Recently results were published for both state and national student proficiency tests, with Maryland mostly showing modest gains continuing post-pandemic.
Maryland students showed steady gains on the state’s latest proficiency tests, continuing a rebound from pandemic-related learning loss. Results from the 2024-25 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), released by the State Department of Education in late August, reveal that English language arts (ELA) proficiency reached 50.8 percent, up from 48.4 percent the prior year and 45.3 percent in 2021-22. Mathematics proficiency climbed to 26.5 percent, compared to 24.1 percent last year and 21.0 percent three years ago. State officials credited sharper curricula, targeted resources, and higher expectations for helping drive incremental but consistent growth.
National results from the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) —often called The Nation’s Report Card—provide additional context. NAEP, which tests Maryland students in grades 4 and 8 every two years, serves as a common benchmark across states in math and reading. While Maryland’s MCAP scores suggest recovery is underway, NAEP data continues to highlight where students fall behind national averages, especially in mathematics. State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright emphasized that while subgroup performance is improving, achievement gaps remain wide. According to the recent data, Asian students reached over 75 percent proficiency in ELA, compared with 39 percent for Black/African American students and 34 percent for economically disadvantaged students.
From a recent Maryland Matters article, Maryland State Superintendent, Dr. Carey Wright, shared:
“What we need to be doing as a state and as superintendents and principals … is identifying those specific children that were still struggling regardless what subgroup they’re in,” said Wright, the state superintendent, during a briefing with reporters Tuesday afternoon. “You’ve got to look at individual children, because each child’s needs are very individual, and that’s what we’re expecting schools to do.”
Despite these disparities in the MCAP scores, nearly all student groups improved in 2024-25, with Black/African American students gaining 3.2 points and economically disadvantaged students gaining 3.4 points in ELA, while counties such as Worcester (+8.4) and St. Mary’s (+5.9) posted the largest math increases. With updated state standards in English and math rolling out for the first time in 15 years, Maryland education leaders say the next step is ensuring those gains extend to every classroom and subgroup, closing gaps that remain stubborn even as overall scores rise.
Compared with the national NAEP results, Maryland’s trajectory mirrors broader trends: reading scores are slowly improving, while math remains the most persistent area of concern. On NAEP, Maryland’s fourth- and eighth-grade reading results now align closely with the national average, while math proficiency continues to trail behind. The contrast underscores that even with local gains, Maryland students face the same nationwide challenge of rebuilding math skills post-pandemic—a gap state leaders say will require sustained focus, resources, and classroom-level innovation to close.
Read through the statewide MCAP results.
Check out the NAEP profile for Maryland.