Schools

Q & A: Michigan Merit Exam Results

Mary Beth Fitzpatrick, director of Curriculum, Technology, Assessment & Grants for the Berkley School District, discusses the annual test for 11th-graders on which Berkley High School scores were above average in all categories.

You may have missed some great news for the last week amid the holiday hubbub of getting ready to head up north or preparing for a big barbecue: The percent of students who scored at or above a "proficient" level on the 2011 Michigan Merit Exam beat the state average in every category.

The test scores (see chart, below) show students' strength in all areas of the test, which they take in March. The 11th-graders were tested on math, reading, science, social studies and writing.

Mary Beth Fitzpatrick, director of Curriculum, Technology, Assessment & Grants for the , provided some context for the scores via email.

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Berkley Patch: BHS students exceeded the state average in all categories – care to comment?

Fitzpatrick: Berkley High School has exceeded state standards of achievement for some time. While this exam is taken by every 11th-grade student in our high school, we know it is just one measure of our students' performance. This is one piece of vital information we consider when looking at overall student achievement. Multiple years' results are used to evaluate possible trends in teaching and learning.  

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Berkley Patch: While the scores were quite high, it looks like they fell a bit in each category from last year. Can you provide context for why that might be?

Fitzpatrick: From 2010 to 2011, there are 50 fewer students taking the exam, which can impact results. Overall achievement of each cohort grade also differs year to year. We will be taking time this summer to look at the specific test results and evaluate which areas of the exams were most changed. We also look at the numbers of students in each performance level subcategory (1, 2, 3 or 4) to assess growth or decline, in addition to the broad 'percent passed' scores.  

Berkley Patch: It appears that Tri-County Educational Center performed below state averages in each category. Please comment.

Fitzpatrick: TCEC is an alternative high school program for students who have not been successful in tradition programs. In the past, most students at TCEC didn't take the exam; that has changed. This year, nearly 40 students took the test, compared to only 15-18 in past years. So while we are encouraging them to take the exam, which is a State of Michigan expectation, we do so with the knowledge that the exam measures high school performance in grades 9-11, a time when these students' needs were at their highest and most difficult to meet. Approximately 10% of the students attending TCEC are Berkley School District students.

The chart shows the percent of students proficient or advanced in each of the Michigan Merit Exam subjects, comparing 2010 to 2011.


Michigan Berkley School District
Berkley High School Tri-County Educational Center* Reading 2010 65.2 73 77 17 Reading 2011 63 61 69 5 Writing 2010 43.7 55 58 0 Writing 2011 47 50 56 5 Math 2010 50.4 61 65 0 Math 2011 52 52 60 0 Science 2010 57.9 65 68 6 Science 2011 61 57 65 5 Social Studies 2010 79.4 86 89 24 Social Studies 2011 78 75 82 28 ACT Average 2010 19.3 20.6 21
12.6
ACT Average 2011 19.3 19.3 20.3
12.7

Source: Michigan Department of Education

*The  for adult and alternative learning – which is located in Southfield and serves approximately 15 districts in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties – includes the .


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