Maryland

State Board of Education discusses new policy that may hold 3rd graders back who struggle with reading

Published

2 years ago

July 24, 2024

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State Board of Education discusses new policy that may hold 3rd graders back who struggle with reading

BALTIMORE — For the last 10 years, the level of reading proficiency among Maryland students has plummeted.

69% of students didn’t reach proficiency in reading in 2022.

It’s why state superintendent Dr. Carey Wright tasked the Literacy Programs and Initiatives Branch of the State Department of Education with creating a new policy to help students improve their reading.

“Students who are not reading proficiently in third grade are four times more likely to not graduate from high school, and if these students happen to also be from a low-income family and happen to be minority, they are eight times more likely,” says Dr. Tenette Smith.

The focus of the policy is to notice students who are struggling early and give them, their teachers, and their parents extra help to improve their reading.

But there is also a part of the policy calling for the state to hold back students in third grade if they can’t read at the required level.

Laura Daly, a mom of two, says she is glad the board is having this conversation.

“I think it’s potentially a good idea as long as we know there are actual interventions that are going to yield results, because I think if we are just holding them back just for the sake of holding them back, if we’re just going to put them through the same cycle that they already went through and essentially failed, that’s not really doing anybody good,” says Daly.

Although many board members are eager to increase the number of students who are proficient in the state, some have reservations about the idea of holding third graders back who are struggling.

“I don’t want us to put the cart before the horse; this is a massive impact on students, and I feel like if we do it too soon before everything is in place, then we are doing something negative to students,” says Rachel McCusker.

“Who loses if we enact this? The answer is overwhelmingly going to be black and brown students,” says Nick Greer.

Although we don’t know how many students would be held back under this policy, the research states it could be up to 10,000 students in the state.

“I don’t think we have the space in the state of Maryland, and I don’t believe we have the teachers in the state of Maryland to have massive students repeating the third grade,” says Dr. Susan Jackson Getty.

The state department of education is scheduled to vote to consider adopting this policy in September.

If they vote in favor of the policy as it was presented today, the state board will enact the policy in two years, meaning students going into first grade this fall will be the first group of students impacted by the time they get to third grade.

There will be an opportunity for public comment on the literacy policy at a state board meeting in August.

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Maryland

Maryland, California men plead guilty in auto-repair shop drug trafficking case

Published

1 hour ago

March 4, 2026

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Maryland, California men plead guilty in auto-repair shop drug trafficking case

MARYLAND (WBFF) — A Maryland man and his California accomplice both pled guilty to drug trafficking charges involving the concealment of drugs within auto parts at a repair shop, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Authorities reported that Norville Clarke, 56, of Clarksburg, Maryland, and Daniel Cruz, 39, of Los Angeles, California, were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

In 2023, an investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization that was transporting and distributing large quantities of cocaine from California to Maryland.

The investigation began after police seized a parcel containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine that was mailed from Los Angeles with an intended delivery to Clarke’s auto-repair shop in District Heights, Maryland.

ALSO READ | Gwynn Oak man sentenced to 3 years in federal prison for passport fraud, ID theft

During the investigation, Cruz was linked to the narcotics in the parcel, as well as to its source, authorities reported.

In January 2024, postal inspectors, along with other investigators, identified a freight shipment from Los Angeles intended for delivery at Clarke’s auto-repair shop, and officials said surveillance footage showed Cruz dropping off that shipment at a shipping company in California.

After that, authorities observed Cruz traveling to Maryland to track the shipment’s delivery.

Cruz and Clarke were then seen by investigators meeting at the auto-repair shop several days after the shipment occurred.

Investigators tracked the fright shipment to Dulles, Virginia, where authorities executed a search warrant and recovered two automobile transmissions inside, as well as 20 one-kilogram bricks secreted in both transmissions.

Officials reported that laboratory forensic tests confirmed that the bricks were over 16 kilograms of cocaine.

A search warrant was then also executed for Clarke’s District Heights auto-repair shop, Clarke’s Clarksburg residence, and Cruz’s hotel room in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

ALSO READ | Baltimore man sentenced to over 10 years for gun, ammunition possession as felon

At the auto repair shop, officials recovered 502.4 grams of cocaine, and then at Clarke’s residence, officers found two-kilogram bricks of cocaine and $45,730 in cash.

Furthermore, investigators later found another nine historical freight shipments that resembled the original shipment containing cocaine, which Cruz sent to Clarke’s auto repair shop.

