Based on the fall 2008 MEAP test results, Oxford students appear to be strong in a variety of crucial academic areas with the possible exception of writing.
‘Overall, we’re pleased to see our scores trending upward,? said Superintendent Dr. William Skilling.
Results released by the Michigan Department of Education last week showed 80 to nearly 100 percent of Oxford students tested met or exceeded proficiency standards in math, reading, English language arts (ELA), science and social studies (see colored box below).
‘Most of our scores went up this year,? Skilling said. ‘And those that didn’t were either equal or on average 4 percent less than what they were prior years.
‘But overall the trending is still going up and that’s what we want to see in our scores.?
Lakeville Elementary was the only school to have all the students in one grade level meet or exceed proficiency standards in a particular subject. One hundred percent of Lakeville’s third-graders were deemed either ‘advanced? (75.8 percent) or ‘proficient? (24.2 percent) in their math skills.
Oxford’s third-grade class had the highest percentage of proficient students districtwide in math and reading.
According to Skilling, that’s a very good thing.
‘Students who are (working) at grade-level in third grade, there’s like a 90-something percent chance of them getting a high school diploma,? he said. ‘It’s a key indicator at that time. If kids are at grade-level for math and reading comprehension, there’s a real high chance that they’re going to graduate and be successful through high school.?
Writing was the only area where students, more specifically fourth-graders, seemed to struggle in Oxford, Oakland County and around Michigan.
The percentages of Oxford fourth-graders to meet or exceed state standards in writing were as follows ? Lakeville (43.7 percent), Leonard (58.3 percent), Clear Lake (58.7 percent) and Oxford Elementary (52 percent).
‘In fifth grade, the writing tends to be higher (in proficiency). I don’t know why (in) fourth grade we have that lower score,? Skilling said. ‘For some reason, the fourth grade seems to be low and I don’t know why. I can’t really answer that.?
Skilling questioned if those results were actually more a reflection of the test itself than the students? writing skills.
‘Writing can be a little more subjective depending on who’s reading it,? according to Skilling, as opposed to math, which is ‘very objective? and the answer’s ‘either right or it’s wrong.?
‘That’s not an excuse, I’m just saying it’s hard for me to know why.?
Given only 44 percent of fourth-graders statewide met proficiency standards in writing, Skilling said, ‘There’s something amiss there, I would think.?
He noted there’s a large jump between the fourth-graders and fifth-graders, the latter of which 63 percent achieved writing proficiency statewide. In Oxford, students went from 53.1 percent being proficient in the fourth grade to 76.3 percent in the fifth grade.
The jumps were even more significant when last year’s fourth-graders were compared to this year’s fifth-graders at certain schools.
For instance, at Leonard Elementary, 38.1 percent of fourth-graders met or exceeded the 2007 MEAP standards. As fifth-graders, 68.2 percent of this same group achieved proficiency in 2008.
Oxford Elementary saw 57.8 percent of its fourth-graders deemed proficient based on the 2007 MEAP test. As fifth-graders, 80.8 percent of this same group achieved proficiency in 2008.
‘It’s not like all the sudden schools are doing that much of a better job, where you’re going to make those kinds of jumps,? Skilling said. ‘Those are some pretty big jumps. Ten percent might be more realistic. Twenty-three (percent) not so much.?
‘I would say there’s something about the fourth-grade writing test that needs to be looked at. I don’t know what that is. I don’t know if the standard’s too high for fourth grade or what it is. It could be a multitude of things.?
Despite the lower writing score, Skilling noted Oxford’s results were on par with the rest of the county in which 55 percent of fourth-graders were deemed proficient in writing. ‘With the exception of one of the elementaries, we’re pretty close to the county average or above,? he said.
Skilling said he’d be ‘a lot more concerned? if the writing scores had started out higher in the elementary level and got lower in the middle school grades.
As it is, it was the sixth and seventh-graders who did the best on the writing test districtwide, achieving 84.1 and 83.3 percent proficiency, respectively.
Skilling wished to assure parents that literacy remains a top priority in the district.
‘Reading and writing are a big focus for us and we have put more interventions in those areas in the elementaries than probably any other area,? he said.