Two-thirds of Montgomery County Public Schools earned one of the top two ratings on the newly released 2026 Maryland School Report Card, according to MCPS.
A total of 134 schools, or 67% of the district, received four- or five-star ratings. That includes 36 schools that earned five stars and 98 that received four stars.
Among the five-star schools, 20 moved up from four stars this year. Another 30 schools improved from three stars to four stars, meaning 50 schools moved into the state’s top two rating tiers. Overall, 56 MCPS schools increased their star rating.
The results represent a significant increase from three years ago, when fewer than half of MCPS schools held four- or five-star ratings. The district’s Future Ready 2025–2030 Strategic Plan calls for 100% of MCPS schools to earn at least four stars by 2030.
MCPS also reported improvement among several student groups. According to the district, 135 schools recorded gains among Emergent Multilingual Learners, including 83 with gains in English Language Arts and 98 in mathematics. A total of 140 schools recorded gains in ELA, mathematics or both among students with disabilities.
Among Black/African American students, 114 schools recorded gains in mathematics and 98 recorded gains in ELA. Among Hispanic/Latino students, 116 schools improved in mathematics and 125 improved in ELA. Seventeen schools posted double-digit increases in their overall state performance scores.
Several individual schools recorded particularly large academic gains. Albert Einstein High School led MCPS in ELA improvement with a 20.9 percentage-point increase in proficiency, including a 27.9-point increase among Black/African American students. Fairland Elementary increased ELA proficiency by 17.2 points, while Rockville High School improved by 13.7 points.
Other notable ELA gains included Cloverly Elementary at 11.9 percentage points, Sherwood Elementary at 10.8 points and Germantown Elementary at 10.3 points.
In mathematics, Laytonsville Elementary led the district with a 15.5 percentage-point increase in proficiency, including a 22.9-point increase among Hispanic/Latino students. Rockville High School improved by 11.8 points, Clopper Mill Elementary by 11.1 points, East Silver Spring Elementary by 10.5 points and Clarksburg High School by 10 points.
Clopper Mill, Germantown and Sherwood elementary schools, along with Albert Einstein, Clarksburg and Rockville high schools, were highlighted by MCPS for strong improvement across both ELA and mathematics.
“In just a few years, we have gone from less than half of our schools with four or more STARs to more than two-thirds,” Superintendent Dr. Thomas W. Taylor said. “These improvements communicate the strong value of public education and demonstrate that our strategic investments are delivering real results for students.”
Board of Education President Grace Rivera-Oven said the results reflect the work of educators, students and families while emphasizing that additional progress is still needed.
“While we celebrate this tremendous progress, we know our work is far from finished,” Rivera-Oven said. “Real progress means ensuring that every child, in every neighborhood and from every background, receives the support they need to thrive.”
The Maryland School Report Card uses the state’s accountability system to evaluate schools and assign ratings ranging from one to five stars. MCPS said the year-to-year star comparisons are based on 2025 and 2026 results, while its academic improvement figures reflect changes in the percentage of students scoring proficient on the state’s Academic Achievement indicators.
