MD Drops Two Spots In School Ranking
A new assessment of schools now places Maryland as number three, after four years of leading the nation as the number one state in public education. But experts say the drop in rank does not mirror a drop in academic performance.
Superintendent of Somerset County schools John Gaddis tells 47 ABC, this new ranking is not necessarily a blemish in the educational system.
“Moving from one to three, from my perspective, is no big deal. It’s still an honor to be ranked as one of the best states in the country out of the fifty states.” Explains Dr. Gaddis.
After 19 years, “Education Week” — a national publication that ranks state education systems — eliminated three categories, which apparently did not directly measure academic performance They’re now focusing on Chance of Success, School Finance and K-12 Achievement.
According to Holly Yettick, director at the Education Week Research Center, the new focus prioritizes performance and outcomes over policies.
“The categories we kept in in our sort of “newer” stream-line version grades the state more on outcome, so we’re moving away from policy processes and focusing on outcome.” Says Yettick.
Gaddis tells 47 ABC, the new criteria is not a bad idea.
“Ultimately what I’m concerned about is the academic achievement, so I’m actually happy to see some of the other categories that don’t have an impact on the academic achievement are removed from it and I think it’ll validate it a little more, the actual ranking.” Says Gaddis.
Even so, Maryland excelled in all three categories in the report and surpassed majority of the national averages. Where the state fell short was the rate of enrollment for kindergarteners, falling less than one point behind the national average. Though it’s not clear whether that had anything to do with Maryland’s chances for success, Gaddis says it hasn’t stopped his school district from trying to get as many students as possible into schools at a young age.
“And then our goal is go out and get everyone and to get them into our program and enroll them into the public school system, because we know that a structured teaching approach of academic success is going to create a better chance for success.” Explains Gaddis.
Officials from Education Week believe had they adopted the criteria years ago, Maryland would have likely ranked third consistently over the years. School officials say this is not a big concern.
This particular assessment does not indicate funding for schools. To view full report, click here.
