Maryland's bold program to bring adequacy and equity to elementary and secondary classrooms continues to bear fruit, according to a new independent analysis.
The Bridge to Excellence (BTE) Act has helped student proficiency levels improve at all grades and among all subgroups tested, according to MGT of America, a national consulting firm studying the law's results. The additional funding, combined with the requirement that school systems assess their programs, has sparked continuous classroom improvement.
"In the years following the implementation of BTE, local school systems demonstrated substantial improvements in the percentage of their student populations who were proficient in reading and mathematics, as measured by the Maryland School Assessment," the report says.
"More important, in the three-year period from 2004 to 2007, the gap in percentages of Maryland students who needed to demonstrate proficiency to meet the No Child Left Behind goal of 100-percent proficiency by 2014 was closed by 35 percent in reading and 42 percent in math for the statewide aggregate of students in the elementary grades (3-5); and 17 percent in reading and 30 percent in math for the aggregate of students in the middle grades (6-8)."
MGT provided to the State Board today a second round of interim results for BTE. The detailed report mirrors an initial study completed for the State Board members one year earlier. A final report on BTE will not be complete until the end of the year.
"Our school systems are doing a wonderful job in using responsibly the generous Bridge to Excellence funds, targeting the instructional areas that need them most," said State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick. "This report is great news for both educators and Maryland taxpayers. It shows that our schools are on the right track."
The Maryland General Assembly in 2002 approved the BTE Act, which is bringing an additional $1.3 billion annually to public schools by 2008. The Act, which set into law many of the recommendations of the Thornton Commission, also required a study of the program's effectiveness, leading to the MGT research.
General Assembly members required that BTE funding adhere to four principles: adequacy, equity, simplicity, and flexibility. The law avoided earmarking funds for specific interventions, prompting school systems to direct money at areas they believe are most in need.
MGT found that the largest percentage of additional funds went to recruit and retain qualified staff, widely viewed as the most critical school-based factor to improving student achievement. Other instructional items, such as supplies, textbooks, and other teaching materials, also received additional dollars from BTE.
The master planning process required by BTE has effectively improved school system performance, according to MGT. Each of the 24 school systems has been required to develop a five-year master plan, which is reviewed and assessed by MSDE staff. The plans target specific local areas of need.
Over the next year, MGT will be conducting a web-based survey in which all Maryland public school teachers and administrators will be encouraged to participate. The survey will identify the extent to which potential best practices have been implemented in Maryland schools. In addition, the firm will continue to gather and analyze MSA and HSA data at the school level to ascertain the extent to which BTE is working.
The complete report is available online at the Bridge to Excellence web site.