Maple Grove Public Schools Struggle to Make Adequate Yearly Progress

Every year students all across the nation take a series of tests designed to measure their abilities in reading and math.

These tests, which came about in 2001 as part of the No Child Left Behind Act, are a way to measure how well a school district is teaching its students.

This year’s scores are in and the state report shows the Osseo School district, which includes several schools in Maple Grove, didn’t make adequate yearly progress (AYP) overall. In other words, the students in the district aren’t showing enough improvement in math and reading when their test scores are compared to state standards.

“The whole idea behind the No Child Left Behind Act is a good one,” Osseo School District’s Director of Research, Assessment and Accountability Don Pascoe said.  “We should be focusing on each student’s academic success, however, this is a system that forces every school to have the same goals and it’s just not that simple.”

Each school is made up of different demographics and has different challenges and Pascoe says a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching doesn’t work.

“There are a lot of moving parts to this entire equation and there is no magic-bullet that will instantly teach every child what they need to learn in a specific time frame,” Pascoe said. “It doesn’t work like that.”

While four schools out of 25 in the Osseo School District did make adequate yearly progress, the rest didn’t. When a school fails to meet adequate yearly progress for two years, penalties are enforced. One of which involves the state dictating where “failing” schools need to spend money to improve student’s progress.

Despite the district’s overall grade, Pascoe says these results don’t define any of its schools.

“Our district does a great job serving a really diverse population,” he said. “Kids in our district go on to succeed in many areas and state test scores can’t sum up all of the work we do.”

For parents like Jennifer Mitchell, the test scores don’t mean much. 

“I have kids in the Osseo School District and I think the teachers do a wonderful job,” she said. “I have nothing but great things to say about the teachers and staff that have helped my children along the way and no standardized test score will tell me otherwise.”

Did your child’s school make adequate yearly progress overall?

• Fernbrook Elementary:  Yes
• Weaver Lake Elementary: Yes
• Cedar Island Elementary: Yes
• Osseo Senior High: No
• Osseo Junior High: No
• Maple Grove Senior High: No
• Maple Grove Junior High: No
• Rush Creek Elementary: No
• Basswood Elementary: No
• Elm Creek Elementary: No
• Rice Lake Elementary: No
• Oak View Elementary: No

 The following area public districts did not make adequate yearly progress overall this year:

• Osseo School District
• Brooklyn Center School District
• Anoka Hennepin School District
• Robbinsdale School District