Anchor Bay Board Reviews Above-Average MEAP Scores

All eyes at the Anchor Bay Board of Education meeting Wednesday stayed on a chart breaking down test scores among local districts.

Fortunately, the towering red bars represented Anchor Bay student strides in the 2010 Michigan Educational Assessment Program.

principal Marie Dewitte presented the information to the board in the library.

"We're really proud of what we've accomplished," Dewitte said.

Across the board, Anchor Bay's average on tests given to students from grade 3 to grade 8 were higher than the average for Macomb County. The county as a whole tests better than average among other counties in the state.

Of the 21 school districts in the county, Anchor Bay placed first in third-grade reading, third-grade math, fifth-grade science and eighth-grade science.

The overall scores averaged around 90-91 percent--sometimes reaching as much as 8 percent higher than the county average.

More tests ahead

Dewitte explained how MEAP prep work and instruction begins early and how they will be changing in the future.

"We are always looking for new ways to instruct students for higher learning," said Dewitte. "I will be a challenge to get students ready for the new tests in 2014."

The MEAP tests will undergo several changes in the 2014 test year, which she says will require, "a change in instruction, not just curriculum."

Steady rise, no surprise

"We've been pretty constantly near the top for several years now," said Board President Steve Mittelstadt. "We moved up steadily."

Superintendent Leonard Woodside said he's frequently able to tell other school district leaders about Anchor Bay's success.

"I'm always quick to point out that we have a great staff, administrators, and parents," said Woodside. "We're really proud of all our accomplishments."