At Baltimore's five best high schools, 11% of students tested proficient on state math exam

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A fraction of students at the five highest-performing Baltimore City high schools are proficient in math on state exams, according to a review of unredacted scores for every school in the city.

The findings come after an earlier review of the records found 13 high schools where zero students who took the 2023 math exam scored proficient. The report sparked a strong reaction in the community.

“I can’t tell you how horrible that is,” said Bryan Nehman, reacting to the report Tuesday morning on WBAL radio’s C4 and Bryan Nehman Show.

“This is when people get fired,” said C4. “When you have this much of a ringing failure in your school, it should cost somebody their jobs.”

“Parents, guardians, supporters, need to be outraged,” said Sheila Dixon, a Democratic mayoral candidate. “It’s sad and disheartening because, first of all, today, more than ever, the school system has the money and the resources.”

WBFF's Project Baltimore questioned Senate President Bill Ferguson Tuesday in Annapolis, asking him if he finds the test results acceptable.

“No,” Ferguson replied. “We obviously are not doing enough.”

Project Baltimore made the discovery obtaining unredacted test scores for every school in Baltimore City. The data will be released by the state to the public on Sept. 26, but they will be heavily redacted.

According to the state test results, these are Baltimore’s five top-performing high schools in terms of math proficiency:

• Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
• Baltimore School for the Arts
• Baltimore City College
• Western High
• Bard High School Early College

At those schools, a combined 809 students took the state math test this past spring, and 92 students tested proficient. That means a total of 11.4% of students are proficient in math at the best high schools in Baltimore.

When public school students take state tests, their scores place them in one of four categories. One is the lowest, and four is the highest. Of the 92 students who scored proficient in math at those five City schools, all 92 tested into level three. There were no students who scored a four. In fact, not one high school student in the entire city, last school year, achieved a top level of math proficiency.

City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises, last year, earned $445,000 in total compensation, making her Maryland’s highest earning public-school district leader. And since 2016, she’s been running the state’s lowest-performing school district.

“We need to hold the school CEO and the administration accountable,” said Dixon, who’s already called for the CEO of City Schools to resign. “We have to have answers, and we can’t just get a press release from the school system saying that we’re working on it.

City Schools has not agreed to an intreview to give the public answers. But the district did explain in a statement that in seven of eight grade levels, math proficiencies in spring 2023 did increase from the previous year. The statement went on to say, “We acknowledge that some of our high school students continue to experience challenges in math following the pandemic.”

While some city leaders are calling for Santelises to resign, others, like Ferguson, are standing by her.

“One singular person is never the solution or the single problem,” Ferguson said. “I have a great deal of faith in our superintendent with Dr. Santelises. She is incredibly thoughtful.”

Ferguson said that education is a continuum, and he doesn’t hold any one person accountable because if a student is not performing in high school, that likely means the student didn’t receive enough support in elementary or middle school.

But it’s worth pointing out Santelises was in charge of City Schools when these high school students were in elementary school. She’s been the CEO for more than seven years. A 10th grader today was in third grade when she took over.

“Obviously, we have to have unbelievable urgency,” said Ferguson. “It's not acceptable where we are, but that doesn't mean that the entire system is broken.”