By Meg Peters
Review Staff Writer
In a recent study ranking expected achievement conducted by Bridge Magazine and Public Sector Consultants, Lake Orion School District was ranked 81 out of 540 districts in the state of Michigan.
Lake Orion schools are performing above expected levels in the study known as ‘Achievement Exceeding Predicted Proficiency? (AEPP) cast by Bridge Magazine.
Superintendent Marion Ginopolis said the study ranked overachievement for LO because the district scored: a 105.63 out of 100, ranking seventh in Oakland County.
Bridge Magazine utilized the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s study to determine student proficiency based on socioeconomic status. The number of students eligible for a free and reduced lunch established a student’s status. An Academic Champ’s Score of 100 implies the district is performing as expected for their income levels.
With 7,576 students, LOCS has 19.2 percent free and reduced lunch eligibility.
‘So it’s kind of a ranking of overachievement. If you score above 100, it’s saying you are providing an education for kids that’s higher than what’s expected. If you score below 100, then you are not meeting the expectation,? Ginopolis said.
Bridge Magazine also used an ‘Ordinary Least Squares? (OLS) regression analysis first conducted by the University of Arkansas, according to the Bridge website.
The OLS calculated the percent of students predicted to be proficient for state standardized tests from 2011-2013. Fourth and eighth grade MEAP scores were analyzed (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) and eleventh-grade MME (Michigan Merit Examination) and ACT (American College Testing) scores for both public and charter schools.
Ginopolis said the district looks carefully at data provided by studies like the AEPP to track how the schools are performing.
‘I just know that we really focus on academics,? she said.
Studies based on socioeconomic status are telling, she continued, because they ‘take out certain variables.?
‘When you look at kids who are economically disadvantaged they tend not to score as well as those who have advantages, like parents at home and more money for reading materials,? Ginopolis said. ‘If you look at the schools that did very well, they tend to be more of the affluent, like Bloomfield was right up there. On the other hand the number one school is a charter school, Star International Academy.?
Star is a public charter. Central Academy, also a public charter, ranked second in the state.
For a list of rankings go to http://bridgemi.com/2014/01/searchable-database-academic-state-champs/.
Lake Orion out-competed its neighboring districts. Oxford School district, with 5,321 students and socioeconomic status percentage of 22.5 ranked 357 out of the 540 districts, scoring a 97.7 Academic Champs Score.
With 7,921 students, Clarkston Schools ranked 162 in the state, with a 20.4 percent free and reduced lunch eligibility and score of 103.07.