Results released today by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for the 2025–26 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) confirm that Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) students have achieved a decade of consecutive gains in English Language Arts (literacy) and extended their growth in mathematics to four consecutive years. Go to The Maryland Report Card for the full assessment results.
Outpacing statewide literacy growth to reach the highest proficiency rate since 2017: City Schools has a 32.9% literacy rate after consistently increasing proficiency year after year.
Strong single-year literacy gains: Baltimore students achieved a 1.7 percentage point increase in literacy proficiency over the past year, nearly doubling the statewide growth rate of 0.9 percentage points.
Steady math scores: In mathematics, City Schools posted a 0.7 percentage point increase, mirroring statewide math growth of 0.6 percentage points and extending a four-year upward trajectory.
“A decade of growth in literacy and four straight years of math progress show what happens when we stay focused on our schools as the primary unit of change,” said Dr. Jermaine Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of City Schools. “We want to be the leading school district in Maryland, and we are going after that goal in every classroom, every single day. While we celebrate this momentum, we remain clear-eyed that we still have work to do to reach the high standard our Baltimore families deserve. We are rolling up our sleeves to accelerate this progress so every student leaves our schools on a clear path to long-term success.”
Key performance highlights
Literacy growth across the district: Literacy proficiency expanded across nearly all grade levels and student groups.
Grades 5, 8, and 10 achieved the district’s highest rates of literacy improvement: ELA 10 grew by 4.3 percentage points compared to 0.2 percentage point-growth for the state.
Significant literacy gains for Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students:
Hispanic/Latino students: Grew 2.0 percentage points in ELA, outperforming the state's growth of 1.4 percentage points.
Economically disadvantaged students: Increased ELA proficiency by 1.7 percentage points, outpacing statewide growth of 1.1 percentage points.
Mathematics proficiency grew for the fourth straight year overall: Led by three consecutive years of improvement in Grades 5–8 and Algebra I.
Outperforming the state in math:
City Schools' overall 0.7 percentage point increase in math mirrored statewide growth of 0.6 percentage points.
Hispanic/Latino students outperformed the state in math, growing 1.9 percentage points compared to 1.1 percentage points statewide.
Core strategies fueling academic growth
City Schools attributes these consistent, long-term gains to targeted educational investments and disciplined classroom execution districtwide:
Strengthening Instruction: Investing in ongoing professional learning and school-based coaching to improve high-quality instruction for all learners, paired with targeted assistance for struggling students.
Expanding Writing Across Disciplines: Expanding “The Writing Revolution” to support explicit writing instruction across subjects.
High-Quality Curriculum & Materials: Ensuring educator and student access to high-quality instructional materials across all schools.