HSA Results

Charles County Public Schools High School Assessment (HSA) results show that 91.9 percent of the students in the class of 2009 who have taken all four HSAs have met the graduation requirement.

Of the entire class of 2009, which includes students who have not yet taken all four tests, 88.7 percent have met the requirement. These figures are as of May 2008 and do not include the additional 1.2 percent of students who reached the goal over the summer through the HSA Bridge program. Students meeting the requirement have either achieved a passing score on each of the four tests, achieved a combined score of 1602 on all four tests or completed it through the Bridge Plan. The school system started the Bridge Plan this summer for those students who are having difficulty with traditional tests.

HSA is a requirement for the Maryland High School Diploma for the class of 2009. HSAs include algebra, English II, government and biology. The algebra and English II scores are also used as part of the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) and to determine Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) at the high school level. The state plans to release AYP results on the state report card site, www.mdreportcard.org, later this fall.

After the May administration of the HSA, there were 226 students of 1,992 who had not met the HSA requirement for various reasons. Of those students, 70 seniors have not taken all four assessments  40 students have one test to take, 12 have two tests, eight have three and 10 have not taken any of the four assessments. There are three additional opportunities for students to take or retake the tests this year. "We anticipate that once these students have completed all four exams, they will meet the HSA graduation requirement," Superintendent James E. Richmond said.

Since May, 22 additional students met the HSA requirement through the Bridge program, and approximately 40 other students have submitted final projects that could be accepted within the next two to three weeks. "The percentage of students meeting the requirement changes every week and the vast majority of the students who started the process in the summer are making great strides toward meeting the requirement," said Drew Jepsky, director of instructional assessments. "Most of the 65 students who started the process in the summer have completed their projects or are only a few away from meeting the requirement," Jepsky said.

Additionally, there are 137 students who are working on Bridge projects this fall. "These students are moving closer each day to completing their projects, and I believe that by January we will have close to 100 percent of our students meeting the HSA requirement," Jepsky added.

The Bridge Plan offers some students who have not achieved passing scores on assessments an optional way to meet the HSA requirement. Students failing to pass an HSA can complete a single eight- to twelve-hour project for every twenty-one points they fall short of the passing score.

Students who have not passed the tests are being offered additional classes, support and program adjustments to help move them toward graduation.

"Our biggest concern now," said Superintendent James E. Richmond, "is the number of students we have transferring into our school system who have not met the HSA requirement or taken all of the tests. We have 156 new students who entered our schools this year as seniors and have not taken all the tests. We continue to work with all students to help them achieve this graduation requirement," Richmond added.

HSA results by school and for the county are on the CCPS Web site at www2.ccboe.com/aboutus/fastfacts.cfm on the Fast Facts page.