By David Fleet
Editor
Goodrich- The Class of 2017 walked away with more than their diplomas following the June 4 commencement.
The latest class of 183 Martians will have bragging rights to some of the highest SAT scores of the 21 districts in the Genesee Intermediate School District.
The Michigan Department of Education moved from the ACT to SAT as part of Michigan required high school testing in 2016. According to the MDE, the SAT has two sub-tests — one for Evidence-Based Reading/Writing and one for math. The MDE also provides the percentage of students who tested as “college and career ready,” based on standards set by the College Board, the company that provides the SAT test.
The high school classes of 2017 where given the SAT statewide in the spring of 2016 and the scores were reported that August.
“We see our SAT success in the same way that we view our high school graduation rates…as a district accomplishment,” said Ryan Relken, district superintendent.
“When the class of 2017 entered school in Goodrich Area Schools 13 years ago as kindergarteners, their parents and the staff who would go on to serve them had no idea that their students would be taking the SAT in high school. This shows that our focus on teaching to the kids, not to the test, was and is appropriate.”
The Class of 2017 tallied math scores, along with the combined EBRW/math scores that tied only Grand Blanc High School for the top spot in the GISD. The EBRW scores were third in the GISD behind Fenton High School and Genesee Early College. The scores also outpaced Oakland County and Lapeer County averages along with statewide scores.
Relken says there’s lots of credit for that success to go around. “For starters, it validates that we served our students well through their years here in providing a top-notch school experience,” he said. “We also know that we have benefited by having such a solid base of support from the parents and the greater Goodrich Area Schools community. Our students, in large part, enter school in kindergarten ready to learn. This is not the case in all places and we appreciate the importance our community places on learning. What makes me most proud is that our district has always focused on teaching students and preparing them with a foundation for success in the outside world. These positive SAT results validate the good work that have been done and it is something we all should celebrate in and be proud of.”
David Treder is the coordinator of research, evaluation and assessment at the GISD.
“The SAT scores are, as with any large scale achievement test, highly correlative with the demographics of a community,” said Treder. “Variables such as average household income and education levels of the parents are also key elements. The SAT scores are a moderate indicator of how well students do in the first year of college. Simply, the high school students that score high indicate a high probability of success at the college level. There are many other factors that determine how well students do in college.”