Contents of this issue:
Appeals Court stops union election at Catholic school
Michigan public universities rank among top, bottom tiers
New York Times analysis says charters not performing well
State college scholarship to require community service
National, Michigan ACT scores up slightly
Study: High school graduation tests don't ensure readiness
Detroit summit discusses African-American test gap
APPEALS COURT STOPS UNION ELECTION AT CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Bloomfield Hills, Mich. - The Michigan Court of Appeals has
issued a stay of a faculty vote to decide whether the teachers at
Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills will be represented
by the Michigan Education Association. The vote had been
scheduled for Aug. 20.
The case has gained attention because it could create the state's
first unionized Roman Catholic school and would potentially open
all of Michigan's private religious schools to union organizing
and collective bargaining.
Brother Rice High School officials have opposed the MEA election,
arguing that it would violate the school's religious freedom. A
1979 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, NLRB vs. Catholic Bishop of
Chicago, declined to extend the National Labor Relations Act to
cover schools that are operated by a church and teach both
religious and secular subjects. The ruling did not prohibit
possible future applications of government labor laws to
religious schools, however, and the Michigan Employment Relations
Commission recently concluded that state regulation of the
school's labor relations did not violate state and federal
constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
The unionization dispute at Brother Rice began in 2003, when 30
of the 42 teachers working at the all-boys Catholic school
requested an election to determine whether to join the MEA. The
teachers who initiated the unionization effort had mostly
criticized cuts in teachers' compensation and in the budgets of
award-winning programs, such as the debate team.
In an e-mail to staff, parents and alumni, Head of School John
Birney recently stated: "We believe there is an inherent conflict
in the concept of a public employee union representing teachers
in a private parochial school under the jurisdiction of a state
agency. ... We recognize and accept the faculty's right to organize
and bargain with the administration -- indeed, this is a
fundamental concept endorsed by the Catholic Church."
Brother Rice has recently been accepted as a pro-bono client by
the Thomas More Law Center, a nonprofit public-interest law firm
in Ann Arbor. The Center has asked the Court of Appeals for a
short delay in order to familiarize itself with the details of
the case, but briefs must be filed by Sept. 7, after which the
MEA will have 35 days to respond. The court is then expected to
schedule an oral argument on the appeal within six to eight
weeks. A final ruling would follow thereafter.
SOURCES:
Order of the State of Michigan Court of Appeals, Docket No.
256256, LC No. 03-000088, "Michigan Education Association vs.
Christian Brothers Institute of Michigan," Aug. 4, 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/archives/2004/meavschristianbrothers.pdf
Michigan Education Report, "Commission rules Catholic school must
hold union vote," Summer 2004
https://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?ID=6738
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Will Michigan Have its First
Unionized Parochial High School?" September 2003
https://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=5680
MICHIGAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES RANK AMONG TOP, BOTTOM TIERS
DETROIT, Mich. - An annual ranking of the nation's colleges and
universities placed the University of Michigan and Michigan State
University among the best in their category in 2005, while
Central Michigan University and Wayne State University received
the lowest tier rankings.
The rankings guide, published by the U.S. News & World Report,
graded the institutions based on selectivity, average SAT scores
and a host of other categories.
The magazine ranked the University of Michigan 22nd overall among
248 nationwide universities, while Michigan State University
placed 71st. Central Michigan University, Oakland University,
Rochester College and Wayne State University did not receive a
ranking but were placed in the fourth quartile, among the 25
percent lowest-scoring institutions in the country.
The U.S. News guide is one of the best known college guides in
the United States, but MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said the
rankings are only one way that parents and students choose the
right school. "People definitely use the rankings. But they also
look at other things, and consumers are becoming very, very savvy
about picking a school," he said.
SOURCES:
Detroit News, "U-M, MSU ranked among best in U.S.," Aug. 20, 2004
https://www.detroitnews.com/2004/schools/0408/20/b01-248249.htm
U.S. News & World Report, "America's Best Colleges 2005 Rankings"
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Declining Standards at
Michigan Universities," November 1996
https://www.mackinac.org/236
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Privatize the University of
Michigan," March 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6313
NEW YORK TIMES ANALYSIS SAYS CHARTERS NOT PERFORMING WELL
NEW YORK, N.Y. - An analysis of public charter and traditional
public school test scores by the New York Times published last
week suggests that charter schools are not performing as well as
traditional public schools.
