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 High
School MEAP Results Not Pretty
MIRS, November 5, 2003
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Maybe Michigan's
public high schools would have preferred the Michigan Education
Assessment Program (MEAP) test results for public high schools
had stayed lost. The data that was released today was not
flattering.
Statewide, more Michigan high school students flunked each MEAP
testing area -- math, reading, science, social studies and
writing -- on the 2003 high school test than any other class in
the last four years.
Whether it was by raw numbers or by percentages, the number of
high school students failing the MEAP grew and the number of
students excelling on the test -- with the exception of science
and social studies -- fell in 2003.
To add salt to the wound, the MEAP results show that the
percentage of graduating high school seniors eligible for the
Merit Scholarship award is at its lowest point since its
inception in 2000. Only 51 percent of the students (51,311)
taking the tests qualified for the Merit Scholarship compared to
the 54 percent (51,879) in 2002 and the 56 percent (48,760) in
2001.
Michigan's Chief Academic Officer, Jeremy HUGHES, tried to paint
the biggest happy face possible on the dismal numbers, saying
this was the first year of a "new, more rigorous" English
Language Arts assessment, that combined reading and writing
skills. Also, 6 percent more Michigan high school students took
the test in 2003 than in past years, which probably diluted the
talent pool, although Hughes didn't say that in today's press
release.
"Although we're disappointed with some of the scores, they will
help us gauge schools' strengths and weaknesses," Hughes said.
"We certainly intend to get all students to meet or exceed the
state standards. That is our goal and we will help our schools
in getting there."
The MEAP results will be used to piece together the federal
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports and, eventually, the
state's Education YES! report cards. Schools were supposed to
receive these results in late May or early June, but the state
ran into delays with the two state contractors hired to put
together a new state data recording system. These will be the
state's first grades under the No Child Left Behind Act.
The most striking 2003 MEAP scores came out of the math tests,
where 27 percent flunked, up from 19 percent in 2002. Only 16
percent exceeded state standards (down from 21 in 2002) and 55.8
percent either met state standards or performed at a basic
level, which is down from 59.8 percent.
The subject that showed the least change over the last four
years was social studies, a test that 42 percent of high school
test takers bombed in 2002. Only a slim .7 percent exceeded
state expectations and only 25 percent met expectations.
The most positive results came out of science, where more
students (61 percent) either exceeded or met state standards
than at any point during the test's four-year history. However,
a record-high (23 percent) also failed the test. The rest scored
at a basic performance level.
In reading, the 2003 test-takers set the low-water mark in
percentage of those who exceeded standards (15 percent) and
percentage of those who met standards (51.8 percent). Those
failing reached a high-water mark of 20.5 percent.
It was much the same story in reading, where only an all-time
low 4.6 percent of test takers exceeded standards and a
three-year low of 56.3 percent met standards. A record 14.3
percent failed the test.
Again, 6 percent more high schoolers took the test in 2003 than
in 2002, which tends to sandbag these numbers somewhat. However,
it should also be noted that students had the chance to re-take
the test twice, up until the spring of their senior year and
these results show the highest scores each student attained.
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Joint Adult Ed Committee Formed
MIRS, November 5, 2003
The legislature is launching a new bi-partisan, bi-cameral blue
ribbon committee on how the state's adult education system can
be restructured to survive the $60 million cut it shouldered
during the last round of budget talks.
The committee's charge was approved by the full House on Tuesday
in SCR 36 after Jelinek initially proposed the body's creation
in the FY 2004 School Aid budget. Jelinek wanted to take a
closer look at adult education funding after its $80 million in
state funding was slashed to $20 million.
From the Senate side, Sens. Ron JELINEK (R-Three Oaks), Cameron
BROWN (R-Sturgis) and Martha G. SCOTT (D-Highland Park) will
join Reps. Bruce CASWELL (R-Hillsdale), Mike NOFS (R-Marshall)
and Andy MEISNER (D-Ferndale) on a committee that will include
nine other adult education professionals.
Jelinek is taking the lead on the blue ribbon committee and
hopes to have a report put together by Jan. 1. The first meeting
will be held at 4 p.m., Nov. 12 in the Senate Appropriations
Committee Room.