In plea agreements, officials said both defendants agreed to have been involved in possessing around 22 kilograms of cocaine in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Both also face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum life in prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release

Cruz’s sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, at 1 p.m., and the sentencing for Clarke is scheduled for Friday, July 24, at 10 a.m.

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Maryland

‘Born to be resilient’; Maryland native living in Israel watches war unfold

Published

13 hours ago

March 4, 2026

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‘Born to be resilient’; Maryland native living in Israel watches war unfold

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — The State Department is securing military planes and charter flights for Americans to return home from the Middle East, officials announced Tuesday.

More than 9,000 people have left over the past few days, including 3,000 from Israel, according to a press release.

However, some Americans are staying put. That includes one young woman who is now living through her second war abroad.

ALSO READ | Middle East expert says uncertain future in Iran could be just as dangerous

“It’s a big decision to move across the world,” Rachel Cone said. She spoke with 7News’ Lianna Golden via Zoom from her home near Jerusalem.

The 28-year-old from Darnestown wasn’t afraid to leave the life she always knew.

“I grew up on a small farm in Montgomery County,” Cone said. “I spent my whole life there, the youngest of four kids, spent most of my life riding horses all around the DMV.”

Soon after college, she found her calling.

I decided to fulfill that dream, really live a Jewish life in the Jewish homeland.

Cone moved to Israel only six months before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. So when she heard the sirens go off on Saturday morning after the joint attack on Iran, waking up to an emergency alert on her phone, she knew what was coming next.

“It was saying like, hey, this is your warning. The attack is starting. Go make sure you’re in your safe space.”

She says the sirens sound very often.

“A lot, a lot. I don’t know how many; there’s been a lot,” Cone explained.

The DMV native said she’s learned to stay calm in chaos, even when others are afraid.

Today I had to go to the grocery store. It wasn’t like I was doing anything crazy. There’s a siren – OK, all of a sudden you have a bunch of people all together, a bunch of strangers, and yeah, some people panic. Some people are calm. Some stranger you’ve never met is telling everyone hey it’s okay, calm down… Living in Israel teaches you a lot about resilience. The people here who have grown up their whole life here, they’re just born to be resilient.

It’s a resilience she sends back home.

“When you live in a war zone, every parent is concerned, even more so when they’re not here. I’m always sending my family pictures of like, hey, I’m still going outside, like I’m still seeing the sun. I’m not locked inside, like it’s OK. Everything is OK,” Cone said.

As the conflict continues, she prays for harmony while uncertainty grows.

“We want to see people of every faith, obviously living the life that they wanna live and not succumbing to any sort of terror,” Cone said. “Let’s work towards peace, and let’s try to see that happen. This is a start for sure.”

Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, said American citizens should call 1-202-501-4444 for assistance with departure options.

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Maryland

Top 25 Maryland Boys High School Basketball State Rankings – March 3, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

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With a chance to make history, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the new No. 1 team in the High School on SI Maryland boys basketball Top 25 rankings.

The Cougars (30-10) will try for a second straight Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) Tournament championship Wednesday evening against Saint Frances Academy at Loyola University of Maryland. No team has won the BCL tourney and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference titles in back-to-back seasons.

The MIAA, whose membership includes most of the private and parochial schools in the Baltimore metro area, started in 1995 following the dissolution of the Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA). The MSA governed athletic competition for Baltimore public and private and parochial schools before the public schools left to join the Maryland state public athletic association (MPSSAA) in 1992.

Saint Frances, last week’s No. 1 which lost to Mount Carmel in the MIAA A final, is No. 2. DeMatha Catholic, Mount Saint Joseph and Springdale Prep round out the Top 5.

The second 5 includes Charles Herbert Flowers, Mount Zion Prep Academy, Bishop McNamara, Georgetown Prep and Archbishop Spalding. Lackey, which won the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference title last week, returns to poll at No. 21.

In addition to the BCL Tournament finale, the Maryland Private Schools State Tournament continues with the Division A semifinals Tuesday at DeMatha with Bishop McNamara taking on Springdale Prep, and DeMatha playing defending champ and No. 17 Clinton Grace Christian School.

No. 16 Takoma Academy plays Saint James School in a Division B semifinal. The state public playoffs continue with region semifinal and final competition.

