Granholm Says Efforts to Strengthen Student Achievement Showing Positive Progress

New content expectations, rigorous curriculum improving student success

LANSING -- Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said her administration's efforts to strengthen Michigan's public schools to ensure every child is prepared for success in college and the workplace are showing results in improving student achievement.  The governor's comments came as she visited a Lansing elementary school on the first day of classes for more than 1.6 million public school students across the state.

"A world class education for every child is an economic necessity in the 21st century," said Granholm. "We've raised the bar for children and educators across this state with new content, higher standards and tougher testing, and they are rising to the challenge."

In 2004, Granholm created a blue-ribbon commission on higher education and economic growth, which was led by Lieutenant Governor John D. Cherry Jr., charged with identifying ways to double the number of college graduates and ensure that all students have the skills to succeed in the 21st century workplace.  Known as the Cherry Commission, the group's 19 recommendations for achieving those ambitious goals included a call for higher standards in Michigan's high schools to prepare all students for post-secondary education, a new high school assessment, a call on Michigan's colleges and universities to ensure students complete degrees or certification, and bringing larger numbers of adult workers back to campus to finish their degrees.

As a result of the Cherry Commission's work, the state made a series of changes to strengthen the curriculum used in schools, raise academic standards and improve assessments.  Among the changes were:

• new, nationally-recognized grade level content expectations for grades kindergarten through 8th grade, starting in the fall of 2004;
   
• replacement of the old high school MEAP test with the Michigan Merit Exam, which includes the national ACT college entrance exam, or all high school juniors starting in the fall of 2008; and
   
• rigorous graduation requirements for all high schools students, including four years of math and English/language arts and three years of science and social studies, beginning with students who entered high school in the fall of 2006.

"This year's graduating seniors will benefit from the rigorous high school graduation requirements now in place and will leave high school knowing they are better prepared for success in college and the workplace," said Granholm.  "And our young children just beginning their academic careers are starting school knowing they will benefit from improved content and higher expectations."

The governor highlighted a series of academic measures that show improving achievement by students at all levels across the state.  Reading and math scores for 3rd through 8th graders are up for each class over the last five years, as are Michigan Merit Exam scores for juniors in reading, writing and math.  The ACT scores for juniors have risen each year since all students began taking the test, and enrollment in advanced placement courses is up nearly 70 percent since Granholm took office. 

In the past three years, there has been a dramatic expansion of early/middle college programs across the state that allow Michigan students to attain both a high school diploma and a college associate's degree in a five-year time span. And even with increased standards and tougher curriculum, the 4-year cohort drop out rate has declined steadily since the state began using the measurement in 2007.

"It's clear that student achievement is headed in the right direction, but we will not be satisfied until every student in every school is succeeding," said Granholm.

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