Contents of this issue:
109 Michigan districts fail to achieve federal goals
State school board tables superintendent's contract extension
Former student to stand trial for threats against school
Bush announces push for more high school testing
Rochester students, educators voice optimism over MEAP replacement
Bush proposes $500 increase in maximum Pell Grant award
Granholm, Kilpatrick pick Detroit financial advisory committee
109 MICHIGAN DISTRICTS FAIL TO ACHIEVE FEDERAL GOALS
DETROIT — A state report on Michigan's school districts last week
showed that 109 districts failed this year to meet annual federal
progress standards, according to The Detroit News. The report was the
first of its kind, since previous federal progress reports dealt with
schools, not entire school districts.
Districts that failed to meet federal goals on standardized test
scores, graduation rates or attendance rates in two or more school
"levels" were labeled as "failing" by the state, said The News. A
traditional district typically would be evaluated on three school
"levels" — elementary schools, middle schools and high schools.
Michigan has 557 traditional school districts, as well as 216 charter
schools and 57 intermediate school districts, according to The News.
Most of the districts that did not achieve federal goals were
traditional school districts, meaning that roughly one in five
traditional districts failed.
"Most of our districts meet the standards," commented state Department
of Education spokesman Martin Ackley. "We still have work to do in some
districts." Districts that fail to meet standards for two years must
generate plans to improve their schools; after four years, they face
outside intervention, including receivership or the closing of the
district.
SOURCES:
The Detroit News, "109 school districts fail to make federal progress,"
Jan. 13, 2005
https://www.detroitnews.com/2005/schools/0501/13/D01-58980.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Dancing Around Education: A
170-Year Waltz With Reform," December 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6906
Michigan Education Report, "President signs 'No Child Left Behind
Act,'" Winter 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4082
STATE SCHOOL BOARD TABLES SUPERINTENDENT'S CONTRACT EXTENSION
LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Board of Education last week tabled a
contract extension for state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom
Watkins. According to Booth Newspapers, four board members — two
Democrats and two Republicans — voted to table the contract, making
Watkins' future as state education chief uncertain.
The decision on what Booth called a "routine contract extension" came
following a report Watkins submitted last month, in which he called for
substantial reforms to Michigan's education system. Though Booth
reported that a number of parents and educators praised Watkins' report
at the board meeting, Watkins suggested the report had prompted
disagreement. "When you lead and you propose bold action, sometimes
there's fallout," said Watkins. "It certainly has stirred things up.
... It's made some people uncomfortable."
Booth noted that Watkins and Gov. Jennifer Granholm have recently been
at odds over several issues, including replacing the MEAP test with a
college entrance exam and the results of the state's high school report
cards. Granholm gave Watkins a positive letter of recommendation for a
July performance evaluation, however, and the state Board recently
awarded him a job evaluation of "A-." Watkins must receive a majority
vote to renew his contract, which expired in September. He is currently
an "at-will" employee.
SOURCES:
Booth Newspapers, "Board fails to extend education chief's contract,"
Jan. 12, 2005
https://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1105528214104850.xml
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Watkins Gets It Right,"
January 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6939
Michigan Education Report, "State superintendent launches plan to grade
schools," Winter 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4083
Michigan Education Report, "State Board of Education adopts school
grading plan," Spring 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4270
FORMER STUDENT TO STAND TRIAL FOR THREATS AGAINST SCHOOL
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. — The Macomb Daily reported last week that Chief
41B District Judge Linda Davis ordered a 17-year-old former high school
student from Clinton Township bound over for trial on 13 felony
charges, including an alleged terrorist threat to go on a "rampage" at
Chippewa Valley High School.
The youth, Andrew Osantowski, allegedly outlined plans in conversations
in an online chat room to kill a school liaison police officer at the
high school. "There is a threat of terrorism in (the evidence)," Davis
said in her ruling. "He talks constantly about killing people and the
media attention he'll get from it."
Defense attorney Brian Legghio defended the student, telling The Daily,
"The statements that he made were not made with the intent to threaten
or terrorize," he said. "They were the ill-advised statements of a
teenage boy who talked about things like killing his cats, his mother
and himself." He also told The Daily, "This is perhaps a troubled young
man, but not a criminal."
The charges against Osantowski also included possessing stolen weapons,
according to The Daily. Osantowski could be sentenced to 22 years in
prison if convicted on all charges.
SOURCES:
Macomb Daily, "Ex-student to face trial for threats," Jan. 13, 2005
https://www.macombdaily.com/stories/011305/loc_osantow001.shtml
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Choice in Michigan: A Primer
for Freedom in Education: Lack of Incentives Produces Poor Results and
Exacerbates Problems," July 1999
https://www.mackinac.org/2049
BUSH ANNOUNCES PUSH FOR MORE HIGH SCHOOL TESTING
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — At a Washinton, D.C.-area high school last week,
President George Bush outlined his intent to request increased high
school testing nationwide, according to The Associated Press.
Bush said he would push for states to mandate math and reading tests in
all grades from three to 11. Currently, AP reported, the No Child Left
Behind Act requires math and reading tests in grades three through
eight and a minimum of one testing between grades 10 through 12. Bush
also hopes to entice states to require 12th-graders to take the reading
and math tests in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The
NAEP tests are administered biennially.
