Nearly 80 percent of Maryland schools met the targets, known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), according to data being released today by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).

For 31 schools that had a history of struggles, this year's data brought even better news. Their latest scores, combined with strong results from last year, allow them to exit the State's rigorous School Improvement status.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that states identify schools not achieving Adequate Yearly Progress for two years in a row and place them into a School Improvement status to help them improve student performance. Those schools slated to leave the improvement process saw their scores rise to federally approved targets for both 2005 and 2006 in all race/ethnicity and special services categories (such as special education or English language learners) and achieved AYP, according to MSDE data.

The new data is contained in information being made available today on the MSDE report card website (www.mdreportcard.org). Preliminary data for high schools, such as graduation rates and some High School Assessment scores, will be released next week, with final high school and school system data available in the fall. Also being released today is teacher quality data that shows more students are being taught by teachers who have reached the qualification levels required by NCLB.

"These gratifying results tell us that students and teachers from across Maryland have been paying attention to improving performance across-the-board," said State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick. "Many of our elementary schools are making dramatic progress even as performance goals rise."

Maryland has a long history of school improvement through accountability and assessment. Achievement for grades 3, 5 and 8 has been assessed in Maryland since 1991, while grades 4, 6 and 7 have been included in the accountability program for the past two years.

Maryland School Assessment (MSA) results released earlier this summer found test scores rising in all 24 systems and at all grade levels. Today's release of school-level AYP data found parallel improvement for most systems.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), schools must show progress in both reading and mathematics across all grade levels and in all race/ethnicity and special services categories-special education, limited English proficient, and economically disadvantaged students. If a school is unable to make progress in all areas, including attendance, for two consecutive years, it is identified for School Improvement status and faces a variety of consequences designed to bring about improvements. In some instances, parents are able to transfer their children out of underperforming schools or take advantage of tutoring services.

Maryland had 162 schools identified for School Improvement status last school year. That number rose slightly, to 167, with the release of the 2006 results. The schools now in School Improvement represent just 15 percent of Maryland elementary and middle schools.

Among the data included in today's release on the Maryland report card site: (www.mdreportcard.org.):

• Thirty-seven new schools entered School Improvement for the first time in 2006-2007. These are elementary or middle schools that did not meet their AYP targets in 2005 and 2006, and will enter School Improvement for the first time under Year 1 status.
  
  
• Twenty-nine additional schools could exit School Improvement during the 2007-2008 school year. These elementary and middle schools achieved their AYP targets this year after having previously been identified for school improvement. If they make their targets again next year, they will exit the School Improvement process.
  
  
• The number of highly qualified teachers in the state is on the rise. The percentage of students being taught by highly qualified teachers statewide improved from 75 percent to 80 percent over the past year.