LEONARDTOWN, Md. (August 30, 2007) - The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released St. Mary's County Public Schools' (SMCPS) student performance results for the 2007 High School Assessments (HSA) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007. All student groups made gains on all four tests. For the Algebra/Data Analysis, Biology, and English assessments, student scores continued to show dramatic increases.
The 2007 HSA scores are the highest scores ever attained by SMCPS high school students, say SMCPS officials. Passing scores for the Algebra/Data Analysis HSA rose from 70.2 percent in 2006 to 83.0 percent in 2007. The Biology score rose from 80.1 percent in 2006 to 86.5 percent in 2007, and the English score rose from 67.5 percent in 2006 to 79.0 percent in 2007.
"I am extremely pleased with the progress we are continuing to make at the high school level," wrote Dr. Michael J. Martirano, superintendent of schools, in a released statement. "The vast majority of the students in our first graduating class who need to pass these assessments for graduation have met the necessary requirements. It takes purposeful effort and a real commitment on the part of students, parents, and educators to attain this tremendous level of success."