Prince George’s County Public Schools Superintendent John Deasy said Tuesday the school system is making progress toward raising student achievement and closing achievement gaps, but expressed concern about the potential consequences of looming economic problems.
Deasy told several hundred parents, faculty and others gathered at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro for his State of the School System Address about the projected $1.7 billion state structural budget deficit for FY-09 and the slowing of state and local economies.
“We have already begun assessing where cost cuts can be made without affecting classroom instruction,” Deasy said, in a transcript of his speech.
Deasy said achievement is at its highest since Maryland began assessing students in 2003, as required under No Child Left Behind.
A slide presentation showed that 65 percent of elementary school and middle school students reached proficiency in reading on Maryland School Assessments in 2006-07, compared with 45 percent in 2002-03. Similarly, 59 percent of them achieved proficiency inmath, compared with 33 percent in 2002-03.
Special education students, students who came to the school system not speaking English and students from lower income levels also showed improvement during the same period.
Deasy also pointed out that 18 county schools made the necessary progress to be removed from a state list of struggling schools this year.
“Not one bit of the good news regarding student achievement would be possible without our teachers,” Deasy said.
Before Deasy launched into his presentation, the large crowd was entertained by a student musicians and there was a color guard presentation.
The superintentent highlighted increased participation in Advanced Placement and SAT tests and discussed several new programs to raise student achievement in middle schools.
He also talked about what the system is doing to make it more inviting to parents. Deasy said all 207 schools have parent resource centers and parent liaisons. “If parents are to be our partners,” he said in his transcript, “we must continue to find ways to make it easier to parents to be involved in the education of children.”
