The number of Anne Arundel County Public Schools to earn five stars on the Maryland Report Card rose 36 percent in the 2024-25 school year compared to the previous year, with an AACPS record 15 schools now holding the state’s highest rating, according to data released by the Maryland State Department of Education today.
Thirteen percent of the 118 AACPS schools for which ratings are calculated received five stars, nearly double the percentage across the state. Ninety-five percent of AACPS schools earned three or more stars, compared to 86 percent across the state, and 53 percent have four or more stars, compared to 43 percent across the state.
“This is tremendous news for our entire district because not only do we have more five-star schools than ever before, we’re seeing progression in schools moving from level to level and growth in the number of points earned within a level,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell said. “These results are a testament, first and foremost, to the quality of work that is going on inside our classrooms and schools, but also to the high-quality instructional materials we are infusing in our district and the work of every single staff member to support teachers and students.”
The list of five-star schools includes the district’s first comprehensive high school – Severna Park High School – under the current star system. Other five-star schools are: Arnold, Belvedere, Benfield, Central, Crofton Woods, Davidsonville, Folger McKinsey, Hillsmere, Jones, Millersville, Severna Park, West Annapolis, and Windsor Farm elementary schools; and Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School.
Overall, 18 schools – including four middle schools – gained a star in the latest report card results. They are:
· Elementary schools: Belvedere, Central, Eastport, George T. Cromwell, Jacobsville, Millersville, Seven Oaks, Severn, Sunset, Van Bokkelen, West Annapolis and Windsor Farm.
· Middle schools: Marley, Meade, Northeast and Old Mill North.
· High schools: Chesapeake and Severna Park.
The results also continue to confirm solid returns on the investments being made in community schools under the Blueprint for Maryland’s future. Five of the 18 schools to gain stars are community schools.
“I am very proud of the work we are doing in our Community Schools program,” Dr. Bedell said. “We are continuing to develop partnerships and innovate to meet the differentiated needs of students and that is reflected in this and other data.”
Calculated from data collected during the 2024-2025 school year, the Report Card marks the third straight year with consistent criteria to determine star ratings. Compared to the 2022-23 school year, the total number of points earned by county schools has increased by 3.3 points at the elementary level, 2.2 points at the middle school level and 2.6 points at the high school level.
The Report Card utilizes metrics that are part of Maryland’s accountability system under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). It incorporates multiple indicators of school performance and calculates them into a final score to arrive at a rating of one to five stars.
Complete results can be found on the Maryland Report Card page. Star ratings for individual county schools can be found on this document.