Data

This assessment does not reflect the effectiveness of kindergarten classrooms, but rather allows for comparisons and analysis of prior care settings such as Pre-K, Head Start, home care, non-public nursery school, and others. The KRA evaluates students in four domains: language and literacy, mathematics, social foundations, and physical well-being and motor development. 

Districtwide results for 2012-21 

• The fall 2021 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) is the first measurement since the COVID pandemic. City Schools’ kindergarten readiness decreased from 37 percent in 2019 to 25 percent in 2021. In Maryland, the rate fell from 47 percent to 40 percent.
• City Schools saw particularly large decreases in kindergarten readiness among English Learners and Students with Disabilities. Both groups reported 7 percent readiness this year, less than half the proportion demonstrating readiness in 2019-20. 
• Our pre-k and kindergarten enrollment outcomes mirror national trends: more first-time families are enrolling their students for in-person learning compared to when classes were virtual. Numerous published pieces have noted that in-person learning is especially critical for early learners.
• With the return of in-person learning, more pre-K students are returning to our schools. Our pre-K enrollment grew by nearly 34 percent. There are 3,766 students this year, compared to 2,816 the previous year.
• We experienced a sharp decline in our pre-K enrollment during the previous two school years due to the pandemic and the shift to distance learning. While we are not back to our historical numbers, we did see a significant increase (of nearly 34%).
• Although readiness rates decreased across prior care settings other than non-public nurseries, students at City Schools Pre-Ks and those with Judy Centers were the most likely to be ready for kindergarten when controlling for student characteristics.  

Districtwide results for 2019-20 

• City Schools’ kindergarten readiness rate fell by 2 points over the previous year to 37%. The decrease in kindergarten readiness was particularly large among Hispanic/Latino students and English Learner students. 
• Although readiness rates decreased across prior care settings other than non-public nurseries, students at City Schools Pre-Ks and those with Judy Centers were the most likely to be ready for kindergarten when controlling for student characteristics.  

 Districtwide results for 2018-19 

• City Schools’ kindergarten readiness rate fell by 2 points over the previous year to 39%, partly due to a change in scoring methodology. 
• Readiness gaps exist by race/ethnicity, economic disadvantage, English learner, and disability status. 
• Students who attended City Schools pre-kindergarten programs with Judy Centers demonstrated higher rates of readiness than students across public Pre-K programs in the state. 

After the 2018-19 school year, Maryland transitioned from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) standardized assessment to the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) to measure student achievement in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. With the intention to begin implementation during the 2019-20 school year, the administration of MCAP was put on hold in response to the coronavirus pandemic, therefore, there are no MCAP assessment results available for the 2019-20 or 2020-21 school years.

• PARCC Results: 2017-18 and 2018-19
• In 2018-19, student achievement in English language arts (ELA) and in most grades in math  increased from the previous year in the percentage of students scoring proficient or above (levels 4 or 5). Particularly strong gains were seen in English language arts, especially in the middle grades. In 7th grade, students scoring a level 4 or 5 increased by 3.1 percentage points from the previous year, 3.1 percentage points in 8th grade, and 2.7 percentage points in 6th grade.

The NAEP is a nationally representative assessment that measures what selected students in 4th and 8th grades know in math and reading. City Schools participates in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). A primary goal of TUDA is to focus attention on urban K-12 education and academic achievement in urban districts. This assessment is normally conducted every two years. The 2021 administration was postponed to 2022 due to the pandemic, such that 2019 results are shown as the most recent year’s results. 

• City Schools holds steady on 2019 NAEP results (press release; October 30, 2019) 
• Data are accessed using the Nation’s Report Card website

A graduation cohort is a group of students who enter the ninth grade for the first time together with the expectation of graduating within four years. A 4-year (or "on-time") graduation rate is the percentage of students in a cohort who earn a diploma within four years of entering the ninth grade. Five-year graduation and drop-out rates reflect earning a diploma or withdrawing from school within five years of entering ninth grade. Graduation and drop-out rates are calculated by the Maryland State Department of Education annually.

• Classes of 2020 and 2021
  • This is data represents student outcomes during the first full school year of the COVID-19 pandemic.Students experienced mass disruptions to their traditional teaching and learning environment during this period. Challenges include virtual learning, periodic individual and classroom quarantines, and lack of in-person access to support programs and activities.
  • The 4-year graduation and drop-out rates are provided for the Class of 2021 cohort, which includes students who entered ninth grade for the first time in SY 2017-18. The 5-year graduation and drop-out rates are provided for the Class of 2020 (first-entered ninth grade in SY 2016-17).
  • The Class of 2021 had a four-year graduation rate of 69.2 percent. The figure is less than one percentage point less than the 70 percent recorded for the prior cohort. The new figure also aligns with the 70.3 percent recorded by the Class of 2019.
  • The Class of 2021 has a four-year dropout rate of 12.5 percent. The dropout rate decreased for the third consecutive year:
    • 15.9 in 2019
    • 13.1 in 2020
    • 12.5 in 2021 
  • The Class of 2020 had a five-year graduation rate of 72.4 percent, more than one percentage point lower than the prior cohort’s five-year rate of 73.9 percent.

• Classes of 2019 and 2020
  • The 4-year graduation and drop-out rates are provided for the Class of 2020 cohort, which includes students who entered ninth grade for the first time in SY 2016-17. The 5-year graduation and drop-out rates are provided for the Class of 2019 (first-entered ninth grade in SY2015-16).
  • The Class of 2020 had a four-year graduation rate of 70.0%, which represents a small decrease of 0.3 percentage points from the Class of 2019. Four-year graduation rates increased over the past several years from 69.7% in 2014 to a high of 72.2% in 2018, and then decreased slightly to 70.3% in 2019 and ultimately 70.0% in 2020.
  • The dropout rate for Class of 2020 has also decreased 2.8 percentage points from last year, down from a rate of 15.9% in 2019 to 13.1% in 2020. The dropout rate was lower in 2020 than in previous years, with the exception of 2014.
  • The Class of 2019 five-year graduation rate of 74% is 1 point lower than the prior cohort’s five-year rate of 75%.

• Classes of 2018 and 2019
  • The 4-year graduation and drop-out rates are provided for the Class of 2019 cohort, which includes students who entered ninth grade for the first time in SY 2015-16. The 5-year graduation and drop-out rates are provided for the Class of 2018 (first-entered ninth grade in SY2014-15).
  • The Class of 2019 had a four-year graduation rate of 70.3%, which represents a decrease of 1.9 percentage points from the Class of 2018. Changes in graduation assessment requirements may have contributed to these decreases. The five-year graduation rates for the Class of 2018 increased slightly by .02 percentage points to 75%.
  • The dropout rate increased slightly by .9 percentage points to 15.9% in 2019 from 15% in 2018.