LANSING – State assessment scores released today indicate students are beginning to reach the higher K-8 curriculum standards approved by the State Board of Education in 2004.

Schools began implementing the new standards, known as Grade Level Content Expectations, in the 2004-05 school year.  They have been recognized by independent reviewers to be among the most rigorous standards in the nation.

“We believed that if we raised the bar in education, and expected more of our teachers and students, they would meet and exceed our expectations,” said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.  “These results show that we were right – higher standards will lead to higher achievement for Michigan students.”

Granholm’s comments were in response to the release today of statewide results for the fall 2005 Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests and the MI-Access alternate assessment for students with disabilities.

Over 80 percent of the students taking the third and fourth grade MEAP mathematics assessment and third, fourth, and fifth grade reading assessment met or exceeded expectations. Over 70 percent met or exceeded expectations in the fifth grade mathematics test; the fifth and eighth grade science tests; the sixth grade social studies tests; and the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade reading tests.

Likewise, over 79 percent of the students taking the third through eighth grade mathematics and English language arts MI-Access assessments reached the Attained or Surpassed levels.

“This is very promising,” Granholm said of the results.  “These are the fundamental skills our students need to succeed in high school, post-secondary, and the workforce in our global economy.  It is exciting to see so many of our students meeting our high standards at these early grades.”

This is the first year that all students in grades 3-8 were assessed in mathematics and English language arts, in compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which doubled the number of Michigan students tested to nearly one million.  Prior to this school year, students were assessed in different subjects in different grades. This also marked the move of the testing period from the spring to the fall.

“We know there were a lot of changes in the state testing program this school year and we appreciate the hard work put in by schools and their continued focus on student achievement,” said State Board of Education President Kathleen N. Straus.

With this thorough change in test structure, test questions, grades tested, and grading standards, this year’s results cannot directly be compared to previous years’ results, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

The Grade Level Content Expectations provide teachers and students with detail and focus on the skills students should know at the end of each grade.  It was designed to bring a more consistent curriculum across the state for each grade, K-8.

“Grade Level Content Expectations are classroom-focused – what actually is taught in the classroom,” Straus said.  “Educators believe this will help students achieve at high levels.”

Students who met or exceed expectations in the 3-8 grade MEAP writing assessments ran in a range from 51.5 percent in the third grade to 74.8 percent in the sixth grade, which affected the English language arts (ELA) results.  Reading and writing results are combined to create the overall ELA results.  ELA scores ranged from 69.4 percent in eighth grade to 77.9 percent in third grade.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan noted this year’s results show that the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the MEAP mathematics standards declines as the students get older.  That percentage steadily drops from 87 percent in the third grade to 59 percent in the seventh grade and 63 percent in the eighth grade.

“We must focus on mathematics in the middle school so students not only will meet state standards, but will have the foundation for the more rigorous requirements in high school and later in the workplace,” Flanagan said.

The Governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2007 budget includes $15 million for a new after-school program for middle school students to focus on mathematics, science, and computer technology.

Students’ MEAP scores are divided into four performance levels: Apprentice, Basic, Met Expectations, Exceeded Expectations.  Students who place in either the Met Expectations or Exceeded Expectations levels are considered to be “proficient” in that subject.  Those who place in the Apprentice or Basic levels are deemed to be “not proficient.”

While a majority of students in Michigan participate in the MEAP, it is not appropriate for some students with disabilities. For that reason, the state developed MI-Access, the state’s alternate assessment program.

There are three MI-Access assessments in which students with disabilities can take part in: Participation; Supported Independence; and Functional Independence.  Which of the three assessments a student takes is determined by that student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), based upon their cognitive functioning level, curriculum, and instruction.

In the fall 2005 testing cycle, 23,704 students with disabilities took part in MI-Access, which reflected about 22 percent of all Michigan students with disabilities in grades 3-8.

Overall, students performed well on the MI-Access assessments, according to the Department of Education.

Nearly one-half of the students assessed with MI-Access Participation and Supported Independence surpassed the performance standards.  More than one-half assessed with Functional Independence mathematics surpassed performance standards, as did more than two-thirds assessed with Functional Independence English language arts.

Complete MEAP Results

Frequently Asked Questions

To view complete MI-Access results, go to www.michigan.gov.gov/mi-access and click on “State Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities.”