Royal Oak's 2012 MEAP Results Show Overall Gains

The annual MEAP results, released Monday morning, showed academic improvement in most areas for Royal Oak students in the last year.

The results show students maintaining a higher level of proficiency in every grade level and every subject than peers statewide.

The 2012 Michigan Educational Assessment Program measures progress in subjects such as math, reading, writing, science and social studies for third through ninth-graders.

In the data released publicly Monday, nearly 52.8 percent of Royal Oak eighth-grade students were ranked proficient in math - meaning they met or exceeded state standards - versus 37 percent in 2011. Eighth-grade students also saw changes in their reading scores, with 82 percent proficiency in 2012 versus nearly 73 percent proficiency in 2011.

In math, scores were up across the board from 2011, save for fourth-graders, who showed a districtwide decline of 1.7 percentage points proficiency, and seventh-graders, who dipped 6.8 percentage points in proficiency.

Reading scores jumped in all levels, but fourth grade when compared to 2011 scores in all grade levels.

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Data helps district improve student learning

"We have been and will continue to work with the MEAP data, as well as multiple other data sources that provide us information about student learning," said Superintendent Shawn Lew-Lakin. "I am often asked whether test results are 'good.'  My answer is that any data on student learning is good to the degree we use it to improve learning for students." 

The superintendent credits leaders across the district for the working to improve student learning.

"We are deeply committed to using assessments of student learning to drive instruction," said Lewis-Lakin. 

Locally, several districts saw profiency ratings drop in 2011 due to new cut scores from the state.  The new scores were based on students getting more of the answers correct than in year's past. And this year's results are the first apples-to-apples comparison based on those new guidelines.

Statewide reading, mathematics and writing scores saw positive gains compared to the previous year, the Michigan Department of Education said in a press release.

“These gains demonstrate Michigan’s teachers and students are rising to the challenge of the rigorous standards established last year,”  State Superintendent Mike Flanagan said in a press release. “I am encouraged by the progress we are making in Michigan and look forward to the continued efforts to help all students achieve at a higher level in all subjects.”

In Royal Oak, the district is looking at MEAP scores for year to year comparisons, trends over multiple years and trends in cohort group performance. For example, how has a grade level cohort group performed one year to the next.  

"Breaking down the data to look at specific learning objectives and individual classrooms are both critical in our ongoing improvement efforts," Lewis-Latkin said.

Fall 2012 MEAP scores

Here's a look at the 2012 MEAP scores. The numbers represent the percent of students who have met or exceeded state standards for 2011 and 2012. 

MEAP Reading Scores

MEAP Math Scores

MEAP writing scores

MEAP Science Scores

MEAP social studies scores

Source: Michigan Department of Education