Maryland's $5.2 billion education overhaul promised five percentage points of proficiency growth per year.

The state got less than one.

Spring 2026 results on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program show 51.7% of students in grades 3–8 scored proficient in English language arts and just 27.1% in math, according to The Baltimore Banner. Over two years, the Blueprint for Maryland's Future has produced 3.3 percentage points of combined gain against a target of 10.

Montgomery County Public Schools outpaced the state, posting 58.5% ELA proficiency and 36.9% in math. Winston Churchill High School posted over 90% proficiency in 10th-grade English. But for Potomac families at Churchill, Thomas S. Wootton High School and Herbert Hoover Middle School, the broader picture is sobering: the landmark reform law that was supposed to close achievement gaps is running years behind schedule, even as Gov. Wes Moore has trimmed some of the law's planned spending increases.

Brigid Howe, a Montgomery County parent leader, told The Banner she's frustrated by the pace.

"With all the investments made in the last few years, you'd expect to see a little more growth and to see some of the gaps shrink," Howe said. "Are we trying the right tactics? Are there investments that are higher return that we could be making to address achievement for all kids, but also specifically to shrink that gap?"

The gaps she's pointing to are stark. The Maryland State Department of Education's August 2026 literacy policy, which reports 2024–25 MCAP subgroup results, shows Black students scored 39.4% proficient in ELA, Hispanic students 33.7% and students with disabilities just 14.6%. White students hit 67.9% and Asian students 75.3%.

In MCPS specifically, only 13.6% of students with disabilities achieved math proficiency on the 2026 MCAP, compared to 40.5% of nondisabled peers. That gap showed no improvement from the prior year, as we reported July 29.

MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor called the district's results "really encouraging progress" when scores were released July 28, but did not address the statewide Blueprint shortfall.

State Superintendent Carey Wright, speaking July 28 when scores were released, acknowledged the gap between targets and reality. "You're not going to see 10-point jumps in a year," Wright said. "That's just not the way data works."

What's coming for Potomac families

Wright plans to deploy reading coaches in schools this fall, modeled on a literacy turnaround she led in Mississippi. State education leaders have requested $10.9 million from the General Assembly to fund literacy and math coaches for teachers.

Elementary and middle school students will take a new, shorter assessment called MSTAR in spring 2027, replacing the MCAP. That switch will make year-over-year comparisons difficult until several years of new data accumulate.