Of the nearly 100 different types of high school diplomas that are awarded across all fifty states and the District of Columbia, less than half prepare students for success in college and career. And while the national high school graduation rate is at an all-time high, the rate at which students earn these college- and career-ready (CCR) diplomas…

At the request of the Superintendent of Schools in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the Office of Shared Accountability (OSA) examined the enrollment and academic performance of students in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in schools implementing the Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) initiative. The goal…

The science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce, and therefore STEM education, has become increasingly central to the U.S. economic growth and competitiveness over the past five decades. Nationally, the number of STEM workforce positions and the number of STEM postsecondary graduates have increased over time, but there is…

This study of Maryland State Department of Education data on K-12 public school students in Maryland for 2009/10, 2010/11, and 2011/12 examines whether exclusionary discipline (suspension and expulsion) is given out in a way that has a disproportionate impact on Black and other racial/ethnic minority students relative to White students, and on…

Business leaders in Maryland cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. The state's students have made at least some…

In the United States exclusionary discipline (suspension and expulsion) is commonly used to remove disruptive students from the classroom or school. While any disciplinary action should be applied fairly and consistently to all groups, for more than 35 years the research literature has highlighted a discipline gap between racial/ethnic minority…

This report provides educators and policymakers with information they can use to celebrate their successes, understand their unique challenges, and set meaningful goals to increase opportunity for all students. It is important to note that while AP® Exams are valid measures of students' content mastery of college-level studies in specific academic…