By Elizabeth Lowe
Staff writer

The final MEAP scores are in, and this time they’re on the mark.
Schools officials have been waiting for results from the Michigan Education Assessment Placement test since this spring.
‘One of the most important things was to have the numbers be accurate. We would have loved to have put them out in June, July, August, but it wouldn’t have done anyone any good if they weren’t accurate,? said Michigan Department of Treasury Public Information Officer Terry Stanton.
It was worth the wait. Local schools have exceeded statewide MEAP scores in nearly every category.
Both the Goodrich and Brandon school districts? scores outranked state numbers in the areas of fifth-grade Science, seventh-grade English, and eighth-grade Science. At 75 percent, Goodrich eighth-grade Math scores were significantly higher than the statewide score of 52 percent, while Brandon fourth-grade English scores of 74.9 percent surpassed the statewide scores of 59 percent.
‘I’m really pleased with the scores,? said Sue May, Brandon’s new assistant superintendent of curriculum and instructional services. May served as director of curriculum instruction and assessment in a Saginaw Township district, and joined the Brandon team Sept. 20.
Social Studies presented more of a problem. Goodrich scored 26 percent in the fifth-grade category; two percentage points less than the statewide score of 28 percent. At 38.1 percent, Brandon marginally surpassed the eighth-grade Social Studies score of 33 percent.
The Social Studies test is a very difficult one, says Goodrich Middle School Principal Dr. Jerry Lawrason.
‘The kind of requirements placed on these kids are very demanding. They require higher thinking skills, comparing and contrasting, synthesizing concepts,? Lawrason said.
Preliminary MEAP data was made available in late August to school officials, who had seven days to make changes, said Stanton.
Although the glitch that resulted from new software contributed to long delays in receiving the scores, Stanton expressed confidence that scores are accurate.
‘It was never an issue about the scores; it was the presentation of the scores,? he said, citing delays like those involving students whose scores did not follow them with they left a district, for example.
The process has been exasperating for school officials.
‘I’m frustrated,? said Lawrason. ‘I’m happy we got them; we did fairly well this year.?
‘We understand it’s been frustrating for schools and it’s been frustrating for us,? said Stanton.
Enterprises Computing Services, Inc., the contractor who received $1.6 million from the state for the software, worked with the Michigan Department of Treasury and Michigan Department of Education to resolve the problem. Reflections on the contractor’s performance will be determined at a state level, said Stanton.
School officials are hoping the system will be working efficiently by 2005, when MEAP testing will be expanded to include third and sixth-grade students.
Preliminary 11th-grade data, which is also overdue has been given to schools. Stanton hesitated to name a date when the final numbers would be distributed, but anticipates they will be available in the ‘next three weeks to a month.?