Baltimore City Schools Post Highest Star Rating Share Since 2022
More than half of Baltimore's public schools earned at least three stars in the 2026 Maryland state report card, a jump from 25 percent in 2022.
By Ivan Mori ·
Baltimore City Public Schools released its 2026 annual report card, showing that 53 percent of its schools earned a rating of three stars or higher. This marks the highest proportion of schools in that category for the district.
The state of Maryland published the data this week, measuring performance across more than 1,400 public schools serving 880,231 students in 23 counties and Baltimore City. Statewide, approximately half of all schools received four or five stars. Another 89 percent earned three stars, a figure slightly above the previous year's total.
Baltimore's results stand out against its recent history. In 2022, only 25 percent of city schools earned three stars or better. Over the past four years, that share more than doubled. Comparing the 2026 data to last year, 23 schools saw their overall ratings rise. Five additional schools reached the three-star threshold or higher, and 15 schools achieved four or five stars.
District officials identified two primary areas of improvement in the latest data. Middle school absenteeism rates decreased across all student groups. Math scores also improved for middle school students with disabilities. The report card system evaluates schools on six specific indicators, including academic achievement on state standardized tests in English Language Arts and math, as well as academic progress and graduation rates for high schools.
Dr. Jermaine Dawson, the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, attributed the results to collective effort. "Strong school ratings are only possible when every student, each family, and all of our staff commit to academic excellence," Dawson said. He added that the district aims to build on this foundation to prepare students for careers and the future.
Robert Salley, the chair of the Board of Education, noted that the district is moving toward its recently announced focus areas. "By achieving the district's highest proportion of 3-, 4-, and 5-star schools, City Schools is already striding toward the Board's recently announced focus areas, which include more high-performing schools," Salley said. The board cited community feedback and support for these changes.
The report card assigns a star rating to each school based on a total earned points percent. This score is calculated by dividing the points a school earns by the total possible points. Schools also receive a percentile rank that compares their performance to other schools in the state. The data allows parents and educators to track year-over-year progress for specific campuses.
The six indicators used to calculate these scores include academic progress, which measures growth on state tests and credit earning in core coursework. It also includes progress in achieving English language proficiency for English learners. School quality and student success are measured by chronic absence rates, survey results from students and educators, and enrollment in a well-rounded curriculum. High schools are additionally evaluated on four-year and five-year graduation rates and postsecondary readiness metrics.
