Farmington Schools Posts Big Gains in 3rd Grade MEAP Results

A year after new cut scores dramatically affected MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) test results, Farmington Public Schools students have regained ground in some areas and slipped back in others. 

Results released Monday by the Michigan Dept. of Education (MDE) show younger students improved their performance more than those in grades 6-9. The largest single increase, more than 9 points, came in 3rd grade reading scores. The 80.8 percent result represents the highest proficiency level in any subject, across the district, since 2009. 

Check MEAP results for each school in our searchable database.

In other results, by grade level: 

• Fourth graders improved by nearly 5 percentage points in math and writing, but dropped slightly in reading, year over year. Their 2012 and 2009 reading results are nearly identical. 
• Fifth graders improved their results in writing, math and reading, but dropped in science to a 3-year low of 15.5 percent proficient. Sixth graders lost ground across the board, with the largest decrease in math proficiency. 
• More seventh graders were judged proficient in writing, but levels dropped in both math and reading over 2011. Proficiency levels in math have dropped by more than 13 points since 2009. 
• Eighth grade students posted gains in reading, but dropped slightly in math, science and social studies since last year.

According to MDE, students across the state showed gains in reading proficiency at all grade levels, particularly in grades 3 and 8. Mathematics also had proficiency gains at all grade levels, with the largest gains occurring in grades 3, 4, and 5. Writing proficiency saw a 4.4 percent increase in grade 7 and a 2.2 percent increase in grade 4.

Farmington Schools students performed above state-wide averages in every category. 

In 2011, the Michigan Dept. of Education (MDE) raised "cut" scores – the passing scores that distinguish between whether a student is advanced, proficient, partially proficient or not proficient in certain subjects. Students went from needing at least 65 percent of test answers correct to be judged proficient; the previous benchmark was 39 percent.

The chart below, with information provided by MDE, shows the percentage of students who have met or exceeded state standards in each subject area tested. 

48.8%