Making the grade

By on No Comment

Forty students earned diplomas at Renaissance High School’s June 8 commencement at Clarkston High School, with those in bold receiving college scholarships at the ceremony: Patricia Susan Bolton, Melissa Marie Brown, Lucas Shane Burt, Justin George Carroll, Kyle Ryan Christoson, Jake Robert Collins, Mark Richard Cummings, Alexandria Nicole Dodge, Lauren Michelle Drayer, Jennifer Lynn Evans, Andrew Eveland Felt, Stephen Robert Hermes, Joshua Lee Hudson, Corey Ross Lauinger, Brittani Lynn Leach, Kyle Steven McClure, Taylor Rae McCormick, Amanda Courtney Nedler, Rosalinda Marie Olivarez, Juan Carlos Ramirez, Maribell Ramirez, Samuel Jonas Reijer, Steven Allen Retford, David James Rock, Arthur Alexander Sanchez, Ashley Lynn Schudlich, Andrew Michael Shampine, Jacob Patrick Somers, Davon James Thomas, Michael Stephen Tillman, Koty Kequom Valdez, Pater James Vang, Mark Anthony VanKleek, Yinery Vicenty, Chelsey Leigh Wallace, Heather Jean Wheeler, Nikole Ashley Wilmot, Bailey Jewels Wilson, Mitchell Alan Wilson, and Xieng Xue Yang.

Making the grade added by on
View all posts by →

As MEAP scores across the state show improvement, Clarkston students continue to make the honor roll.
In grades 3-9, more students statewide met state requirements in 2006 than 2005, but across the board, the Clarkston School District rated better (see side-bar on page A4 for breakdown by grade and subject).
‘This is definitely something we are proud of, ‘said Staci Puzio, testing supervisor for the district.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all school districts in Michigan must have 100 percent of their students passing MEAP exams by the 2013-14 school. The state is incrementally raising requirements in the years leading up to that deadline, but Clarkston is ahead of the game.
‘We’re at the point where we’re meeting the requirements they have for 2012,? said Puzio.
Within the district, a majority of scores remained within five percent of the previous year’s, with the exception of seventh-grade math, showing a nine percent increase; third-grade writing, showing a 10.7 increase, and fourth-grade writing, showing a six percent decrease.
The drop in fourth-grade writing scores is not a major concern, however, as the drop was also mirrored across Oakland County and the state, according to Puzio.
‘Sometimes, especially with writing, it could be the prompt (topic),? Puzio said, indicating that students in general sometimes have a more difficult time writing about specific topics. This year’s topic related to being a leader, to which Puzio said fourth graders may have a hard time relating.
Puzio attributed the large increase in third-grade writing skills to a better understanding of what third graders are expected to know. The 2005-06 school year was the first time third-grade students took the MEAP exam.
‘The jump that Clarkston had was more significant than what Oakland County and the state had,? Puzio said, indicating that third-grade writing scores rose state-wide. ‘The teachers were really focused on what they were looking for.?
Puzio said part of her job now that the tests are over is to look for trends and see if there are any areas or students who could use extra help. Students who have not met requirements consistently will be monitored to see how they can be helped to increase their grades. In addition, Puzio said the district uses common assessments throughout the year to monitor students? progress rather than wait for next year’s MEAP.
‘We’re not just looking at the MEAP,? she said. ‘We have many teachers using common assessments more.?

Making the grade added by on
View all posts by Andrew DuPont →

It may be early for students to get report cards, but not for schools.
Elementary and middle schools in the Goodrich and Brandon districts received nearly straight A’s last week on the Michigan School Report Card, a statewide assessment of school and student performance.
‘They’re great grades,? said Goodrich superintendent Kim Hart, of the A rating received by Oaktree and Reid elementaries, as well as the Goodrich Middle School.
‘Luckily we’re in a position where the scores went up. We are one of the high-performing schools, though there will come a time when we won’t be able to go up.?
In the Brandon district, Belle Ann and Howard T. Burt elementaries, Brandon Fletcher Intermediate, and Brandon Middle School all received A ratings, while Harvey-Swanson Elementary received a B.
‘The grades are adequate until the 2007-2008 school year when (requirements) go up again,? said Sue May, Brandon assistant superintendent for curriculum and instructional services. ‘We’re always going to be concerned with improving grades.?
The report cards, which schools have received for the past two years, are based mainly on data from the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) English and math tests taken by elementary and middle school students, along with science and social studies at the middle school level.
This year’s high school report cards aren’t yet available.
MEAP scores make up 67 percent of the schools? grades. The scores are used to measure both Achievement Status?-how well a school is educating its students?-and to measure Achievement Change, which grades whether student achievement is improving or declining.
School Performance Indicators account for one-third of the score. It’s the part of the grade that comes directly from the school.
Each school building has a school improvement team made up of teachers, parents, support staff, and board members. The team grades the school in 11 categories, looking at issues such as teacher quality, professional development, family involvement, character education, peer mediation, written safety plans, barrier-free access, and extended learning opportunities.
The team assigns one of four grades in each category, along with evidence supporting their grade choices.
‘It takes a while to do, it’s not something simple,? said Hart.
Even schools receiving an overall score of 100 percent may not get an A on their report cards.
In addition to the score, the school is required to pass an Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement, based on testing of ‘subgroups?, ensuring potentially disadvantaged students are learning.
Other state requirements are also considered, such as percentages of students graduating, and number present at the September and February student counts.
Only schools who pass AYP and score at least 90 percent get an A and receive summary accreditation. Schools receiving B, C, or D grades who pass AYP receive interim accreditation.
Although the Michigan School Report Card helps make schools accountable to the public, the report card also helps schools gear up for the 2013-2014 school year, when 100 percent proficiency will be required by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act.
Over the next nine years, the percentage of proficient students will be raised continually, says May.
For example, fourth-graders could score in the 47th percentile to be proficient in math for the past two years, but fourth-graders in 2005 will need 56 percent to maintain the same grade.
In addition, as MEAP testing is expanded to all students in grades three to eight, individual students? scores will be annually evaluated to measure whether students are demonstrating at least one year of academic growth for each year of instruction.
‘The grading system has made the districts more accountable since the information has become public,? said May. ‘Yet our scores are not good enough?100 percent is good enough.?
To learn more about Michigan School Report Cards, go to http://www.michigan.gov/mde.
Editor David Fleet contributed to this report.

Making the grade added by on
View all posts by Elizabeth Lowe →