Reports of faltering schools across Maryland mar the anticipation of a new school year that should be focused on positive activities like buying school supplies and meeting new teachers. These discouraging numbers should leave parents to wonder what their district school can or cannot provide for their children. Instead, the state board of education chose to highlight the four out of five elementary schools statewide that met performance benchmarks.

But what of the remaining one in five? Thousands of Maryland?s children attend the 167 schools that did not meet performance standards last year. And, 20 percent more schools failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress this year than last year.