Oxford High School showed definite improvement across the board on the Michigan Merit Exam, the results of which were released last week.
The percentages of juniors who took the MME this past spring and scored either proficient or advanced in reading, science, math, writing and social studies steadily increased over those juniors who took the test in spring 2008.
Those percentages and the increases are displayed in the red-shaded chart to the right.
‘Overall, we’re pleased to see that the high school scores have trended upward like the elementary and middle school (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) scores,? said Superintendent Dr. William Skilling.
The MME is the state high school assessment administered to students in grades 11 and 12. It replaced the MEAP high school assessment in spring 2007. MEAP is now only administered to students in grades 3-5 and 7-9.
The one thing Skilling was not pleased with was the high school’s average composite score on the American College Test (ACT), a college entrance exam.
Although the score increased from a 19.3 last year to a 20 (out of 36) this year, Skilling said that’s ‘not acceptable.?
‘We need to get our average composite score on the ACT to at least a 21(or) 22. That to me is a minimum,? he said. ‘We’re going to make a more concerted effort to get our kids scores up on the ACT.?
Skilling explained that scoring a 21 on the ACT, along with having a good grade point average, will get a student into any what he called ‘B-type? college or university.
He cited Western Michigan University, Mid-American Conference schools, Grand Valley State University and Oakland University as examples.
‘It starts opening up those schools to kids,? he said. ‘I want to make sure that every student who graduates from Oxford has the ability to be able to go to a (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) school, a MAC school, at least. They’re all good schools.?
Skilling he indicated he’s more concerned about the ACT than MME, which is part of the MEAP test.
‘I’m going to be quite honest with you, I don’t really care about the MEAP scores as much as I care about the ACT,? he said. ‘And the reason I care more about the ACT (is) because it’s a true norm reference test that’s valid and a true predictor of future success.?
‘We can compare ourselves against kids all across the country,? Skilling explained. ‘With the MEAP, you can’t compare yourself with anybody except in the state of Michigan. It’s not a very good predictor of future success.?
That’s not to say the district doesn’t care about the MME and MEAP test.
‘I’m not saying that we don’t want to improve on the MME test,? Skilling said. ‘We certainly do. And we will continue to improve. We’re doing much better.?
‘But what’s really important to us is that ACT because that’s what determines scholarships, that determines what students have access to in terms of what schools they can get into or not. Whereas the MEAP has no bearing on their future.?
Although achieving an average composite ACT score of 21 is the ‘target? right now for OHS, it’s not the ultimate destination.
‘I’m not saying 21 is the goal,? Skilling explained. ‘I don’t want to be lower than that. I want to get higher than that.?
‘Really, I’d like to see us at least 23-24,? he noted. ‘What that tells you is that your kids on the bottom half of that average are the 21 and above ? most of them.?
It also indicates the kids in the top half are scoring in the ‘upper 20s and into the 30s,? according to the superintendent.
‘That’s the objective and that’s what we’re going to continue to strive for,? he said.
What all this means to students is those scoring in the mid-20s can expect acceptance to an institution like Michigan State University.
To get into the University of Michigan requires ‘at least 26, but more like a 28,? said Skilling, noting it might be ‘a little higher? for those applying to the engineering school.
Skilling stated the reason the ACT scores dipped at OHS is because every student’s been required by the state to take the test since the Class of 2008.
‘That’s no excuse, but our scores are not as high as they were a couple years ago as a result of that,? Skilling said.
Prior to that, students chose whether or not they took the ACT for which they paid a $70 fee. Now, they’re all required to take the test and the state pays for it.
‘Two years ago, only your top half ? 50 percent of your kids at most ? might have taken the ACT,? Skilling said. ‘Now, you have 100 percent.?