BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BY THE NUMBERS 2011-12
CITY SCHOOLS AT A GLANCE
2011-12 Student Enrollment: 84,212
u 43,520 students in grades pre-k–5
u 16,986 students in grades 6–8
u 23,706 students in grades 9–12
2011-12 Student Demographics (in percents)
u 86.0 African American; 11.8 White;
4.6 Hispanic/Latino; 1.1 Asian; 0.4 American
Indian or Alaska Native; 0.3 Hawaiian or Pacific
Islander; 0.4 two or more races (total exceeds
100 due to rounding and mixed-race reporting)
u 84 low income (based on eligibility for
Free or Reduced Price Meals)
u 3.1 English language learner
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Kindergarteners Come Ready to Learn
u According to the 2011 Maryland Model
for School Readiness report, 67 percent of
kindergarteners arrive at school “fully ready”
to learn; among those entering from pre-k, 73
percent are ready to learn.
u City Schools attributes this progress to
aggressive pre-k expansion: In 2011-12, 4,800
pre-k seats were offered, up from 3,200 in 2007-
08. The number of students entering kindergar-
ten from pre-k is up 59 percent in five years.
1st- and 2nd-Grade Students
Exceed National Average
u In both 2009-10 and 2010-11, students
scored at or above the 50th percentile in both
reading and math on the Stanford Achievement
Test 10, outperforming more than half their
peers nationally.
u 2010-11 scores dipped from 2009-10,
but the district shows strong growth over a
five-year period: 73 percent of schools ranked
higher in math in 2010-11 than in 2007; 62 per-
cent ranked higher in reading.
u Children who attend pre-k consistently
score higher on both reading and math than
those with no pre-k experience.
Winter 2011-12 Edition
2011-12 Schools and Programs: 204
u 54 elementary schools
u For African American males, the four-
u 74 elementary/middle schools
year decline in drop-out rate is pronounced, at
u 16 middle schools
58 percent; the increase in graduation rate is
u 16 middle/high schools
also pronounced, at 26 percent.
u 29 high schools
u 6 special education schools College Prep Expanding
u 9 programs (not schools) u Since 2006-07, the number of Advanced
u These include 33 charter schools and Placement (AP) courses offered has more than
15 transformation schools doubled, climbing from 58 to 138 in 2010-11.
2011-12 Employees: 10,800
u The number of AP exams taken in 2011
u 9,827 school based, 973 non-school based
was 2,374, a 10 percent increase over 2010.
FY 2012 Budget: $1.31 billion
u College mastery scores were attained in
21 percent of AP exams taken in 2011, com-
pared with 17.3 percent in 2009-10.
3rd- to 8th-Grade Students Show Growth Maryland School AssessmentS, Grades 3-8
over Time
Growth in Mathematics Achievement, 2007 to 2011
u Between 2007 and 2011, City Schools stu-
60%
dents have made solid gains in performance in
mathematics as shown on the Maryland School
50%
Assessments (MSAs), with 25 percent more stu-
dents at proficient or advanced levels. 40%
u 2010-11 MSA results for reading also Basic
30%
reflect the trend of growth over time, with
Proficient
a 19 percent increase since 2007 in students 20%
Advanced
performing at advanced or proficient levels.
10%
u After three straight years of growth, 2010-
11 MSA results were down 3.4 percentage points 0%
in reading and 4.9 percentage points in math
from 2009-10.
Growth in Reading Achievement, 2007 to 2011
Dropouts Down, Diplomas Up
60%
u City Schools’ graduation (leaver) rate was
72 percent for 2010-11, up from 66 percent in 50%
the preceding year and a 20 percent increase
40%
since 2006-07.
30% Basic
u For the cohort of students who entered
Proficient
9th grade in 2007, 87 percent had either grad- 20%
uated or were still in school in 2010-11. Advanced
10%
u The drop-out rate in 2010-11 was 4.2
percent, a decline of 55 percent since 0%
2006-07.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT (cont’d) national Assessment of educational progress
2011 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) Results
African American FARMs Students
TUDA Grade 4 Mathematics

Results from the 2011 Trial Urban District

Assessment (TUDA) of the National
Assessment of Educational Progress show con-
tinued progress for City Schools students, with
particularly encouraging gains in mathematics
and among African American males.

Results from TUDA allow comparison among

students from 21 large urban school districts.
Highlights from the 2011 assessment include
the following.

u City Schools’ two-year math gains are

among largest of all 21 TUDA districts.

u When comparing only low-income,

African American students, City Schools’
performance relative to other TUDA districts
in Grade 4 math improves markedly and sur-
passes performance of students in large cities
and public schools nationwide.
u When comparing only low-income,
African American students, City Schools’ per-
formance surpasses large city and national
public performance in Grade 8 reading.
u City Schools is contributing to the growth
in achievement of students in big cities.
BUDGET & FINANCE
FY 2012 Operating Budget: $1.31 Billion
u Sources: State, 67 percent; Baltimore City,
19 percent; federal government, 14 percent
u 74 percent goes to salaries, wages and
employee fringe benefits; 11 percent to con-
tracted services; the balance covers utilities,
equipment, materials, debt service and other
expenses and charges.
Fair Student Funding
Since FY 2009, principals have controlled the
majority of school budgets. In exchange for
this flexibility and autonomy, schools are held
responsible for student achievement.
A RESPONSIVE DISTRICT OFFICE
In the FY 2012 budget, City Schools’ district
office has 973 full-time employees, a 34 per-
cent decrease since FY 2008. This reduction
emphasizes the role of the district office —
namely, to support schools.
In 2011-12, a district office reorganization
solidified this role by creating 16 School
Support Networks, each with a team of 10
staff members to work with school leaders
and teachers in support of academic and oper-
ational activities and community engagement.
A newly appointed School Support Networks
Officer reports directly to the CEO. Executive
Directors have also been appointed to work
with principals in each of the 16 networks.
EXPANDING
SCHOOL OPTIONS
u Beginning in 2010, school choice has
been available to both middle and high school
students and their families.
u In 2011-12, City Schools opened a new
transformation school (combined middle-high
school) and two new charter schools.
STRENGTHENING
SCHOOL COMMUNITIES
u 2,600 people have registered to volunteer
as of the 2011-12 school year.
u In 2010-11, parents and community
members provided feedback and input on the
budget-making process at 149 schools.
u 10,000 parents and children attended the
2011 Ultimate Block Party to celebrate the sci-
ence of learning through play.
BUILDING HUMAN CAPITAL
u Innovative teacher and administrator
contracts, new for the 2011-12 school year,
confirm the central role of school-based staff
in influencing student achievement, and they
map out movement along career pathways
through professional growth.
u A new system for developing, implement-
ing, evaluating and improving professional devel-
opment has been launched to support teacher
professional growth through relevant, high-qual-
ity learning opportunities that lead to improved
student outcomes.

After a decade of decline, City Schools’ enrollment began growing in 2007, with hundreds of
students added in each of the past three years u At the district's own Great Kids Farm,
students grow and harvest organic produce — learning about sustainable agriculture and sup-
plying a local farmer's market and CSA share u Teams from four schools captured 13 tro-
phies at the 2011 National K-9 Chess Championships