Newark, MD, November 4, 2025– The Maryland State Department of Education released its annual update to the Maryland Report Card website today, containing performance data for every school in the State, including eleven schools in Worcester County.
In Worcester County, all eligible schools earned a four- or five-star rating, placing it as the only school system in the State to earn that distinction. Particular standouts in this year’s release are the performance of our comprehensive high schools: all three high schools topped the Eastern Shore while Pocomoke and Snow Hill high schools were the 12th and 14th ranked high schools in the State respectively.
Also notable is Pocomoke Middle School, which increased its star rating from three to four over last year by increasing its total earned percent by over five percentage points. Pocomoke Elementary School, also saw significant progress over last year’s report with an increase of 4.2 percentage points. The gain marks progress in both Academic markers as well as performance for multilingual learners.
While Ocean City Elementary (OCES) slipped just under the threshold for five stars in this year’s report, an important contributing factor to the school’s score is chronic absenteeism. Over twenty-six percent of OCES students who were chronically absent (missed 18 days or more) during the 2024-2025 school year included at least one vacation. In response, the school system will reinforce its messaging to families on the importance of regular school attendance.
The full breakdown of the eleven schools eligible to receive star ratings in Worcester County ratings is below.
SCHOOL | Points Earned | Total Possible Points | Total Earned Percent | Star Rating |
Berlin Intermediate School | 64.5 | 100 | 64.5% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Buckingham Elementary School | 49.1 | 73 | 67.2% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Ocean City Elementary School | 53.6 | 73 | 73.4% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Pocomoke Elementary School | 32.0 | 48 | 66.7% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Pocomoke High School | 69.7 | 90 | 77.5% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Pocomoke Middle School | 108.2 | 180 | 60.1% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Showell Elementary School | 41.9 | 63 | 66.5% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Snow Hill High School | 69.2 | 90 | 76.9% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Snow Hill Middle School | 115.8 | 180 | 64.3% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Stephen Decatur High School | 70.6 | 100 | 70.6% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Stephen Decatur Middle School | 63.3 | 90 | 69.1% | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
To receive a star rating, a school must have 45 or more possible points. Some schools may not have possible points for every measure or indicator. In Worcester County, Snow Hill Elementary School did not reach this possible point threshold, which is why the school was not issued a star rating. Additionally, Worcester Technical High School and Cedar Chapel Special Schools do not meet the qualifications for a star rating.
These scores reflect school performance on multiple components. For elementary and middle schools, the system includes academic achievement, academic progress, progress in achieving English language proficiency, and measures of school quality and student success. For high schools, the system includes academic achievement, graduation rate, progress in English language proficiency, readiness for postsecondary success, and measures of school quality and student success. All schools’ calculations incorporate school composite scores on a statewide School Survey, which is based on input related to safety, community, environment, and relationships.
“I am incredibly proud of our schools for earning four- and five-star ratings across the board,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Annette Wallace. “These results reflect the unwavering commitment to excellence by our educators, staff, students, and families. Worcester County continues to be an educational leader in Maryland, and today’s report card release is yet another reminder of how our community’s investment in public education is transforming lives.”
Dr. Wallace added, “While data tells part of the story, what inspires me most is how our schools are helping students rise above barriers every single day. Research may suggest that poverty predicts performance, but in Worcester County, we are proving that when every child is known by name, strength, and need, potential—not circumstance—defines success.”
Maryland introduced School Report Cards in 2018 for students, parents, educators and community members to better understand how their schools are performing, just as report cards help parents understand how their kids are doing. The goal of the School Report Card is to bring together school data in an easy-to-understand and usable format to help us ask questions, find answers, make decisions, and act.
The School Report Cards can be found on the Maryland Report Card website, MdReportCard.org, as well as more information and data about schools and districts. An update on the latest release of the Maryland School Report Card was made to the State Board of Education on November 4, 2025. The presentation materials for the meeting, which provide statewide context to Worcester County’s performance, can be found at https://marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Pages/Meetings-2025.aspx.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Carrie N. Sterrs at 410.632.5092 or email at cnsterrs@worcesterk12.org.