"We need to look at adult education's focus," Jelinek said.
"It's much broader than just high school completion or a GED. We
need to look at delivery. We need to look at funding. Are there
more ways, better ways, that we can qualify for more funding?"
Jelinek noted that family literacy and job training programs are
important components of today's adult education. How these
services are provided during tight budget times needs to be
looked at, he said.
Doug WOOD, president of the Michigan Association of Community
and Adult Education (MACAE), said the key will be building a
system based on local K-12 schools, community colleges,
non-profits, state agencies, faith-based institutions and other
organizations or businesses pooling their resources together.
"With the recent cuts in adult education, there are some
concerns that adult education could be eliminated," Wood said.
"Nobody wants that to happen. Anytime you look at changing the
structure of something, you have concerns and questions, but I'm
happy with the representation on the committee."
Outside of the lawmakers, the committee will include a
representative of MACAE, one member of the Michigan Works!
Association, three local adult education program directors,
three local Michigan Works! directors and the state director of
adult education.
According to the resolution, the study group is being called the
Family Resource Center Curriculum Joint Study Committee, whose
mission is to implement a new integrated system of delivering
adult education and related family services starting with FY
2005. The committee is allowed to spend up to $10,000 to carry
out its duties.
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Michigan School Pro-Ration Notice Expected; M.E.A Opposes
Cuts
Gongwer News Service, November 5, 2003
Michigan's K-12 schools are expected to be notified by the
Granholm administration on Thursday of a $349.7 million
proration cut in their state aid allotments for the current
year, worth about $200 per pupil, sources said Wednesday. That
will begin a 30-day time period for the Legislature to consider
alternatives or means to mitigate the reduction.
Meanwhile, the Michigan Education Association said its members
will use the governor's budget forums to make a pitch to protect
the funding for education at all levels.
The proration cut has been expected since the revenue estimating
conference last month established revenue shortages in both the
school aid fund and general fund. State law requires cuts in
school aid when revenues are less than the budgeted amounts.
School groups have indicated they prefer the proration
approach-a one-time move that keeps intact the goal of $6,700
per pupil foundation allowance-if cuts are required, but
legislators and the administration have options to consider such
as cutting or eliminating some spending on some other programs
within education or moving some money from the general fund.
Use of general funds would put even more pressure on cuts in
departments and programs supported by that money. And the
governor has said she would prefer not to use the $22 million in
state money allocated to a laptop computer program, but has not
yet taken steps to pull the funds added through an agreement
with House Speaker Rick Johnson (R-LeRoy).
In May, the House passed legislation (HB 4227) that provided for
automatic school aid cuts, when necessary, to be done on a per
pupil basis rather than a proration reduction of state aid. But
the Senate, which was considering a different approach to
eliminate automatic action, has not taken any action to date on
the measure.
Sen. Ron Jelinek (R-Three Oaks), chair of the Senate
Appropriations K-12 Subcommittee, said discussions on an
alternative to proration cuts have not yet produced an
agreement. There are some ideas, he said, but nothing finalized.
Mary Dettloff, spokesperson for Governor Jennifer Granholm, said
issuance of a proration letter will merely set the stage for
what has to be done to address the school aid imbalance.
"The Legislature has 30 days to offer an alternative and the
governor would listen to what alternatives they would have to
offer," Ms. Dettloff said. "It pains her deeply to have to cut
education funding."
Indeed, the MEA says the governor and the Legislature should
continue to honor the budgets for schools and higher education
despite the revenue troubles, saying schools are already feeling
the pain.
"Our schools, colleges and universities need to be fully
funded," said Al Short, the MEA's director of government
affairs. "When times are tough, education pulls us through. We
cannot afford to balance the budget on the backs of Michigan's
children."
He said MEA members will be voicing that message at the
governor's budget forums and radio call-in shows and it will be
a topic when the governor addresses the group's representative
assembly on Saturday.
Ms. Dettloff said the governor understands the pain that cuts
would mean for education, but said, "Everyone is feeling the
pain and everyone is going to feel the pain. We have a
structural imbalance in state budget that is significant. We
would love to fully fund everything, but right now as things
stand fiscally, it would be difficult if not impossible to fully
fund everything."
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