"[The MSPAPs] have had an enormous effect on the way teachers teach," says Dr. Richard Towers, principal of a high school in suburban Maryland and an active observer of the changes. "Teaching is much more active and hands-on," he said, "especially in the primary grades."
Last year was the third year of the MSPAPs and, when the state issued the latest report card, it was able to show a steady, though slow, increase in the scores. For example, in 1993 -- the first year -- 28.6 percent of third-graders received a satisfactory score and only 2.1 percent an excellent score on the mathematics test. Last year, the numbers were 42.1 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. Not only the top school systems are showing improvement but also those considered to be lower-performing, such as Baltimore City.
It is these kids -- the ones who have taken performance-based tests since the third-grade -- who will first be expected to meet the higher standards of the high school assessments.
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