Northville's 2012 MEAP Results Show Mostly Gains

The annual MEAP results, released Monday morning, show gains in many academic areas for Northville Public Schools this past year.

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

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

“The performance of our students on the MEAP and other assessments is a direct result of the strong partnership between our students, teachers and parents that focuses on success for all students,” said Northville Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher, in a statement. “As we do each year, administrators and educators across the district will use this data — along with other assessments of student learning — to improve our curriculum and instructional practices, enhance student intervention and support programs, and establish school improvement goals.  These goals continue to include a focus on math and science, clearly areas where expectations have increased based on college-readiness standards.”

In the data released publicly Monday, 62 percent of Novi eighth grade students were ranked proficient in math—meaning they met or exceeded state standards —up from 46.1 percent in 2011. An increase was seen in math results in the fourth grade, with 71.3 percent proficiency in 2012 versus 60.3 percent proficiency in 2011.

Results show a decrease in proficiency in fifth grade science, with 33.6 percent proficiency in 2012 versus 46.2 in 2011.

“Northville Public Schools prides itself in providing an academically rigorous program with meaningful interventions for those students not performing at a level of proficiency,” said Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services Robert Behnke, in a statement. “Proficiency in a content area is determined through a variety of student assessments over an extended period of time. The MEAP is just one tool used by Northville educators to help map out each child’s progress.  We were very happy to see strong gains in math in grades 3, 4, 5, and 8 as a result of intervention, targeted instruction and goal planning with students, and a strong curricular alignment.”

Northville and several districts saw some profiency results slightly 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.”

Here's a look at the 2012 MEAP results. Results show the percent of students who have met or exceeded state standards.

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

Source: Michigan Department of Education