By AFRO Staff
Jessica M. Hart was honored for her achievement of advanced ranking on the Maryland State Assessment test for 2009. (Courtesy Photo)
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(November 5, 2009) - Jessica M. Hart, a fifth-grader at Patapsco Middle School in Howard County, received an award honoring her academic achievement on the 2009 Maryland School Assessment test. The awards were given during the MSA 2009 Secondary Celebration held at Centennial High School.
The celebration was hosted by the Council of Elders of the Black Community in partnership with the Howard County Public School System.
Jessica was among the 1,017 African-American fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade Howard County Public Schools students whose test scores were in the advanced range in reading, math or both. Advanced is a highly challenging and exemplary level of achievement indicating outstanding accomplishment.
The Elders, called together for the first time in 1992 by the Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP), were selected because of their service to the community, their many years of experience, their wisdom and spirituality, and their commitment to the education and advancement of young people.
As an initiative of the BSAP, the Council of Elders was directly connected to the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS). In that capacity the Elders served and advised students, participated in BSAP activities and ceremonies, and provided a sense of tradition and history for the students in the HCPSS.