By Crystal Hayduk
Assistant Superintendent Julie Deppner presented the results from the 2013-14 school year state-level assessment data to the school board at their meeting on August 25. Top to bottom ranking information was also released by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) in August.
Juniors at Chelsea High School performed well on the MME (Michigan Merit Examination). According to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) website, the MME is taken annually in March and has three parts: ACT plus writing (college entrance test); assessment of job skills in the areas of reading, math, and “locating information;” and tests of math, science and social studies.
“Chelsea students are ahead of the state and county averages in all tested areas,” said Deppner.
Chelsea Schools also ranked well in the Top to Bottom Ranking. Ranking is obtained through evaluations in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. Deppner explained that the result compares one school to all other schools funded by the state of Michigan, not only for student achievement, but also for year-to-year improvement and gaps in achievement.
All of the schools in Chelsea ranked among the top 10 percent statewide.
Chelsea High School received a ranking of 95 percent, which means that it is ranked higher than 95 percent of the schools in Michigan. Other schools ranked as follows: Beach Middle School – 90 percent, South Meadows – 92 percent, and North Creek – 94 percent. Deppner also reported that Chelsea School District boasts a graduation rate of greater than 95 percent, and more than 95 percent of students participate in arts and extra-curricular activities.
Both South and North attained “Reward” status, because they made AYP (adequate yearly progress) and they were among the top 5 percent of schools that made the greatest improvements in achievement between 2012-13 and 2013-14.
“In the last two years, we’ve increased in school rankings and decreased the gap between the highest and lowest achieving students, so North, South, and Beach are no longer Focus Schools,” Deppner reported. (Focus schools are defined as the 10 percent of schools with the largest achievement gaps between its top 30 percent of students and its bottom 30 percent, according to the Michigan Department of Education website.)
Michigan School Accountability Scorecard data, based on MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) tests of students in third through eighth grade indicated many positive areas for the district as well.
“Scorecards are one piece of data related to the MEAP, but it does not indicate achievement on an individual student basis in the way that the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), Plan, and Explore assessments do,” Deppner said, emphasizing the district’s goal of increasing individual student achievement.
“Overall, the general student population exceeds all expectations. But we know that our bottom 30 percent is where our focus needs to be,” Deppner summarized.
