Fraser

Fewer students proficient with new MEAP cut scores

By April Lehmbeck
C & G Staff Writer

FRASER — Many of the state’s school districts have been working to prepare their communities for the reality of the state’s changes in cut scores, which meant fewer students were going to make the cut this year.

When the scores were released last week, districts saw major drops in the numbers of students meeting or exceeding state standards at every grade level.

“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,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan in a press release.

However, when the state applied the new scores to last year’s results, they saw an increase in the number of students meeting expectations in almost all subjects and grades.

“We have a lot of room to grow, but this is a positive step,” Flanagan stated. “I am very confident that we have professionals in our classrooms who will continue to step up to the challenge of preparing our students to achieve at higher levels. I am so proud of them.”

In Fraser Public Schools, the predictable drop in scores due to the change in cut scores occurred, but the district outperformed the statewide scores in almost every subject and grade.

In some cases, the district outperformed the state by more than 10 percentage points. For instance, 44.5 percent of students statewide scored proficient or better in writing, but more than 55 percent of students in Fraser scored that well.

Despite doing better than state averages, Fraser, like many districts, has more than half of its students not meeting proficiency levels in some areas based on the new cut scores.

The district has been taking steps to improve student performance.

“The test is snapshot of our students’ progress and academic success,” Fraser Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Carrie Wozniak said in an email. “Fraser has implemented Response to Intervention districtwide to assure that all students are adequately assessed and receive appropriate interventions and services. We will use this data to help us identify students who need additional interventions and support.”

Clintondale officials also would like to see some improvements in their students’ scores. “Although we need to continue to improve on the MEAP, we are pleased that we met or exceeded the state scores,” Parker Elementary Principal Karen Hessler said. “When we converted last year’s scores to the new cut scores and compared them to this year’s cut scores, we found that we improved in several areas.”

They want to see additional improvement as they put the new Common Core State Standards in place.

“We are ready for the challenge and have been preparing for these changes since last year,” Hessler said.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer April Lehmbeck at alehmbeck@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1043.