Lake Orion Students Above State MEAP Averages

Lake Orion Community Schools surpassed state averages for the fall 2011 MEAP across all subjects and grade levels, according to test results released Wednesday.

During the MEAP exams taken in fall 2011, students in Grades 3-9 were tested in math, reading, writing, social studies and/or science, depending on the grade level.

Lake Orion students' scores in many grades were higher than 2010 proficiency levels. This mirrored state results, where Michigan students saw positive gains on the MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) compared with the previous year, according to the report released by the Michigan Department of Education.

Across Michigan, scores of students proficient in reading increased by an average of 3 percentage points; the increase in math proficiency increased by an average of 1 percentage point.

When broken out by grade, all grades scored an increase in math and almost all — except for the state's third-graders — scored an increase in reading.

Worth noting is that this year's MEAP results were affected by the changing "cut scores" implemented by the state last spring. Cut scores represent career- and college-ready achievement standards and define the cutoff point for the various levels of proficiency on MEAP tests: advanced, proficient, partially proficient and not proficient. The 2010 scores were adjusted to indicate what they would have been if the cut scores had been implemented when that test was given.

“I applauded the strong support we received from Michigan educators for raising our cut scores to better prepare all students,” said Mike Flanagan, state superintendent of public instruction. “I have every confidence that academic growth will continue in reading and mathematics and Michigan students and educators will meet the challenge to increase proficiency in science, social studies and writing.”

A look at Lake Orion MEAP proficiency

The percentage of third-grade and eighth-grade Lake Orion students who tested at or above proficient in every area was higher than in 2010. Seventh-grade students scored slightly lower than in 2010 in writing but higher in math and reading.

These results mirrored statewide results, where overall reading and math were up, writing was down and social studies and science had mixed results.

The biggest changes in single-subject areas from 2010 to 2011 were for third-graders in math, where there was a 10.5 percentage-point increase in number of student who met proficiency standards, from 49 percent to 59.5 percent. Also, in sixth-grade math, there was a  9.1 percentage-point increase in proficiency, from 68.9 percent in 2010 to 78 percent in fall 2011. 

Fourth-grade students were down 7 percentage points from last year in writing (59.9 percent of students achieved grades showing they were "proficient"), and ninth-grade students were down 6 percentage points from 2010 in social studies (48 percent were proficient in 2011). Fifth-grade students did better in reading – 87.2 percent were proficient – and were about the same in math and less proficient in science.

Fall 2011 MEAP Scores

Percentage of all Lake Orion students who met or exceeded state standards, compared with 2010 results. Adjusted 2010 percentages reflect what last year's percentages would have been under the new cut scores:

Statewide 2011 MEAP Scores

Percentage of all Michigan students who met or exceeded state standards:

Source: Michigan Department of Education