(September 2002 – College Park, Md.) -- The University of Maryland College of Education has worked intensively, systematically, and collaboratively with three Bladensburg schools over the past year-and-a-half to improve student performance and academic achievement. Recent SAT test scores indicate that the project is yielding positive results.

Prince George’s County Public Schools announced on Sept. 9 that Bladensburg High School’s SAT scores increased by 17 points. This is remarkable considering that the majority of county high schools saw declines in SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores. The Bladensburg Project is part of the Maryland Institute for Minority Achievement and Urban Education at the College of Education.

"Our intensive work is a major factor in these improved scores," says Martin L. Johnson, associate dean for urban and minority education and director of the Maryland Institute for Minority Achievement and Urban Education. "There’s been no other major intervention in this school during the past year, the research literature tells us the steps we’ve taken should work to improve achievement and teacher feedback has been extremely positive so far."

Dr. Martin L. Johnson

The Bladensburg Project combines extensive and continued professional development training for teachers, curriculum development, leadership development for teachers and administrators, and student counseling and tutoring. The project is supported in part by area corporations and businesses that are committed to sharing the responsibility for improving achievement among minority students in urban school districts. (Visit: Investors’ Report, at www.education.umd.edu/MIMAUE/projects/bladensburg/ for details.)

Next year, student scores will reflect an additional year of intervention and Johnson expects even more significant gains. "The current improvement in SAT scores is a positive sign and we hope this is the beginning of an upward trend," Johnson says.

College researchers and district officials believe that the next step is to expand the project to more schools, beginning with schools in Region II of Prince George’s County. "We’ll be working with the district to explore the feasibility of this and to secure the needed funds," Johnson says. "The whole secret to this is that we don’t do things to schools, we work with them to identify problems and solutions.

"Prince George’s County Public Schools is working diligently to provide a quality education for every student," says Iris Metts, chief executive officer of Prince George’s County Public Schools. "Our challenges are clear and our solutions are diverse. I am convinced that our students can achieve at great levels wit the appropriate assistance and increased motivation. It is the combined efforts of many that will make their success a reality."

To review the district’s SAT scores and learn more about plans to launch a SAT Awareness Campaign in Prince George’s County, visit: www.pgcps.org

About the College of Education The College of Education at the University of Maryland is ranked 21st among the top colleges of education by U.S. News & World Report for 2003. The Department of Counseling and Personnel Services ranks first in the nation, the Department of Special Education ranks fifth, and each of the college’s six departments has at least one program ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News or another national ranking. Offering undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees, the College of Education provides research- and practice-oriented programs through its six departments: Counseling and Personnel Services, Curriculum and Instruction, Education Policy and Leadership, Human Development, Measurement, Statistics and Evaluation, and Special Education. College programs prepare educators, counselors, psychologists, administrators, researchers, and educational specialists. Graduates work with individuals from infancy through adulthood in schools, community agencies, colleges and universities. Educational programs are accredited and approved by the following: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, Maryland State Department of Education, American Psychological Association, Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Professions, and Council on Rehabilitation Education.

For more information, visit: www.education.umd.edu