August 31, 2007

LANSING – As Michigan children head back to the classroom this fall, more of them are returning to elementary and middle schools that are meeting state and federal academic goals, the Michigan Department of Education reported today.

Over 93 percent of Michigan public elementary and middle schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) this year, which is based upon their Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) scores; alternate assessment results for students with disabilities; the number of students who participated in the state assessments; and school attendance.

“We are encouraged to see more of our schools making their academic goals and closing the Achievement Gap, but we know we have a lot more work to do,” said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. “To reach our goal of doubling the number of college graduates in Michigan , we’ve got to make sure all children get an education that prepares them for success in college or technical training.”

The number of elementary and middle schools making AYP increased from 2,414 last year to 2,470 this year. Nineteen elementary and middle schools came off the No Child Left Behind sanctions list.

Schools that don’t make AYP for two or more consecutive years are placed on the sanctions list, as required by the federal law. The consequences get progressively severe with each additional year a school does not make AYP, ranging from having to provide school choice and transportation to another school, to eventual school restructuring. Schools that make AYP for two consecutive years come off the sanctions list.

This year’s report showed some significant declines in the numbers of schools in the various sanction phases.

“We are seeing the hard work by these schools, their teachers, parents, and students paying off,” said State Board of Education President Kathleen N. Straus. “Everyone wants better schools and we are helping those struggling schools develop their own strategies to pull themselves up.”

Over the past several years, the Michigan Department of Education and intermediate school districts have spearheaded assistance strategies to help schools not making AYP – using federal funding, mentor teams, and instructional training for school leadership.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan was encouraged by the decline in the number of schools not making AYP due to test scores of African-American students (from 33 schools in 2006 to 10 in 2007) and low-income students (from 27 schools to 6) – an indication of a closing of what is known as the Achievement Gap.

“What the No Child Left Behind law does is make schools accountable for all of their students,” Flanagan said. “This is promising news that more schools are meeting the educational needs of more of their students.”

For the overall EducationYES! school report card grades, fewer Michigan elementary and middle schools made As and Bs this year, compared to last year; with more schools falling into the C category.

While experts at the Michigan Department of Education have not yet begun to analyze the data behind this drop, it will be an area of focus in the coming months.

The EducationYES! school report cards are a compilation of student scores on the MEAP tests; the MI-Access alternate assessments for students with disabilities; AYP designation; and various school performance indicators – such as family involvement in the schools, curriculum, school improvement plans, and professional development for its teachers.

The public can access statewide, local school district, and individual school building data from the Michigan Department of Education website: www.michigan.gov/mde

2007 Education YES! Report Card at a Glance