Maryland Releases 2026 School Report Card: Nearly 89 Percent of Public Schools Earn a Top-Three Star Rating, Half Earn Top Two
The Maryland State Department of Education released state, district and school-level results for the 2026 Maryland School Report Card in Baltimore on October 29. The report card uses a five-star scale and measures school performance under the Maryland Accountability System.
Nearly 89 percent of public schools statewide earned one of the top three star ratings, three percentage points above the 2025 results; half of all schools earned one of the top two star ratings, up seven percentage points from the prior year; and one in five schools increased their star rating.
State Superintendent Dr. Carey M. Wright said this year's results highlight the ongoing dedication of Maryland educators, students and school communities, that the rise in star ratings is another meaningful indicator of steady statewide progress, and that the report card remains a critical measure of how well every learner is being supported. State Board of Education President Dr. Joshua L. Michael said the report card is an essential resource for transparency, accountability and continuous improvement, and that the current accountability system helps the public clearly understand school performance.
For elementary and middle schools, rating indicators include academic achievement, academic progress, progress in achieving English language proficiency, and non-academic measures such as school quality and student success. The department did not publish a complete school-by-school star list for every district in the announcement.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：马里兰州议会大厦（州府安纳波利斯）。照片：Martin Falbisoner（CC BY-SA 3.0），经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Maryland State House in Annapolis. Photo: Martin Falbisoner (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
