(Ferndale Schools, Feb. 16, 2013, from http://www.ferndaleschools.org/districtnews/documents/Ferndale_eNews_Feb15_2013.pdf)
Results from the Fall 2012 MEAP tests were released statewide this week. In Ferndale, the Curriculum & Instruction Team has reviewed the Ferndale School’s student results which include Grades 3-9. Ferndale’s results show significant increases in proficiency in reading, math, and science. Barbara Evoe, Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction says, “The percentage rate of increase in most grade levels for Ferndale have increased in these content areas at rates greater than the state with the proficiency levels in Ferndale now intersecting with or greater than those of the state for all students.”
Evoe adds, “We have seen continued growth in our subgroups, but we still have an achievement gap that needs to be narrowed, even in math, reading, and writing.”
The team also acknowledges a need for an increased focus on science and social studies.
Through the implementation of the Data Teams of teachers and principals working together during School Improvement Mondays, new Instructional Lead Teachers at every grade level, and rigorous School Improvement Plans development by the Instruction
Team, the district is building a foundation for continued future growth. Ferndale Schools will also use the results throughout the second semester to address individual students’ learning needs, as well as using the information to help redirect district and school improvement plans.
The Fall 2012 MEAP data is just a starting point for schools and the Michigan
Department of Education’s Office of Assessment and Accountability. This release includes all students who took the test, but refined data only includes those students who have attended a school district for more than one full year. The refined data provide more specific information about how the district is preparing students to succeed in achieving at least one full year’s growth in their learning from one grade to the next.
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) will further refine the data throughout the remainder of the school year in preparation for the summer release of the Top-to-
Bottom List, the new Michigan Accountability Scorecards, and the Beating the Odds lists, which are all part of Michigan’s accountability model.
In conclusion, the Fall 2012 MEAP results show that the Ferndale Schools continue an upward trend in reading, writing and mathematics for All Students, plus the subgroup categories of Economically Disadvantaged, African American and White students. Evoe acknowledges, that “Despite this progress, the district and schools know we must continue to focus on closing the achievement gap for the Economically Disadvantaged and African American students. This work will be articulated in building school improvement plans. It is also clear to us that science and social studies need to be areas of further concentration, in addition to our intense focus on reading, writing and mathematics.”
Get info: The state, district, and school MEAP scores are publicly accessible via the “MI School Data” link on the district’s homepage at: https://www.mischooldata.org/DistrictSchoolProfiles/AssessmentResults/Meap/MeapPerformanceSummary.aspx.
A complete review of the Fall 2012 MEAP results will be provided by Barb Evoe at the Monday, February 25, 2013 Board meeting which begins at 7 pm.
Here are some points from the results
In Reading
• Grades 3, 4 and 7 demonstrated greater growth than the state.
• Roosevelt’s Grade 3 and 4* students demonstrated significant improvement with Grade
3 increasing student performance by 20 percentage points.
• Coolidge showed slight increases at Grades 5, 6, 7.**
• Kennedy’s Grades 3, 4, 7 increased their performance, while Grades 5 and 6 experienced slight declines.
• Ferndale Middle School’s Grade 8 improved slightly.
• Kennedy and Roosevelt’s overall student proficiency rates are at or above the state at all grade levels.
• Coolidge and Ferndale Middle School lag behind the state at all levels, which is being addressed through the schools’ improvement plans.
In Math
• The district’s mathematics proficiency rates improved at all grade levels except Grade 5, which was unchanged.
• Four out of the six grade levels demonstrated greater growth than the state.
• Roosevelt and Coolidge both increased at all grade levels, with Grades 4 and 7 demonstrating the most growth.
• Kennedy improved at all grade levels except Grade 5
• Ferndale Middle School improved by four percentage points.
In Writing
• Writing was another area of positive change from 2011 to 2012.
• The district is now outperforming the state at Grade 4. The state improved two
percentage points at while the district increased by 13, which is attributed to
Roosevelt’s 14 point increase.
• At Grade 7, the state increased by five percentage points, while the district increased by 13, which is supported by Coolidge’s 13 point increase and Kennedy’s 24 point gain.
In Science
• The science results are a concern to the district, the administrators and most of all to the teachers.
• The state’s proficiency rate dropped to a low of 13 percent this year, while Coolidge remained at two percent and Kennedy dropped from 23 percent to only 10 percent passing at Grade 5.
• At Grade 7, the state remained at the same level with only 16 percent of the students demonstrating proficiency, while Ferndale Middle School increased by one percentage point.
• Both Ferndale Middle School and Kennedy have a science improvement goal in their school improvement plans. In addition, the K-8 Science Instructional Lead Teachers, along with the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator are developing teacher in-services and common assessments.
In Social Studies
• This year’s social studies results did not show growth.
• Kennedy dropped 19 percentage points while Coolidge remained the same.
• When reviewing the Grade 9 high school results, 15% of the Ferndale High, 84% of DLC, and 98% of University High School students are new to the district this year, and did not attend Ferndale Public Schools prior to fall 2012, leaving the result of little value for University High and DLC. These students will be removed when the state refines the data to remove those attending less than one full year.
• Ferndale Middle School’s social studies teachers are reviewing their former students’
2012 students’ scores, as well as the Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) and instructional strategies.
* Grade 4 at Coolidge and Kennedy reflects back to their Grade 3 school, Roosevelt
** Grade 7 students at FMS are reflected in Coolidge’s results
For more information on Ferndale Schools go to http://www.ferndaleschools.org.
For data about test scores go to https://www.mischooldata.org/.