The Ile Camera
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
MEAP update
Grosse Ile students' scores among highest in Downriver area
By Jackie Harrison-Martin, Heritage Newspapers
PUBLISHED: April 25, 2008
School district officials Downriver have been busy studying results of the recently released Michigan Education Assessment Program tests and figuring out where strengths and weaknesses are among third- through ninth-graders.
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Test scores play a significant role in determining if a school meets guidelines set forth in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Overall test results appear to show an early strength in math and reading scores. But those scores show a decline by the sixth grade in those subject areas.
Third-, fourth- and seventh-graders are tested in math, reading and writing. Fifth- and eighth-graders are tested in math, reading, science and writing.
Sixth-graders are evaluated in math, reading, writing and social studies. Writing has become a focus for many school districts.
Ninth-graders were tested in social studies only.
Test scores Downriver, as well as statewide, show that many districts are struggling in writing.
River Rouge recorded the lowest writing score among tested fourth-graders. Only 12.1 percent of its fourth-graders met or exceeded requirements in writing.
Their scores overall were among the lowest in the Downriver area, along with Ecorse and Taylor.
Math scores among third-graders in River Rouge showed, however, that 83 percent of the students met or exceeded Michigan's requirements. That was the highest score of any tested area in all grade levels in that city.
Overall, Grosse Ile had the highest percentage of students Downriver meeting or exceeding state requirements. It was followed by Riverview.
The highest score of all tested areas showed Grosse Ile with 99.3 percent of students meeting state requirements in fourth-grade math.
Math scores Downriver were strong across the board, with many districts scoring near or above the state average.
Sixth-graders taking the social studies test showed mixed results. Allen Park, Grosse Ile, Riverview and Southgate scored well above the state average.
Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Trenton, Woodhaven-Brownstown, Melvindale-Northern Allen Park and Wyandotte school districts scored near or above the state average in social studies.
Ecorse, Huron, Lincoln Park, River Rouge, Romulus and Taylor were below state average in that category.
Students in Allen Park, Flat Rock, Huron, Riverview, Southgate, Trenton, Woodhaven-Brownstown and Wyandotte scored above the state average in ninth-grade social studies.
Nancy Nagle, associate superintendent for the Southgate Community School District, said she recognizes the lower writing scores are reflective of districts across the state, but the writing portion is evaluated by an individual rather than a team.
"It's one person's opinion," she said. "We are putting more emphasis on writing across the board. That's very important because the scores are lower than we want."
Nagle said district officials have noticed that writing scores are substantially lower for boys than for girls.
She said that when looking at periodic benchmark assessments, boys are on a more even playing field with girls. She believes that when given a choice of topics to write about, boys perform much better.
Debbie Kruss, chief academic officer in the Huron School District, has reviewed Huron's scores and compared them to test results from the past three years.
She said Huron students did well and she believes the test is providing districts with "powerful information."
Huron has placed an added focus on literacy, working with students in small groups to enhance reading and comprehension skills.
Kruss said a concerted effort already has been made to boost writing skills. New writing texts were purchased last year to emphasize writing and an outside consultant has visited the elementary schools.
"We're not where we want to be, but we have made gains," Kruss said. "All teachers want what is best for students and want them to not only do well on the test, but to be able to retain and apply the information in life."
Wyandotte school Supt. Patricia Cole said she was pleased that the district scored above average in math, social studies and science at almost every grade level.
Like administrators in most districts, she is frustrated with the lower writing scores. Cole said some of the writing papers were returned to the school and she was impressed with what she saw from the students.
"Some of their writing was brilliant," Cole said. "Our students can write. That is not the problem. We are just struggling to know what the target is. What are we being graded on? It's like trying to hit a moving target."
Several districts have expressed concerns that the writing portion is subjective.
"Our teachers are doing a good job of teaching," Cole said. "I've seen them."
Wyandotte's math scores are a bright spot in the district for Cole. She said every building in the district had high marks and almost every grade scored above the state average.
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