LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Sept. 14, 2008) - Town Creek Elementary School and White Marsh Elementary School have been included on the list of "Top 100 Elementary Schools in Maryland Suburbs of Washington, DC" based on the number of students at those schools who scored "advanced," the highest of three performance levels, on the 2007-2008 Maryland School Assessment (MSA) exams.
The MSA exams are given to third through eighth grade students throughout the state in reading and mathematics. The data is used to meet federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. Under NCLB goals, all students must score at least at "proficient," the mid level, by 2014. The advanced rating indicates that a student has mastered the material covered at grade level.
Town Creek ranked #37 on The Washington Post's list with 56.4 percent of its students tested achieving an advanced rating. During the previous year, Town Creek ranked #60 on the list.
"We were very excited to hear how well our students performed on the MSA and proud of the hard work everyone did to help our children achieve," said Ms. Kathryn Miluski, principal of Town Creek Elementary. "It is wonderful to see success come from the efforts of our students, parents, and staff."
White Marsh ranked #84 with 46.4 percent of its students achieving an advanced rating, and joins the list for the first time.
"We are very proud to be among the group of outstanding schools noted in The Washington Post on August 21, 2008," said White Marsh Elementary Principal Luchrisha Flowers. "Our recent performance is a direct result of all of the hard work, collaborative planning, and professional development that our staff members are involved in throughout the year. The staff, students, and parents in the White Marsh school community are committed to excellence and it shows in everything we do."
Source: St. Mary's County Public Schools