Student Achievement

• According to the 2011 Maryland Model for School Readiness report, 67 percent of kindergarteners arrive at school “fully ready” to learn; among those entering from pre-k, 73 percent are ready to learn.
• City Schools attributes this progress to aggressive pre-k expansion: In 2011-12, 4,800 pre-k seats were offered, up from 3,200 in 2007- 08. The number of students entering kindergarten from pre-k is up 59 percent in five years.

• In both 2009-10 and 2010-11, students scored at or above the 50th percentile in both reading and math on the Stanford Achievement Test 10, outperforming more than half their peers nationally.
• 2010-11 scores dipped from 2009-10, but the district shows strong growth over a five-year period: 73 percent of schools ranked higher in math in 2010-11 than in 2007; 62 percent ranked higher in reading.
• Children who attend pre-k consistently score higher on both reading and math than those with no pre-k experience.

3rd- to 8th-Grade Students Show Growth over Time

• Between 2007 and 2011, City Schools students have made solid gains in performance in mathematics as shown on the Maryland School Assessments (MSAs), with 25 percent more students at proficient or advanced levels.
• 2010-11 MSA results for reading also reflect the trend of growth over time, with a 19 percent increase since 2007 in students performing at advanced or proficient levels.
• After three straight years of growth, 2010- 11 MSA results were down 3.4 percentage points in reading and 4.9 percentage points in math from 2009-10.

Dropouts Down, Diplomas Up

• City Schools' graduation (leaver) rate was 72 percent for 2010-11, up from 66 percent in the preceding year and a 20 percent increase since 2006-07.
• For the cohort of students who entered 9th grade in 2007, 87 percent had either graduated or were still in school in 2010-11.
• The drop-out rate in 2010-11 was 4.2 percent, a decline of 55 percent since 2006-07.
• For African American males, the four year decline in drop-out rate is pronounced, at 58 percent; the increase in graduation rate is also pronounced, at 26 percent.

College Prep Expanding

• Since 2006-07, the number of Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered has more than doubled, climbing from 58 to 138 in 2010-11.
• The number of AP exams taken in 2011 was 2,374, a 10 percent increase over 2010.
• College mastery scores were attained in 21 percent of AP exams taken in 2011, compared with 17.3 percent in 2009-10.

Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA)

Results from the 2011 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress show continued progress for City Schools students, with particularly encouraging gains in mathematics and among African American males.

Results from TUDA allow comparison among students from 21 large urban school districts. Highlights from the 2011 assessment include the following.

• City Schools’ two-year math gains are among largest of all 21 TUDA districts.
• As shown in the graph at right, when comparing only low-income, African American students, City Schools’ performance (blue bar) relative to other TUDA districts in Grade 4 math improves markedly and surpasses performance of students in large cities (yellow bar) and public schools (green bar) nationwide.
• When comparing only low-income, African American students, City Schools’ performance surpasses large city and national public performance in Grade 8 reading.
• City Schools is contributing to the growth in achievement of students in big cities.

Budget and Finance

• Sources: State, 67 percent; Baltimore City, 19 percent; federal government, 14 percent
• 74 percent goes to salaries, wages and employee fringe benefits; 11 percent to contracted services; the balance covers utilities, equipment, materials, debt service and other expenses and charges.

• In the FY 2012 budget, City Schools’ district office has 973 full-time employees, a 34 percent decrease since FY 2008. This reduction emphasizes the role of the district office — namely, to support schools.
• In 2011-12, a district office reorganization solidified this role by creating 16 School Support Networks, each with a team of 10 staff members to work with school leaders and teachers in support of academic and operational activities and community engagement. A newly appointed School Support Networks Officer reports directly to the CEO. Executive Directors have also been appointed to work with principals in each of the 16 networks.

• Beginning in 2010, school choice has been available to both middle and high school students and their families.
• In 2011-12, City Schools opened a new transformation school (combined middle-high school) and two new charter schools.

Strengthening School Communities

• 2,600 people have registered to volunteer as of the 2011-12 school year.
• In 2010-11, parents and community members provided feedback and input on the budget-making process at 149 schools.
• 10,000 parents and children attended the2011 Ultimate Block Party to celebrate the science of learning through play.

• Innovative teacher and administrator contracts, new for the 2011-12 school year,confirm the central role of school-based staff in influencing student achievement, and they map out movement along career pathways through professional growth.
• A new system for developing, implementing, evaluating and improving professional development has been launched to support teacher professional growth through relevant, high-quality learning opportunities that lead to improved student outcomes.