Here’s this week’s High School on SI Maryland boys basketball Top 25:

Previous rank: No. 3

Record: 30-10

The Cougars defeated No. 4 Mount Saint Joseph, 59-40, in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals and Saint Mary’s in the quarterfinals (53-46) after a 69-67 overtime victory over then-No. 1 Saint Frances Academy in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference final at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Previous rank: No. 1

Record: 35-7

The Panthers defeated then-No. 13 Archbishop Spalding, 61-58, in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals and Loyola Blakefield in the quarterfinals (74-57), after a loss to then-No. 3 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the MIAA A Conference title game.

Previous rank: No. 2

Record: 22-9

The Stags defeated then-No. 9 Glenelg Country School, 63-50, in the Maryland Private School State Tournament Division A quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 4

Record: 31-7

The Gaels lost then-No. 3 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals after a 80-66 win over Calvert Hall College in the quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE TOURNAMENT & MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 6

Record: 26-5

The Lions defeated No. 7 Mount Zion Prep Academy, 67-63, in the Maryland Private School State Division A semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 8

Record: 21-0

The Jaguars defeated Largo, 62-57, in the Prince George’s County championship game.

Previous rank: No. 7

Record: 19-6

The Warriors lost to then-No. 6 Springdale Prep in the Maryland Private School State Division A quarterfinals

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 12

Record: 14-19

The Mustangs defeated then-No. 5 Georgetown Prep, 59-53, in the Maryland Private Schools State Division A quarterfinals and Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School in the opening round.

Previous rank: No. 5

Record: 17-9

The Little Hoyas lost to then-No. 12 Bishop McNamara in the Maryland Private School State Tournament Division A quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – INTERSTATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPION & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 13

Record: 20-14

The Cavaliers lost to then-No. 1 Saint Frances Academy in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals after a 74-53 win over then-No. 10 John Carroll School in the quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE TOURNAMENT & MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 9

Record: 17-10

The Dragons lost to then-No. 2 DeMatha Catholic in the quarterfinals of the Maryland Private School State Division A tournament after an 81-77 opening round win over then-No. 15 Our Lady of Good Counsel.

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 14

Record: 23-1

The Mustangs defeated Severn Run, 72-49, in the Maryland Class 4A East Region I semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 16

Record: 20-3

The Bengals defeated Springbrook, 85-66, in the Maryland Class 4A North Region II semifinals after beating Walt Whitman, 67-55, in the Montgomery County championship game.

Previous rank: No. 17

Record: 20-2

The Colonels defeated Rockville, 74-61, in the Maryland Class 3A West Region II semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 19

Record: 21-3

The Knights defeated Northeast, 73-61, in the Maryland Class 3A East Region I semifinals and Edmondson-Westside, 66-58, in the Baltimore City final.

Previous rank: No. 18

Record: 26-7

The Tigers defeated Hebrew Academy, 88-33, in the Maryland Private School State Division B quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 24

Record: 27-18

The Eagles defeated then-No. 11 Bullis School, 56-48, in the Maryland Private School State Division A quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 10

Record: 22-10

The Patriots lost to then-No. 13 Archbishop Spalding in the quarterfinals of the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament.

Previous rank: No. 13

Record: 20-10

The Bulldogs lost to then-No. 24 Clinton Grace Christian School in the Maryland Private Schools State Division A quarterfinals after defeating then-No. 22 Riverdale Baptist School in the first round.

SEASON COMPLETE – INTERSTATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 15

Record: 15-14

The Falcons lost to No. 9 Glenelg Country School in the opening round of the Maryland Private School State Tournament.

WASHINGTON CATHOLIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A PARTIPICANT

Previous rank: Not ranked

Record: 20-3

The Chargers defeated Maurice J. McDonough, 61-46, in the Maryland Class 2A South Region II semifinals and then-No. 20 Great Mills, 62-59, in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) championship game.

Previous rank: No. 20

Record: 21-3

The Hornets defeated Saint Charles, 70-54, in the Maryland Class 3A South Region II semifinals, and lost to Lackey in the SMAC title game.

Previous rank: No. 21

Record: 16-14

SEASON COMPLETE – METRO PRIVATE SCHOOL CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 22

Record: 15-11

The Crusaders lost to then-No. 11 Bullis School in the opening round of the Maryland Private School State tournament.

SEASON COMPLETE – METRO PRIVATE SCHOOL CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT

Previous rank: No. 23

Record: 21-10

The Mustangs won the Maryland Christian School Tournament championship, defeating The Heritage Academy, 65-53, in the final, and King’s Christian Academy in the semifinals (65-59).

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TOURNAMENT CHAMPION

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