8% of Baltimore County 8th graders test proficient in math | 'That is a total failure'

(WBFF) — A Project Baltimore report ignited outrage, exposing 23 Baltimore City schools where zero students tested proficient in Math. But every school district in Maryland takes state testing, and Baltimore City was not the only one with concerning scores.

Hours after Fox45 broke the story on Baltimore City’s test scores, Baltimore County State Delegate Nino Mangione posted on social media, writing, “The Baltimore City school system needs a new leader and a complete overall.”

“What we've seen is a continued failure,” Delegate Mangione, a Republican, told Project Baltimore. “In Baltimore City, the school superintendent has to go. I believe that she has failed in her duty.”

Mangione was not alone. Project Baltimore’s reporting caused an outcry on the radio.

“When you see stories coming out like this from Project Baltimore, it should make you scream,” said Clarence Mitchell IV on the C4 and Bryan Nehman Show.

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We also heard from parents and community leaders, saying something has to be done to fix the problems in Baltimore City schools.

But poor student outcomes are not just a Baltimore City issue. We found a similar problem in Baltimore County.

In late January, The Maryland State Department of Education released the 2022 MCAP results - the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program. When Project Baltimore analyzed the scores for Baltimore City, we did the same for every school in Baltimore County. Project Baltimore found seven schools with zero students who tested proficient in Math. That includes Chesapeake, Pikesville and Randallstown high schools and Crossroads Center for Middle school students. The other three are alternative schools, which Baltimore County says take the same MCAP test but “are not considered accountability schools as outlined by the Maryland State Department of Education, and the data from those centers and/or programs is evaluated differently.”

Another 10 schools had just one or two students proficient in math. Nine of those were high schools, including Dundalk, Franklin, and Parkville.

“That is a total failure of a totally failed education system where, finally something needs to be done and collectively with the politicians to get together to say we need a new direction,” Mangione told Project Baltimore.

MCAP scores place students in one of four levels. Levels one and two are considered not proficient. Levels three and four are considered proficient.

Of the total 17 Baltimore County Schools with two or fewer students tested proficient in math, 12 are high schools. And that could get worse. Project Baltimore dug into the MCAP results for eighth graders. In all of BCPS, 8,505 eighth graders were tested in math, and just 684 students were proficient. That’s eight percent, which means 92 percent of all eighth graders tested in Baltimore County are not doing math at grade level.

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“I think that’s not good. We certainly got to do a better job at that,” said Delegate Carl Jackson who represents Baltimore County.

Delegate Harry Bhandari from Baltimore County said, “This is very concerning. I'm very serious about it.”

Delegates Jackson and Bhandari, both Democrats, point to the pandemic learning loss as one reason for the MCAP results.

Project Baltimore reached out to Baltimore County Schools, which gave us this statement:

“As we shared with all BCPS families, students and staff on Jan. 23, MCAP scores in both Baltimore County and across the state show that students are struggling to recover to pre-pandemic levels of performance. State data show nearly 200 schools across central Maryland that saw less than 5 percent of students passing the math MCAP in at least one grade, and as State Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury stated, raising student performance will be a ‘long road to recovery’ not only in Maryland but in Baltimore County as well.While there is much work to be done, it is important to note there are only four schools in BCPS under state accountability standards– not seven– in which no students achieved proficiency. BCPS is working urgently to improve and accelerate student learning, and that work includes offering targeted tutoring supports, reviewing when and how teachers deliver material, and examining math curriculum for gaps and opportunities for acceleration. We are confident that as we take immediate and strategic steps to address these learning gaps, BCPS students will not only surpass state expectations but will also be equipped with the resources and knowledge they need to reach their fullest potential.”

And unlike Baltimore City, Baltimore County will soon have new leadership. Last month, superintendent Dr. Darryl Williams announced he would not seek another contract.

“I'm definitely looking forward to a new superintendent coming in and helping us kind of change those numbers around,” said Jackson.

To address the low scores, Jackson and Bhandari point to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, also known as the Kirwan Plan. Kirwan pumps $30 billion additional dollars into public education over 10 years. The plan, in part, provides more mental health and tutoring services for students, while encouraging professional development and higher salaries for teachers.

“We need to make sure that we look at the result and we fix the problem,” Bhandari told Project Baltimore. “Be honest about it, and be accountable, and do better because that is our future.”

But Mangione doesn’t believe adding more money into the same system is the answer.

“This is an absolute tragedy, and the entire system needs to be revamped,” said Mangione, adding that he supports school choice and competition.

“I think it's too big a bureaucracy in education,” Mangione said. “The teachers union has far too much power. I think this idea that money solves the problem is absolutely incorrect.”