Led by Meade High School’s Top Magnet School of Excellence Honor, six county schools have earned national awards of merit from Magnet Schools of America, the national association for magnet and theme-based schools.
Meade, which hosts one of three International Baccalaureate high school programs in Anne Arundel County Public Schools, is the only one in Maryland and one of about six dozen across the nation to earn MSA’s top honor. Glen Burnie High School, which hosts the county’s lone Biomedical Allied Health magnet program, earned a Magnet School of Excellence award.
Four schools – Annapolis and Broadneck high schools, Wiley H. Bates Middle School, and the Center of Applied Technology South – earned Magnet School of Distinction honors. Annapolis, Broadneck and Wiley H. Bates each host portions of the Apex Arts Magnet Program. CAT-South earned the award for its “Turning Passions into Professions” theme.
“Being named a Top Magnet School of Excellence is a true honor for Meade High School and a testament to the hard work of our entire school community,” said Meade Principal Dr. Ryan Durr, who was recently named High School Principal of the Year by the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals. “As a proud IB World School, we are committed to excellence for all scholars while promoting diversity and inclusion. We are especially proud of our improved AP and IB exam outcomes and the significant strides made across our tapestry of programs. I am incredibly proud of our students, staff, families, and community partners who made this achievement possible. It’s a great day to be a Mustang.”
Dr. Durr and his team have overseen tremendous growth at Meade. In the last two years, the school’s proficiency rate on the English Language Arts assessment portion of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program has risen by 29 percent. Over that same time period, the percentage of students scoring 3 or better on Advanced Placement exams has risen by 13 percentage points, the percentage of students scoring a 4 or better on International Baccalaureate Programme exams is up by 19 points, and the school’s graduation rate has increased by more than 4 points.
To receive a national merit award, members of Magnet Schools of America must submit a detailed application that is scored by a panel of educators. These schools are judged and scored on their demonstrated ability to raise student academic achievement, promote racial and socioeconomic diversity, provide integrated curricula and instruction, and create strong family and community partnerships that enhance the school’s magnet theme.
Schools will formally receive their awards at MSA’s National Conference in April.