systems. The MSA's were given in grades 3,5,8 and 10.
In 2010, Maryland adopted the Common Core State Standards which were renamed the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards. A few years later, in 2014-2015, the HSA and MSA were replaced with the Partnership for Assessment of Reading for College and Careers or PARCC after those tests had been field tested. These eventually became part of Maryland graduation requirements at least for a while.
A few years later, these tests were deemed too time consuming and impractical, so they were replaced. During that time in 2017, Maryland passed the MORE LEARNING, LESS TESTING ACT which capped testing time in Maryland schools to 2.2% of instructional time. Districts formed committees to study the amount of time spent testing in schools.
It's something districts love to do, form committees to study topics and admire problems ad nauseum without ever fixing them.
PARCC was replaced in 2019 by the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, MCAP. These tests were aligned to state standards and were administered in English Language Arts, math, and science in all grades including once in high school.
On July 25, 2023, the Maryland State Board of Education passed (COMAR) 13A.03.02 Graduation Requirements for Public High Schools in Maryland and 13A.03.04 Test Administration and Data Reporting Policies and Procedures. Starting in the school year 2023-2024, for first-time ninth graders, the American Government and the Life Science Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (LS MISA) End of Course Exams counted for 20% of students’ final grades in the respective American Government and life science courses.
Class grades will be the other 80% of the student's grade in those two classes.
Here is a breakdown of the rest of the state assessments currently given:
1. MCAP English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA)
- Taken annually in grades 3, 4, and 5.
- Measures reading comprehension, writing, and language skills.
2. MCAP Mathematics
- Taken annually in grades 3, 4, and 5.
- Covers grade‑level math standards.
3. MISA – Maryland Integrated Science Assessment
Assesses science understanding aligned to NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards).
Taken once in elementary school, in grade 5.
So, here we are in 2025-2026. It's clear that Maryland's MCAP scores are flat and mediocre at best. Some counties have dismal scores below 20% of students proficient in either ELA or Math:
2023-2024 - ELA 48.4% of students proficient; Math 24.1% of students proficient.
2024-2025 - ELA 47.9% of students proficient; Math 23.3% of students proficient
So, what is the logical thing for Maryland to do? Do they examine instruction in ELA and Math and help teachers do a better job by providing them with training and feedback? Do they examine how much instructional time is wasted on ancillary topics and activities that are not the purview of public schools instead of core subjects? Do they encourage local districts to hold students to high standards and celebrate excellence?
I think we all know the answer to that. No to all of the above. Districts, in cahoots with the unions, will ask for MORE money from the Maryland taxpayer even though the Blueprint for Maryland's Future will cost an estimated $8.2 billion in 2025 and $8.9 billion in 2026. Much of these costs will be handed down to local jurisdictions who will have to raise local taxes. From WBFF Fox 45:
Blueprint costs soar by billions more than expected, Maryland GOP not surprised
Things will not get any better because the State and Locals will never address the REAL problems with education in the State.
For example, teachers will tell you that some of the problems with student learning are centered around poor student behavior. Yet, districts don't address that issue partly because the State has put roadblocks on them doing so. These disruptive students stay in class without any consequences for their behavior, thus dooming the students who want to learn to an environment of frustration and fear.
Parents and teachers alike will tell you that the amount of time students spend in "screen time" is also hurting learning and achievement. Even the use of tablet computers in the classroom contributes to the problem. However, the money from technology companies is too alluring to school systems and their administrators to do what is right for students and give up on that funding. After all, deals have been made.
Others will tell you that in some classes, teachers who don't speak Spanish are teaching classes that are populated by a majority of Spanish speaking students who don't speak English. Counties scramble to find and hire interpreters, thus wasting millions of dollars that could be spent elsewhere if schools were allowed to group non-English speaking students together in classes. This would not only be more cost effective but would create a better learning environment for ALL the students.
And we haven't even addressed the fact that special education services in the state are dismal at best. Pair that with a willful over identification of students with "learning disabilities" and you have a horrible combination. Could we take a good hard look at how we are not only over identifying but also over medicating our kids?
No. What the state has decided to do is change the state tests. Their claim is that the current tests, which the state designed themselves, don't align to state curriculum standards; standards the state also created. How did that happen? How do you create a test that doesn't follow your own standards? It's simple, you don't.
The truth is state educators don't like the results of these tests. They see that students in the state public schools don't do well on the current test. So, they create a test that will be easier for them and will make the Maryland Public Schools APPEAR to have improved instruction and student achievement. It's called "lowering the bar" and Maryland is quite good at the sleight of hand required.
Take one look back at the history of testing in Maryland and you'll see that is what they have been doing for decades. Meanwhile, our students are less educated than ever while testing companies and those involved in the administration of school districts get richer.
We can't wait to see the celebration next Fall as systems tell us how much better they are doing on the new state tests and how the Blueprint "magic" is improving education. I wonder what kind of "happy dance" State Superintendent will perform.
Just remember, it's all magic, deflection and sleight of hand.