"Testing at high school levels will help us become more competitive as
the years go by," Bush said, according to AP. "Testing will make sure
the diploma is not merely a sign of endurance, but the mark of a young
person ready to succeed." National Education Association lobbyist Steve
Nousen commented, "The funding in the pre-kindergarten through eighth
grade is not adequate. If we try to extend it (NCLB) into the high
schools, obviously it's going to take more money."
Other Bush administration proposals included $200 million to help
middle and high school students who have trouble reading; $45 million
to prompt more high school students to take tougher courses; and $500
million to help districts reward teachers whose students improve
academically. According to AP, federal spending on education programs
under NCLB has increased 40 percent since 2001, from $17.38 billion to
$24.35 billion.
SOURCES:
CNN, "Bush calls for increased high school testing," Jan. 12, 2005
http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/12/bush.ap/index.html
Michigan Education Report, "Markets, not MEAP, best way to
measure school quality," Spring 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2872
ROCHESTER STUDENTS, EDUCATORS VOICE OPTIMISM OVER MEAP REPLACEMENT
ROCHESTER, Mich. — Students and educators interviewed by the Rochester
Eccentric voiced optimism last week over the new Michigan Merit Exam,
which will replace the high school test battery of the Michigan
Educational Assessment Program.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a group of bills this month that will
replace the high school MEAP tests with a test that can serve in part
as a college entrance exam. The new test will be called the Michigan
Merit Exam and will be implemented in the 2006-2007 school year. Martin
Ackley, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Education, said the
new test would have to meet established state standards. "We want to
make sure many of the aspects of the high school MEAP test are built
into the merit exam. The state board was vocal about whatever test is
used, it maintain the state's high standards and reflect curriculum
standards," he told the Eccentric.
Administrators praised the move to the new test, according to the
Eccentric. "For the standardized test used for college entrance, the
turnaround time is very quick compared to the MEAP," said Avondale High
School Principal Fred Cromie. Principal Dan Hickey of Stoney Creek High
School told the Eccentric, "It's a positive move. The MEAP was not held
in high regard."
SOURCES:
Rochester Eccentric, "Educators, students favor new high school test,"
Jan. 13, 2005
https://www.hometownlife.com/Rochester/News.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=79983
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "How Does the MEAP Measure Up?"
December 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3919
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "POLICY BRIEF: Which Educational
Achievement Test is Best for Michigan?" May 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4382
MichiganVotes.org, 2004 Senate Bills 1153, 1154, 1155, 1156, 1157
https://www.michiganvotes.org/2004-SB-1153
https://www.michiganvotes.org/2004-SB-1154
https://www.michiganvotes.org/2004-SB-1155
https://www.michiganvotes.org/2004-SB-1156
https://www.michiganvotes.org/2004-SB-1157
BUSH PROPOSES $500 INCREASE IN MAXIMUM PELL GRANT AWARD
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Associated Press reported that President
George Bush last Friday announced a proposal to increase the maximum
Pell Grant award by a total of $500 over the next five years.
Bush also announced that his upcoming federal budget proposal would
mend the grant fund's $4.3 billion deficit through cost-saving measures
in the federal student loan system. "I'm going to reform the student
loan program to make it more — or ask Congress to reform it — to make
it more effective and efficient and thereby saving money," he said. The
program has incurred debt because it must distribute grant money to
qualified students even if the grants exceed congressional
appropriations, AP reported.
Pell Grants, which are provided to low-income students, are currently
capped at a $4,050 maximum. Bush's plan would increase that to $4,550
by 2010. Grants currently range from $400 to $4,050 based on student
need.
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., appeared skeptical of the president's
proposal and said it might involve cost-shifting. "If the president's
plan would rob Peter to pay Pell, it would be unacceptable," said
Miller, according to AP.
SOURCES:
Knox News, "Bush proposes boosting number of Pell Grants,"
Jan. 16, 2005
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/national/article/0,1406,KNS_350_3473846,00.html
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Going Broke by Degree,"
September 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6805
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Private Prepaid Tuition Programs
Can Help Make College Affordable," September 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3685
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Competition Among Professors Would
Help Parents Afford College," August 1999
https://www.mackinac.org/2105
GRANHOLM, KILPATRICK PICK DETROIT FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
DETROIT — The Detroit Free Press reported that Gov. Jennifer Granholm
and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick last Friday released a list of 120
members of an advisory committee that would offer recommendations on
how to reduce the Detroit Public Schools' $200 million budget
shortfall.
Granholm and Kilpatrick chose community, business and school union
leaders for the committee, which will have no direct authority over the
district's budget, but will monitor budget plans. A spokeswoman for the
governor told the Free Press that the committee is also expected to
propose ways to restructure the district.
The Detroit school district has until Feb. 4 to file a debt-elimination
plan with the state, which could involve up to 5,400 job cuts and 40
school closures. Detroit Federation of Teachers President Janna
Garrison told the Free Press, "We would like to have meaningful input
into the direction of the district" and called for a focus "on the
classroom."
SOURCES:
Detroit Free Press, "Team picked to aid Detroit schools," Jan. 15, 2005
https://www.freep.com/news/education/dps15e_20050115.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The $200 Million Question,"
January 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6947
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Fewer Students = More Money?"
October 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6856
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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