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Scores up for Michigan school test

Scores up for Michigan school test

State education officials are elated over an improvement in reading scores in the annual Michigan Educational Assessment Program, or MEAP test, the results of which were released yesterday.

But few people were as happy as Mason Consolidated Schools officials.

Faced with possible closure of Mason Middle School after years of poor test results, Mason students showed dramatic improvement in six of nine categories.

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"Is that cool or what?" said Marlene Mills, superintendent of the Erie school system.

In particular, fourth-grade students improved 15 percent in their language test and 20 percent in their math tests. Fifth-grade students jumped 13 percent in their science score, while seventh-grade students at the middle school improved by 16 percent in reading and 52 percent in their writing tests.

"We surpassed our targets and we surpassed the state average, which we are really excited about," Ms. Mills said.

After five straight years of declining scores, the middle school improved last year. But the school had to show improvement two straight years or the state would have taken over operation of the school, as mandated by law, Ms. Mills said.

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The turnaround began last year when about 200 students attended a seven-week summer school session. Meanwhile, school officials copied programs from other successful systems and trained teachers on how to teach writing classes in a better way.

"We looked at where our kids were weak, and then we had a laser-like focus on achievement and academics," Ms. Mills said.

Officials at the Madison School District in Lenawee County and at Bedford Public Schools also were in a celebratory mood yesterday.

"We did very well. Our scores were above the state

average in every area," said Connie Ries, middle and high school principal at Madison.

Student scores were up 6 percent in science, 18 percent in social studies, and 10 percent in math, continuing an upward trend for the school system.

Ms. Ries said there are several reasons for the system's continued success.

"We're teaching the right things at the right time, and we've been tested on the same stuff for a little while now. Also, we motivate the kids to do the best they can do. [But] the tests aren't as important to the kids as they are to the school system," she said.

Bedford Superintendent Jon White said he was pleased with his students' performance.

"We did very well. We exceeded all our [target] scores. We're very proud of our students and our teachers," he said.

Not every area system had good news.

Scores at McKinley and Michener elementary schools in the Adrian schools system were down. Superintendent Del Cochran said he's not worried about Michener since that school will be closed for renovations next year. But McKinley, he conceded, is a problem.

"It's a real concern for us at this time, that's for sure," he said.

At Dundee Community Schools, Superintendent Robert Black said he wasn't too concerned about minor dropoffs in some fourth and fifth-grade scores because class abilities change from year to year. However, an 8 percent drop in fifth-grade social studies scores over the last year has him concerned.

"It shows you're missing something," he said.

On the plus side, seventh-grade reading scores jumped 20 percent and their writing scores went up 12 percent. Meanwhile, Dundee's eighth-grade students improved 15 percent in their math scores over the past year.

Scores for Airport Community Schools' fourth and fifth graders dropped this year, causing concern among school officials.

"I hope we can put a stop to it," said Betty Rosen-Leacher, the system's curriculum director. "We need to turn things around."

Statewide, fourth-grade students meeting or exceeding the state's reading standards improved by 3 percent over last year's results, while seventh-grade students jumped 12 percent in the same area.

"I am encouraged by the improvement in reading scores," said Kathleen N. Straus, president of the Michigan Board of Education. "Reading is the foundation of all learning, and I look forward to its impact on greater achievement in other curriculum areas."

A decline in writing scores and questions by schools on those results prompted outside experts to weigh in on the test. They found that the writing tests were more difficult this year than in previous years, officials said.

Performance in most other grades and subject areas remained stable over last year. The only significant decrease appeared in fifth-grade social studies, where 26 percent of students met or exceeded standards, down 5 percentage points from the previous year.

The 2005 winter tests were taken by Michigan's fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth grade students over a three-week period in late January through early February.

Contact George Tanber at:

gtanber@theblade.com

or 734-241-3610.

First Published May 7, 2005, 1:15 p.m.

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