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How Much Do You Know About Baltimore Schools?

By Jennifer Fu
Maryland Newsline
Friday,  May 19, 2006

The Maryland Legislature, the state schools superintendent and the governor’s office battled this spring over what to do about 11 of Baltimore City’s worst-performing schools. State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick proposed turning over control of 11 of the city’s middle and high schools - which had had years of failing test scores -- to private companies. But the Maryland Legislature passed a bill that delayed the state takeover and gave the city a chance to turn the schools around. And then it overturned Gov. Robert Ehrlich's veto of the bill. How much more do you know about the Baltimore schools fight?

1) For how long will the state takeover of Baltimore schools be delayed?

6 months
1 year
indefinitely
3 years

2) State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick has said the state could lose federal funding in Title I grants if Baltimore’s schools don’t improve. How much money in Title I grants is the state expecting to receive next year?

$70.4 million
$15 million
$172.5 million
$1 billion

3) What are Title I grants used for?

To renovate schools.
To hire additional resources and staff in schools with a high percentage of low-income families.
To buy more computers for schools with a high percentage of low-income families.
To buy more crayons for schools.

4) Which Baltimore high school was NOT on the list to be taken over?

Frederick Douglass High School
Northwestern High School
Southwestern High School
Thurgood Marshall High School

5) Which Baltimore middle school was ON the list to be taken over?

Calverton Middle School
Harlem Park Middle
Pimlico Middle School
Gaithersburg Middle School

6) What test does Maryland give to students in grades 3-8 to measure school performance?

Maryland Student Development Exam
Maryland School Performance Assessment Program
Individualized Education Exam
Maryland School Assessment

7) How many schools are in the Baltimore City Public School System?

195
240
30
90

8) What percentage of Baltimore City eighth graders showed proficiency in math on the 2005 Maryland School Assessment?

40 percent
16.7 percent
32.9 percent
5 percent

 

Copyright © 2006 University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism


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