Troy

Cut scores keep Troy School District above state averages

By Terry Oparka
C & G Staff Writer

As expected, Troy School District students’ test scores on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program test dropped from last year due to the way the achievement standards, or cut scores, were tallied. However, Troy School District test scores were well above state averages in all cases.

Under new guidelines, students must answer 65 percent of the test questions to pass. In the past, it was 39 percent. 

The Michigan Department of Education adopted the new cut scores for the MEAP test for the fall 2011 tests and retroactively for statewide MEAP results from previous years to facilitate comparisons.

For fall 2011, statewide, 62 percent of third-graders, 68 percent of fourth-graders and 69 percent of fifth-graders tested proficient in reading, according to the new proficiency standards.

In Troy for fall 2011, 83 percent of third-graders, 87 percent of fourth-graders and 90 percent of fifth-graders tested proficient in reading under the new cut scores.

In 2010, using the old standards, 96 percent of Troy third-graders, 96 percent of fourth-graders and 95 percent of fifth-graders had tested proficient in reading. In math, statewide, the numbers were 36 percent of third-graders, and 40 percent of fourth- and fifth-graders testing proficient.

For the same year under the new standards, in the Troy School District, 75 percent of third-graders, 79 percent of fourth-graders and 82 percent of fifth-graders scored proficient in math. That’s a drop from the previous year, when 99.5 percent of third-graders, 98 percent of fourth-graders and 95 percent of fifth-graders scored proficient in math under the old standards.

“These are the results we expected after the adjustment of the cut scores, though also as expected, the gains achieved this year in reading and mathematics demonstrate that our students will continue to make academic progress even with this adjustment,” Mike Flanagan, state superintendent of public instruction, said in a prepared statement.

“The new cut scores show that we aren’t where we thought we were before, but this is the picture of where we are now. The focus needs to be taking this to the next level,” Flanagan said.

“We knew as a district (that) when cut scores changed, scores would go down,” said Rich Macheski, Troy School District assistant superintendent for secondary instruction.

He said the district focused on common assessments in core content areas and best instructional strategies.

“Our drop was not as significant as others,” he said. “Our scores remain consistently high. We’re not focused on scores so much as doing the right work.”

Visit www.candgnews.com for information on MEAP results for the Avondale and Warren Consolidated Schools districts. For complete MEAP results, visit www.michigan.gov/mde.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Terry Oparka at toparka@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1054.