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This graph shows three data columns for the “% proficient” perfoming students of the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) for each year. The first column is the score for Bel Air Elementary, the second is the district average, and the third is the state average. Each bar represents the total percentage of students who met the standard, but the bar is also divided to represent the students who scored at an advanced level.
The Maryland School Assessment (MSA) is a test of reading and math achievement that meets the testing requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The test is given each year in early March in reading and math at grades 3 through 8. As early as March 2008, science will be added in grades 3, 5, and 8.The test includes multiple-choice questions and questions requiring written responses.It measures basic as well as higher level skills.Students take the tests for approximately 90 minutes each day. There are four days of testing––two days for reading and two days for math.The testing vendor sends the scores for individual students to local school systems. The school systems then distribute the scores to parents.The MSA scores show how well students learned the reading and mathematics skills in the Voluntary State Curriculum. A norm-referenced score is also provided to show how students performed compared to other students across the nation.Source: MSA Overview, Maryland Dept. of Education