The test score gap reported by the Times was based on data from
an American Federation of Teachers report analyzing test scores
from around the country last year. According to the analysis,
charter students are a half-year behind traditional public school
students in reading performance. "There's a very strong
accountability issue here," observed Bella Rosenberg, a special
assistant to the AFT president.
Responses to the analysis have claimed that it contains several
flaws, including that it failed to note that in the states with
the highest relative concentration of charter schools, the
schools outperformed their traditional peers on several measures.
In Michigan, for instance, charters posted greater gains in
achievement than traditional public schools in nine out of 10
subjects on the 2003 MEAP test. In a statement issued last week
by the U.S. Department of Education, Education Secretary Rod
Paige said that the Times did not mention that "public charter
schools are held to the same accountability standards as
traditional public schools under the No Child Left Behind Act."
SOURCES:
New York Times, "Nation's Charter Schools Lagging Behind, U.S. Test Scores Reveal," Aug. 17, 2004
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/17/education/17charter.html
Department of Education, "Education Department Spokesperson Issues Statement Regarding New York Times' Articles on Charter
Schools," Aug. 18, 2004
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/08/08182004a.html
Denver Post, "The reality of charter schools," Aug. 18, 2004
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~417~2340922,00.html
Wall Street Journal, "Dog Eats AFT Homework," Aug. 18, 2004
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005492
California Charter Schools Association, "AFT Report Actually Bolsters California Charter Schools' Effectiveness at Improving Student Achievement," Aug. 18, 2004
http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm? fuseAction=document&documentID=1819§ionID=125&NEWSYEAR=2004
American Federation of Teachers, "Charter School Achievement on
the 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress," August 2004
http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/downloads/teachers/NAEPCharterSchoolReport.pdf
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "When Will Conventional Public
Schools Be As Accountable As Charters?" July 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6684
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Time to Stop Beating Up on
Charter Schools," November 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4864
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Impact of Limited School
Choice on Public School Districts," July 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2962
STATE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP TO REQUIRE COMMUNITY SERVICE
HOLLAND, Mich. - The Michigan Merit Board, the state authority
that oversees the Michigan Merit Award, decided last week it
would require students to record 40 hours of community service
during their high school tenure in order to receive the state-
funded scholarships.
The Michigan Merit Award was first given to graduates of the
class of 2000. Funded in part by monies from the state's tobacco
lawsuit settlement, the program has awarded scholarships to
students who earn Level 1 or Level 2 scores on their Michigan
Educational Assessment Program high school exams. The award
varies depending on a student's choice of school: a $2,500
scholarship for in-state colleges, and a $1,000 scholarship for
schools outside of Michigan.
The recent decision makes a community service component part of
the requirement to earn the cash award. "What should a student do
to deserve a state scholarship?" asked State Treasurer and
Michigan Merit Board Chairman Jay Rising, according to the
Holland Sentinel. "I think it goes beyond getting good grades.
This recognizes, just as colleges do, that academics alone won't
get you in."
Zeeland East High School counselor Mary Colenbrander commented,
"It's a worthy cause, but I guess when you start to require it,
it's not truly volunteering."
The service requirement will go into effect beginning with the
class of 2006.
SOURCES:
Holland Sentinel, "Service work tied to Merit Award," Aug. 19, 2004
http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/081904/loc_081904003.shtml
Booth Newspapers, "Students must volunteer to win Merit," Aug. 18, 2004
https://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1092780601305670.xml
Michigan Education Report, "Gov. Granholm Proposes 14 Expansions of Government, 6 Limitations," February 2003
https://www.mackinac.org/5011
Michigan Education Report, "College bound students receive new state scholarships," Early Fall 2000
https://www.educationreport.org/3058
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Which Educational Achievement Test is Best for Michigan?" May 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4382
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Recommendations to Strengthen Civil Society and Balance Michigan's State Budget - 2nd Edition," May 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6545
NATIONAL, MICHIGAN ACT SCORES UP SLIGHTLY, BUT STUDENTS NOT PREPARED
DETROIT, Mich. - Composite scores from this year's ACT assessment
show mixed results among students nationwide and in Michigan.
The national average score on the test increased this year, from
20.8 last year to 20.9 this year (out of a possible 36). The
increase was the first improvement in seven years; scores have
remained flat or declined since 1997.
