Dearborn Public Schools See Slight Gains in 2013 Michigan Merit Exam

Dearborn Public Schools scores from the 2013 Michigan Merit Exam (MME) saw some improvement compared to 2012, but the district continues to fall below state 
averages, according to data released on Monday.

The MME, according to the Michigan Department of Education, assesses students in the 11th grade based on Michigan high school standards. The test includes the ACT college entrance exam, along with other state proficiency tests.

Student performance falls into one of four categories: advanced, proficient, partially proficient and not proficient. Students must score either "proficient" or "advanced" to be considered proficient in that subject.

In Dearborn and across Michigan, students' scores took a hit in 2012 due to new scoring standards adopted by the Michigan Department of Education in September 2011. There was little recovery shown in the 2013 scores.

The new cut scores — which went into effect for the MME and Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) in 2012 — are more rigorous than previous standards: Students now need to get roughly 65 percent of the answers correct to “pass” the state test, instead of the previous benchmark of 39 percent.

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan noted that while the results continue to show a four-year upward trend in student proficiency, the MME student proficiency scores (statewide) declined slightly when compared to 2012.

“Over the past four years, more high school students are being taught challenging content and are becoming career-and college-ready. This upward trend is good news for students, educators and our state," Flanagan said of the 2013 scores. “While assessment score fluctuations are not unusual when comparing different classes of students, results show the need to continue the state’s strong commitment to high standards."

In Dearborn, the percentage of students who scored either proficient or advanced on the 2013 MME increased or stayed the same in nearly every subject.

The biggest increase was in writing. In 2012, 55.6 percent of Dearborn High School students were proficient or advanced in writing; in 2013, that figure increased to 58 percent. Similarly, students at Edsel Ford High School saw a jump from 43.8 percent proficiency in writing to 46 percent. Fordson students went from 36.4 percent in 2012 to 43 percent in 2013.

Scores also increased slightly in science, with Fordson students jumping three percentage points from 11.4 percent proficient in 2012, to 14 percent in 2013.

The district's ACT average of 19.3 percent proficient was on par with the state average of 19.7 percent.

Dearborn Superintendent Brian Whiston said the district will continue to focus on reading and writing across the curriculum and will implement individual school improvement plans to help improve student scores.

"We will continue to focus on improving our test scores across the district with a no excuse culture," Whiston said.

Dearborn Public Schools (percent proficient)

Dearborn High School

Math: 

• 2013 - 31% 
  
• 2012 - 30.1%

• 2013- 61%
• 2012- 57.3%
  

• 2013- 27%
• 2013- 25.1%
  

• 2013- 58%
  
• 2012- 55.6%
  

• 2013- 43%
• 2012- 42.9%
  

Math: 

• 2013 - 20%
  
• 2012 - 18%

• 2013- 49%
• 2012- 48.8%
  

• 2013- 19%
• 2013- 17%
  

• 2013- 46%
  
• 2012- 43.8%
  

• 2013- 40%
• 2012- 31.8%

• 2013 - 25%
  
• 2012 - 18.6%

• 2013- 45%
• 2012- 39.3%
  

• 2013- 14%
• 2013- 11.4%
  

• 2013- 43%
  
• 2012- 36.4%
  

• 2013- 31%
• 2012- 22.2%