On behalf of the members of the Board of Education and the staff of Queen Anne’s County Public Schools, I am pleased to share our 2011 Annual Report. This report highlights the accomplishments of our school system for the 2011-2012 school year and provides you with a brief snapshot of our school district, outlining our accomplishments of the past school year and serving as our report of progress and accountability.
We want to be as transparent as possible about how we do business, and we invite you to become an active partner in the important process of educating our children.
We began the 2011-2012 school year with a self-study of all areas of our organization. This was done as a part of the Middle States accreditation process for our school system and each of our schools. A survey was sent to parents, staff and students. We had over 7,000 surveys returned to us. A district-wide committee met several times a month to review data presented by the subcommittee responsible for a particular aspect of our organization. The information was carefully reviewed and recommendations were made to improve aspects that needed strengthening. An outside evaluation team visited our district and schools for almost a week in March. In their exit report they noted that we would be recommended for full accreditation. We will now involve the district-wide committee in reviewing the full written evaluation of our school system and will develop a plan to meet any areas of need that were identified.
To achieve success when resources are plentiful is admirable; but to do so when budgets are lean is extraordinary! In Queen Anne’s County Public Schools, we are doing the extraordinary. Despite severe budget cuts from State and federal levels, our district continues to fulfill its mission of achieving everyday excellence for students and all members of the organization. During the 2011-2012 school year we continued to show good gains in student achievement despite the fact that the local contribution to our budget was reduced by 10%. Although we suffered the loss of some staff and programs, every effort was made to minimize the impact on our classrooms. As much as possible, we ensured our students were able to enjoy high quality experiences in academics, the arts, and athletics. Though we faced tough economic times, we used existing resources most efficiently and effectively to support excellence in the classroom.
A study on the economic impact of the Eastern Shore school systems on their individual counties and on the region as a whole was completed last year by Beacon out of Salisbury State University. This study showed that Queen Anne’s County Public Schools provided a 20% return on every dollar invested in the public school system. That means for every dollar spent on the school system, there was a $1.20 returned to the county. This is an excellent return on the county’s investment in the educational system provided to its children. This study reinforced a previous study done by the Center for Progress that reflected Queen Anne’s County Public Schools were among three counties in the state rated at a very high return on investment in terms of the money spent on education and the academic achievement of the children in the system.
We continue to be a top-rated school district by many measures of success. Academically, 2011-12 was an outstanding year for public education in the state of Maryland. Maryland was again named the #1 school system in the nation. In Queen Anne’s County, our 2012 Maryland State Assessment (MSA) scores for elementary schools ranked #2 in the state in reading, # 2 in the state in math and # 1 in the state in science. Our 2012 MSA scores for middle schools ranked #4 in the state in reading and #5 in the state in science. Both Queen Anne’s County High School and Kent Island High School were recognized by the Washington Post for outstanding student participation in the Advanced Placement examination among high schools nation-wide. Moreover, the Queen Anne’s County Public School district met our annual yearly performance (AYP) target. We are so proud that we have never had a school identified by the Maryland State Department of Education as “in need of improvement.”
This past year’s accomplishments were no small feat, especially in terms of significantly reduced funding. These accomplishments represent the collaboration and hard work of teachers, administrators, and support staff. When resources become limited, however, we depend on our community partners even more. You—the parents, grandparents, volunteers, community members, business and civic organizations that step in to help our schools and students be successful—are priceless and we thank you for your help. You are the reason we continue to achieve success.
Despite any challenges that come our way, we will remain committed to our vision and mission, and we pledge that we will do everything possible to protect the integrity of our academic programs and the success of our students. We will keep students safe. We will make sure that qualified and talented staff are teaching and supporting our children and are committed to their success. We will continue to make education relevant for our students through specialized programs and rigorous coursework. The Board of Education and I continue to appreciate the support of our community partners as we work towards the common goal of providing the best education for our children. I am honored to work alongside such an extraordinary group of people, and I am grateful for the partnerships we have created across the school district and community.
Carol Williamson
Superintendent of Queen Anne’s County Public Schools
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