From the AACPS Communications Office:

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The percentage of Anne Arundel County Public Schools' third- through eighth-graders who scored high enough to be designated as on track for college and career readiness matched or exceeded that of scores in Maryland and across all PARCC states in 11 of the 12 tested areas on the first round of the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers assessments, according to data released Tuesday. Overall, 48.3 percent of students who took the English assessment scored a 4 or 5, the levels designated by PARCC as being on track to be college and career ready. That was more than 9 points higher than Maryland students as a group. In math, 35.2 percent of students achieved a 4 or 5, about 6 points higher than the state.

More than 40,000 students took the initial PARCC assessments last spring. The percentage of county students scoring a 4 or 5 at every elementary grade level in both English and math was better than that in Maryland and that of the average of the 12 PARCC states (including the District of Columbia). At the middle school level, the percentage of county students scoring a 4 or 5 exceeded that in Maryland and the PARCC states in all assessments except sixth-grade English, where it was better than Maryland and equal to the PARCC states; and in eighth-grade math, where it was below both Maryland and the PARCC states.

"As was the case with the high school scores, these represent a starting point for us," Superintendent George Arlotto said. "There are many variables related to these assessments, and we must examine this data closely to determine how each of those variables impacted student performance." The highest percentage of scores of 4 or 5 on both the English and math assessments came in third grade, where 56 percent of students hit the mark in English and 46.8 did so in math. In English, 51.3 percent of fourth-graders and 50.3 percent of eighth-graders scored a 4 or 5. In math, 38.9 percent of fourth-graders and 37.6 percent of fifth-graders did so.

County results also revealed the same types of gaps among student groups that were present with the high school PARCC scores and with the previous Maryland School Assessment scores.

"These are, again, new assessments, and we must look very closely at this data and determine the best ways to support every one of our students individually," Arlotto said. "Our students are no less intelligent today than they were last year or several years ago, and our employees are no less committed to helping every student reach his or her potential."