Contents of this issue:
State to recalculate results of MEAP tests after low scores
Audit shows insufficient reviews of district pupil counts
Flint may attach guarantee to high-school diplomas
State law makes ISD budgets more accountable to local districts
STATE TO RECALCULATE RESULTS OF MEAP TESTS AFTER LOW SCORES
LANSING, Mich. — The state Department of Education recalled preliminary
results of fourth- and seventh-grade MEAP writing tests last week in
response to "alarmingly low" scores as compared to last year's test for
the same age groups, according to The Detroit News.
The writing section scores were almost 10 percentage points lower than
last year's marks, which, according to state officials, is the result
of more challenging test questions rather than a decline in student
performance. "After analyzing the test and the results, assessment
experts determined this year's writing 'prompts' (essay questions) were
more difficult than previous years, requiring a revised scoring scale
so the results are statistically comparable," said Education Department
spokesman Martin Ackley.
The decision to recalculate the scores was worrisome to some, as the
state has said in the past that it would toughen the test to meet
requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. "What kind of
message are we sending to students when we lower the bar just because
we don't like the outcome?" said Rob Minard, executive director of the
Grand Rapids-based Great Lakes Education Project. "You can't suddenly
change the rules of the game just because you are down 10 points at
halftime. If there is a need for improvement, we won't know where to
begin if the problem is glossed over for fear that the results might
not look good to the public."
SOURCES:
The Detroit News, "State to pad MEAP scores," Apr. 29, 2005
https://www.detroitnews.com/2005/schools/0504/29/A01-166339.htm
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
Michigan Education Report, "Markets, not MEAP, best way to measure
school quality," Spring 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2872
AUDIT SHOWS INSUFFICIENT REVIEWS OF DISTRICT PUPIL COUNTS
HOLLAND, Mich. — A report released last week from the Office of the
Auditor General called for the state Department of Education to resume
its quality control reviews of district pupil counts, which are used to
allocate state funds to school districts.
The Department of Education said that in 1997 it lost three state
auditors who checked the accuracy of district per-pupil counts, and
could only replace one, who was cut from the budget in 2003, ending all
such reviews, according to The Holland Sentinel. The report from the
auditor general found that the education department is "somewhat
effective" in confirming the quality and veracity of pupil count claims
from school districts.
Recently, the education department placed an auditor in the quality
check position part-time, but, according to spokesman Martin Ackley,
cannot do much more due to budget restrictions. "With fewer state
resources, you have reduced ability to oversee," Ackley said. "We're
using what we have."
SOURCES:
The Holland Sentinel, "State plans stricter school reviews,"
Apr. 27, 2005
https://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/042705/local_20050427007.shtml
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Funding: Lack of Money or
Lack of Money Management?" August 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3683
FLINT MAY ATTACH GUARANTEE TO HIGH-SCHOOL DIPLOMAS
FLINT, Mich. — The Flint Board of Education academics committee
approved a program last Thursday that would guarantee that the
district's high school graduates meet minimum standards for employment,
including reading, writing and math, reported The Flint Journal.
If the policy is approved by the whole board, the district would re-educate graduates that are not properly prepared in those three subjects. "If you're a business and you hired a guaranteed student who doesn't make it, then we'll take them back and retrain them," interim Superintendent Ira Rutherford told The Journal. "We're introducing this starting with our ninth-graders (this fall), and when they graduate in 2009, we will guarantee their diploma and that they'll be able to function in the world of work and in the business community."
A similar program in the Flint district was started in 1993, but "went
nowhere," according to school principal John Clothier. Referring to the
current guarantee proposal, Clothier said, "It's a great (public
relations) move, but it's going nowhere. I've been around long enough
to see most of this stuff come around." But if the current program is
approved, said Rutherford, "We will be the only district in Genesee
County guaranteeing that our graduates have the prerequisite skills for
the world of work."
SOURCES:
The Flint Journal, "Flint grads could come with guarantee,"
Apr. 30, 2005
https://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-28/111486000173110.xml
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Cost of Remedial
Education," Sept. 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/3025
STATE LAW MAKES ISD BUDGETS MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO LOCAL DISTRICTS
BAY CITY, Mich. — Intermediate School Districts must have their budgets
approved by the local districts they serve or present their budgets to
local districts under a new accountability law passed earlier this
school year, reported The Bay City Times.
Local districts must approve or reject the budgets by June 1, a process
that adds a new legal requirement for ISDs. "It's a good thing that we
present our budget because (the districts) are the ones that send their
children to us," said Bay-Arenac ISD Superintendent Michael Dewey,
whose district has three budgets totaling about $32.5 million.
The law was passed as part of a package of bills meant to strengthen
the financial accountability of ISDs following misconduct in the
Oakland County ISD. "(The law) is necessary because someone abused it,"
said Bangor Township Schools Superintendent Michael Andress . "As a
result of that, there are a lot more rules. It created a lot more work
for the local ISD." Additionally, the improved communication between
ISDs and local districts is "a good thing in a lot of ways," said Bay
City Public Schools board member Marie McFarland.
SOURCES:
The Bay City Times, "New law makes ISDs more accountable with local
schools," Apr. 28, 2005
https://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1114701316130400.xml
Michigan Education Report, "Financial scandals exposed in Michigan
school districts," Fall 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4835
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Eliminate Intermediate School
Districts," August 2003
https://www.mackinac.org/5678
Michigan Education Report, "What Are Intermediate School Districts?" Winter 2000
https://www.educationreport.org/2709
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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