Anchor Bay Makes MME, ACT Strides Compared to 2011

The majority of Chesterfield and New Baltimore area students continue to score above state average on the Michigan Merit Exam, but the number of students actually passing the exam suggests there is much work to be done, according to a report released by the Michigan Department of Education this morning.

The performance of students this year takes into account a test that is more difficult to pass, based on new cut scores implemented last year by the state.

Across the state, the largest gains on the MME occurred in reading and writing, where reading saw an average one-year increase of 3 percent and writing an average one-year increase of 2.5 percent. These increases show roughly 56 percent of tested students are proficient in reading and 50 percent are proficient in writing across the state.

High school juniors who were tested in the spring represent the third junior class to have completed the new, more rigorous Michigan high school graduation requirements. 

“The impact of having students engage in the rigorous Michigan Merit Curriculum is evident here,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan, in a prepared statement. “When students have the benefit of learning higher-level subject material, more will become career- and college-ready and prepared for success."

Students also took the ACT this spring. While the overall composite scores for Michigan high school juniors increased statewide, local scores stayed relatively the same, increasing no more than 1 percentage point at any Macomb area school.

ACT for Chesterfield Area High Schools

The MDE adopted a tougher standard for passing the MME this year to better represent the number of students who are college-ready. Students had to score higher on the tests to receive a passing, or "proficient" score. The following numbers show scores for 2012 and 2011, which were retrospectively adjusted to reflect the new MME scoring standards.

MME – Anchor Bay Schools

Like 2011, Anchor Bay students were below the state average in math and science this school year, but they excelled in reading, writing and social studies, compared to state averages.

*Numbers given as percentage of students who scored proficient or above.

MME - L'Anse Creuse Public Schools

L'Anse Creuse students scored above the state average in math, but fell short in science, writing and social studies. The greatest gap was in social studies, where scores fell 7 percentage points.

Only on the reading portion did more than half of the district's 11th-grade students pass the exam.

The Class of 2013 improved on their predecessor's scores in every subject, save social studies which remained the same.

*Numbers given as percentage of students who scored proficient or above.

MME - New Haven Community Schools

New Haven students posted scores below the state average in every subject, with the greatest gap occurring in writing, where New Haven scores were 29 percentage points lower than the state average. 

While more than a quarter of the student population passed the exam's reading portion, less than 10 percent passed the math section.

The Class of 2013 made significant improvements on their predecessor's scores, except in the area of writing.

Math

*Numbers given as percentage of students who scored proficient or above.