Annapolis, MD (JK) – Maryland students posted modest gains on the latest Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program exams, with statewide proficiency reaching 51.7% in English language arts and 27.1% in mathematics. State education officials said the results continue a gradual recovery from pandemic learning loss, particularly in middle school reading, although math remains a significant challenge.
The 2025-26 school year marks the final administration of the current MCAP assessment for elementary and middle school students. Beginning next year, it will be replaced by the shorter MSTAR assessment.
For Frederick County, the results continued a pattern of strong academic performance. Frederick County Public Schools again finished among Maryland’s highest-performing districts, with students scoring well above statewide averages in both English language arts and mathematics. Worcester County remained the state’s top-performing district, followed by Carroll County in English and Howard County in math.
Statewide, the largest long-term gains were seen in middle school English, while math proficiency continued to improve slowly but remains below pre-pandemic levels in many grades. Fifth-grade science scores also showed a notable increase this year.
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