Brandon High School received a B while Goodrich High School received an A last week on the Michigan School Report Card, a statewide assessment of school and student performance.
Both schools met Adequate Yearly Progress scores.
‘I’m very pleased with the grade,? said Sue May, Brandon assistant superintendent for curriculum and instructional services.
‘The high school grades are very difficult to meet due to the number of times a student can take the MEAP.?
Brandon High School’s grade improved over 2003 when the school earned a C grade.
The report cards, which schools have received for the past two years, are based primarily on data from the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) English language arts, math, science, and social studies.
School report cards measure either A,B,C, D-Alert, or unaccredited.
MEAP scores comprise 67 percent of the schools? grades.
The scores are used to measure both Achievement Status’how well a school is educating its students to be proficient in a subject’and to measure Achievement Change, which grades whether overall achievement is improving or declining.
Numbers can be misleading, since even increasingly proficient schools can have a score downgraded for not meeting a target score assigned by the state, based on the school’s previous score, said Kenneth Andrejewski, Goodrich High School principal.
School Performance Indicators account for one-third of the score. It’s the part of the grade that comes directly from the school.
Since the GHS performance indicators haven’t changed since last year, it’s students? MEAP scores that raised last year’s B to an A, said Andrejewski, who’s very satisfied with the ‘nice jump? in the score.
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.
Several Brandon school administrators were concerned that soon high school MEAP grades will also incorporate Choices program scores.
Choices is the district’s non-traditional high school designed to help overcome the academic challenges some students face when in a larger, more traditional setting.
In addition Choices is designed so at-risk students may still be able to graduate on time.
In 2004, about 25 students from the alternative high school completed the MEAP exam. Unlike traditional education, alternative high school education curriculum does not align with the MEAP as it does at Brandon High School.
Some administrators say the Choices? MEAP scores will affect the score of the entire school district.
‘I would hate to see the Choices program change to meet the MEAP,? said Beth Nuccio.’If you change it to a more traditional program the students won’t be there.?
‘Not all kids learn the same way, or the same speed,? said Nuccio.
Last August, Brandon district schools, Belle Ann, Howard T. Burt elementaries, Brandon Fletcher Intermediate, and Brandon Middle School all received A ratings, while Harvey-Swanson Elementary received a B. In the Goodrich distirct, Oaktree and Reid elementaries and the middle school all received A’s.
Getting an A on report cards isn’t based solely on achievement scores and school performance indicators, even when they add up to a 100 percent ‘perfect? score.
To get an A, the school is also required to pass an Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement.
AYP is 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 passing AYP and scoring at least 90 percent get an A and receive summary accreditation. Schools receiving B, C, or D grades who pass AYP receive interim accreditation.
Summary accreditation basically means a district has to meet less challenges to continue accreditation, says Andrzejewski.
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.