{"id":88890,"date":"2026-07-28T10:52:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T14:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msde\/?p=88890"},"modified":"2026-07-28T10:52:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T14:52:21","slug":"2025-26-mcap-scores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msde\/2025-26-mcap-scores\/","title":{"rendered":"State MCAP Scores Reach Five-Year High in English Language Arts and Mathematics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span>Raven Hill, 410-767-0486<\/span>
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State MCAP Scores Reach Five-Year High in English Language Arts and Mathematics<\/b><\/h2>\n

Final MCAP administration for grades 3-8 shows continued rise in student performance for the 2025-26 school year.<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n


BALTIMORE (July 28, 2026)<\/b> \u2013 Results from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) for the 2025\u201126 school year reached a five-year high as the state prepares to transition to a new testing program. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released complete MCAP results today during the State Board of Education meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Student proficiency in English language arts (ELA) reached 51.7 percent, a 6.4 percentage-point increase <\/span>since the 2021-22 school year, which was the first full MCAP administration<\/span>. Mathematics proficiency reached 27.1 percent, up from 21.0 percent during the same time period.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Among grade levels, student proficiency in middle school ELA and elementary mathematics experienced some of the largest gains over the last five years. ELA proficiency rates for sixth through eighth grades reached 51.8 percent \u2014 an 8.4 percentage point increase. Proficiency rates on the <\/span>third through fifth grade mathematics tests increased 6.0 percentage points over five years, reaching 35.8 percent last school year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall results of the 2025-26 school year remained steady with slight improvements from the previous year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The launch of MCAP preceded the implementation of the landmark Blueprint for Maryland\u2019s Future legislation by one year. Last school year marked the fifth and final full MCAP administration; the newly designed Maryland System of Testing Academic Readiness (MSTAR) will start with third through eighth grades during the 2026-27 school year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout the history of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, students in every grade level continued to make gains in nearly every subject area,\u201d said <\/span>Dr. Carey M. Wright, State Superintendent of Schools<\/b>. \u201cOur students\u2019 progress shows great potential. We will continue building on these results by targeting instructional coaching, tools and resources.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaryland students have now shown steady, year-over-year progress, ranking among the fastest-recovering states nationally in reading and math,\u201d said <\/span>Dr. Joshua L. Michael, State Board of Education President<\/b>. \u201cThese latest results confirm the gains are real and continuing. Sustained focus on classroom instruction, backed by the investments through the Blueprint for Maryland\u2019s Future legislation, is how progress is made. We still have a long way to go, but we are moving in the right direction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s MCAP results mirror other recent measures of academic progress in Maryland:<\/span><\/p>\n