State officials recently revealed that they closely monitored Howard County's results on the science portion of the Maryland School Assessment tests because they wanted to learn if online testing affected the scores.

Last April, the school system allowed 50 percent of fifth- and eighth-graders to take the test online during the first year that the exam was administered.

The officials discussed the computerized option Tuesday shortly before the State Board of Education unanimously approved the baseline scores for the science test. Individualized school data are expected to be released this month.

"We looked at the data, and there is no difference," said Leslie Wilson, the state's assistant superintendent for accountability and assessment. "We will continue to make sure that is the case in the future."

The news was a pleasant surprise to Portia White, Howard County's coordinator of testing. White just completed training sessions with every elementary and middle school as the system attempts to have all fifth- and eighth-graders take the science MSA online when the test is given April 23 and May 13.

"As administrators and teachers we are a little more worried about it than the students," White said. "We have to give them a little more credit."

Statewide, 60 percent of fifth-graders and 61 percent of eighth-graders passed the science test. A third of the state's fifth- and eighth-graders took the test online. A relatively low percentage -- 6 percent of fifth-graders and 3 percent of eighth-graders -- scored "advanced" -- the top score -- on the science portion of the test.

State officials expect scores to improve, particularly as students become more familiar with the science test.

Last year, Howard County completed the online test with few problems. The biggest complaint was at the middle school level, where administrators had to schedule the test around class schedules.

"This year, we think that it will be fine," White said. "[Last year's test] showed us that even our fifth-graders were OK with the opportunity to do [the test] on the computer."

White said she thinks that all of the preparation for the MSAs will prepare the county for the 2008-2009 school year, when the state plans to offer the High School Assessments online.

"We have a model for it," White said.

Honored in Annapolis

Howard County teenagers Shayne Kress and Travis Peed were honored Monday by House and Senate members in Annapolis for representing Maryland last year during the National History Day Competition in Washington.

Kress and Peed, who attended Elkridge Landing Middle School when they participated last year, were given awards and toured the State House during their visit.

The students were honored for receiving the outstanding state prize, junior group performance, at the national competition for their project "From the Tragic Burning of Washington to the Triumph in Baltimore." They were among seven Marylanders who achieved the outstanding distinction in the competition. More than 12,000 students from 12 states participated in the program last year.

Their project required them to re-enact the roles of a British soldier and an American patriot, said Lisa Keir, director of development and communications for the Maryland Humanities Council. The group oversees Maryland History Day.

"They ended up learning an incredible amount about the War of 1812 and how it relates to today," Keir said. "That's what History Day is all about."

Kress is now a student at Howard High, and Peed attends Archbishop Spalding High.

john-john.williams@baltsun.com