CAMBRIDGE – Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) students in Grades 3 through 6 and Grade 10 now exceed pre-Covid levels of English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, according to test results released by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) earlier this week, a statement from DCPS said on Tuesday.

Scores from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) administered during Spring 2023 showed that 32% of Dorchester County students in Grades 3 through 8 scored proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA), an increase of 4.1 percentage points over last year, exceeding the state’s average growth of 2.9 percentage points. Thirty-five percent of Dorchester County’s 10th graders demonstrated proficiency.

Mathematics assessments showed continued growth over last year’s results in every year group except 6th grade, with an average increase of 2.0 percentage points. The county’s proficiency in Grades 3 through 8 was 14%; it was 25% for the state as a whole. Algebra I proficiency was 7%.

Science scores, reflecting assessments in Grades 5 and 8, showed positive trends, the statement said. Fifth grade students made growth with a 2023 score of 23.5% proficiency. Eighth grade students showed a small increase, with a proficiency score of 19.1%; Dorchester was the only county in the state that had a positive trend in eighth grade student performance.

Superintendent Bromwell said, “DCPS understands that success does not happen overnight. We are on a journey to improve student achievement. While we saw some progress this year, we still have a long way to go to reach our destination. We are analyzing the school level data to determine what additional supports we can put in place to address student needs and what other resources schools need to serve our students and families. Our journey continues to our destination of all students being college and career ready.”