OACS students perform well on state test

by Angie Asam-Staff Writer

Results for the 2012-13 round of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) testing have been released to the public. School districts throughout the state have had the results in hand for a few weeks and have been going over them looking at ways to improve in areas students struggled with for the next school year.

 

The MEAP is the state’s general assessment for students in grades three through nine. It is based on the state’s grade level content expectations in reading, writing, math, science and social studies.

Students are tested in the fall of each year on the prior year’s expectations. All students in grades three through eight are assessed in reading and math. Grades four and seven are also assessed in writing, grades five and eight are assessed in science and grades six and nine are evaluated in social studies. New cut scores went into effect last year requiring students to get 65 percent of the answers correct in order to be proficient, or pass, the state tests.

In math the third, fourth and fifth-grade students at Onaway performed higher than the state and the Cheboygan Otsego Presque Isle Educational Service District (COPESD). In third grade 48 percent of Onaway students tested proficient with 6 percent advanced. The state was 41 percent proficient and the COPESD was 40 percent proficient.

Onaway fourth graders had 55 percent proficiency with 8 percent advanced compared to 41 percent proficient in the COPESD and 45 percent in the state. Fifth graders were 69 percent proficient with 5 percent advanced while the state was 46 percent proficient and the COPESD was 48 percent.

Sixth-graders were just below the COPESD and numbers. Seventh-grade was at the COPESD numbers with 44 percent proficient while they were above the state. Eighth-graders were above both with 43 percent proficiency and 9 percent advanced.

In reading the third grade was in line with the COPESD at 69 percent proficient and above the state which was 67 percent proficient. Fourth graders were above both the state and COPESD at 79 percent proficiency.

Fifth-grade really shined in reading with 93 percent proficiency including 19 percent adva

nced with less than five percent not proficient. Fifth-grade also shined in science results as they were 28 percent proficient as compared to the COPESD (16 percent) and the state (13 percent).

Fourth-graders were above the COPESD in writing but below the state ass they came in at 43 percent proficiency.

Overall the numbers are a mixed bag with many grade levels testing near or at the levels of the COPESD and the state while some were slightly below. Staff at Onaway Area Community Schools will be looking at the numbers and coming up with ideas to improve the curriculum and improve numbers next year.

TO VIEW more detailed test results visit www.mischooldata.org, go to student testing, click on MEAP and view the school district of your choice.