FeedsSchool district test scores drop
Recently released Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test scores show that the class of 2006 in the Van Buren Public School District is following the state downward trend.
Ray Gross, director of instruction for the district, said Van Buren schools have already ‘stepped up to the plate’ by restructuring the high school and increasing graduation requirements prior to state mandated changes. An initiative, he said, to counter the downward trend of test scores.
“The first goal is to make the state average. And, the restructuring proposal at the high school is just what was needed,” said Gross.
Scores for the 2006 graduating high school seniors decreased in math, reading and science, while writing and social studies saw an increase in results when compared to the graduating class last year. The scores indicated the percentage of students who achieved competency in the subject being tested. In Van Buren, math decreased from 49.3 percent to 42 percent; reading decreased from 74.7 percent to 67.5 percent; writing increased from 46.3 percent to 47 percent; science decreased from 51.3 percent to 45.3 percent and social studies increased from 29.5 percent to 30.9 percent.
“The high school’s job for the fall is to take these results apart for analysis to find out where we’re not doing well and why,” said Gross. “This fall we’ll also have to revisit the math program. It won’t be horrible to get on target because we’re already on the way with a new math curriculum approved a year ago, but it has affected the results.”
Gross said in reading, the district is kissing the state average, but Van Buren still needs to go past that. Work will also have to continue to improve the writing and science subject areas, too. However, the downward trend of the school district parallels the state, he said.
“We’re trying to stay ahead of the wolf and do the best we can, but we can do better than this,” said Gross. “I’m excited about the changes that are happening at the high school. If we don’t do what we’re going to do we’ll just be doing what schools have been doing for years and years and nothing is going to change.”
“Even though we’re going up, I’m still disappointed on where we are,” said Toni Hunt, school board member.
To complicate matters even more, the high school MEAP test will become the Michigan Merit Exam in spring of 2007. If federally approved, it will combine the ACT, Work Keys and MEAP test.“It’s high stakes stuff, it’s wrong and it’s unfair, but we have to do it,” said Gross.
Gross also added that although the scores are not released to the public, yet, the high school did make Adequate Yearly Progress this year with a grade C.