Michigan students, on the whole, fared above the national
average, with a mean score of 21.4, up from 21.3 last year. Of
the four subjects measured on the ACT test, Michigan high school
students gained one-tenth of a point in reading over last year's
results. Scores remained flat in English and math, but declined
by one-tenth of a point in science.
Though the modest score increase is a positive indicator of
student achievement, ACT Inc. Chief Executive Officer Richard
Ferguson observed, "Too many high school graduates have not
mastered the key academic skills they need" for higher education.
An ACT assessment of 10th graders found that only 36 percent of
test-takers will be prepared for college algebra and just 24
percent will be ready for college biology, if current trends
continue.
SOURCES:
Detroit News, "Michigan ACT scores inch up this year," Aug. 18, 2004
https://www.detroitnews.com/2004/schools/0408/19/a01-246161.htm
USA Today, "Average ACT scores rise for first time in 7 years," Aug. 17, 2004
https://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2004-08-17-act-scores_x.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Which Educational Achievement Test is Best for Michigan?" May 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4382
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Cost of Remedial Education," Aug. 31, 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/3025
STUDY: HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION TESTS DON'T ENSURE READINESS
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A study of high school exit exams released
last week said that only one state's test ensures students are
ready for higher education, while several states fail to
establish the purpose of their test.
The study, published by the Washington, D.C.-based Center on
Education Policy, found that most states' exit exams fail to
provide a real measure of students' readiness for college.
According to the report, only Georgia's test ensures its students
are prepared for college or a job, and even the 20 states that
require students to pass their test to earn a diploma fail to
truly measure students' comprehension of English and math, among
other subjects.
Some states lack a clear purpose or mission in requiring an exit
exam. "If they're not clear, then they can't write an exam that's
legitimate," Center director Jack Jennings told the Salt Lake
Tribune. "We're urging states to re-examine their policies."
Colleges and employers are increasingly dissatisfied with the
quality of students graduating high school, reporting that
students lack basic skills in communication and reasoning skills,
said the Tribune. Many states promote their exams as measures of
student achievement in these areas.
Keith Gayler, lead author of the Center's report, said if states
suddenly implemented compulsory exit exams that truly measured
student readiness, with "so few students passing at this point
... the reforms would crumble under their own weight."
Though Michigan high school students are compelled to take a
statewide exam, the Michigan Educational Assessment Program
tests, it does not determine whether students will receive a
diploma.
SOURCES:
Salt Lake Tribune, "Study: Exit exams don't ready high schoolers
for college," Aug. 19, 2004
http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_2395398
Center on Education Policy, "State High School Exit Exams: A
Maturing Reform," August 2004
http://www.ctredpol.org/highschoolexit/ExitExamAug2004/ExitExam2004.pdf
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Cost of Remedial
Education," Aug. 31, 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/3025
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Which Educational Achievement
Test is Best for Michigan?" May 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4382
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "How Does the MEAP Measure
Up?" December 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3919
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Graduation Rates an Imperfect
Measure of School Excellence," January 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/3932
DETROIT SUMMIT DISCUSSES AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEST GAP
DETROIT, Mich. - A three-day summit held in Detroit last weekend
focused on closing the test score gap between African-American
and nonminority students. The summit involved some 500 school
board members from around the country and was hosted at the
Marriott Detroit Renaissance Center by the National African
American School Board Members group.
The program featured workshops and panel discussions on how to
improve the academic achievement of poor and minority children.
"There is a lack of performance of African-American students in
reading, writing and math," said Ron Price, the founder and
president of the group. "When you look at national test scores,
our youngsters are always lagging behind."
According to the Detroit News, 60 percent of white children
passed the reading portion of the Michigan Educational Assessment
Program tests in 2002, as opposed to only 33 percent of black
students. "It's time to step up to the plate and say we're not
going to take this anymore and demand more from ourselves and our
children," said Price.
SOURCES:
Detroit News, "Summit focuses on black test gap," Aug. 20, 2004
https://www.detroitnews.com/2004/schools/0408/20/b01-248254.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Less Government, Not More, Is Key to Academic Achievement and Accountability," Oct. 3, 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3786
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "What Can't Brown Do for You?" May 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6633
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of
Michigan Education Report (
https://www.educationreport.org), a quarterly newspaper with a circulation of 130,000 published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy (
https://www.mackinac.org), a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.
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