ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland is often reported as having one of the best public school systems in America, and a new scorecard by researchers at Stanford University, Harvard University and Dartmouth College reinforces that idea. According to the Education Scorecard for 2025, Maryland students ranked third in academic growth for reading and fifth in academic growth for math between 2022 and 2025.
These figures highlight a successful recovery process for Maryland students following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the reading and math levels are impressive compared to other states, the average student in Maryland is still about half a grade level behind compared to students from 2019.
One of the possible reasons behind Maryland’s swift academic recovery is the $3.03 billion that our state received in pandemic relief for K-12 schools after COVID-19 began spreading around the country.
Southern and Central Maryland had particularly impressive figures to report. St. Mary’s and Anne Arundel counties are the top districts in math performance growth, indicating that not every county will have equal results. On the flip side, a handful of counties remain well below their 2019 levels, such as Queen Anne’s.
Another important area of study was chronic absenteeism, which is defined in the Education Scorecard as students missing more than 10% of a school year. This figure has lowered from 31.1% in 2022 to just 25.5% in 2025, though it’s still higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“The pandemic was the mudslide that followed seven years of erosion in student achievement. The ‘learning recession’ started a decade ago, after policymakers switched off the early warning system of test-based accountability and social media took over children’s lives,” said Professor Tom Kane of Harvard University.
“In this report, we highlight the work of a small group of state leaders who have started digging out by changing how students learn to read, and 108 local school districts that are finding ways to get students learning again. The recovery of U.S. education has begun. But it’s up to the rest of us to spread it.”
Upon the release of the 2025 Education Scorecard, Gov. Wes Moore said:
“Maryland’s students, educators and families have demonstrated incredible resilience, and today, the data proves that our state is leading the national comeback in public education.
“While we celebrate meaningful progress, the work is not finished. We will continue to invest in our schools, continue our progress to close the teacher shortage, and continue to ensure Maryland delivers on our promise to have the best public schools in the entire country.”
Though Maryland schools faced many challenges due to COVID-19, our state is slowly inching closer to reaching academic levels on par with those of the pre-pandemic world. If the stats continue to trend upward in essential subjects like math and reading, then our schools may return to standard levels within the next few years.
To find fact sheets for each county or learn more about Maryland’s academic recovery, visit EducationScorecard.org.
Got a tip or photo? Text us at 888-871-NEWS (6397) or email news@thebaynet.com.
Join The BayNet Membership for exclusive perks and zero ads.
Don’t miss a story—sign up for our newsletter!
