Huron Valley Schools Reacts to AYP Report

Last week it was announced that the Huron Valley School District did not meet adequate yearly progress (AYP).

While most schools in the district passed AYP, the Huron Valley Schools as a whole did not, failing to meet standards in math and reading, according to the MDE.

It is among a surprising list of southeast Michigan school districts that have gone from a passing AYP designation a year ago to failing today. In total, 262 districts (48 percent) statewide did not make AYP, compared to 37 (6.7 percent) last year. At the school building level, 82 percent of schools made AYP across the state, compared to 79 percent last year.

The increase of schools not making AYP is due in part to the now used on the MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) and MME (Michigan Merit Exam) tests. In addition, the state now factors graduation rates for all students into the calculations and also now includes the achievement of certain student populations who previously may have not been counted.

In the past, districts only needed to meet AYP targets at one of three levels - elementary, middle and high school. Now, they are required to meet them at all three.

Despite not making AYP, the district's two high schools - and Milford - both scored strong, and Lakeland was named a "reward school." This is a new designation from the state - meaning it is among the top five percent of schools in Michigan and has made significant gains in academic progress during recent years. Milford is not listed as a reward school.

The only school within the Huron Valley district to not make AYP was Highland's Harbor High, failing to meet reading and math standards.

"Our staff and students deserve the credit for this recognition," Jim Baker, Interim Superintendent, said of Lakeland's designation. "By focusing on those strategies that improve learning, Lakeland High School has earned this important designation. It’s clear we need to continue to implement our Strategic Plan, which is designed to identify and address the needs of every student--helping them to become career and college-ready."

In addition, Baker said the district was pleased that none of the schools in the district were named Focus Schools or Priority Schools.

New school designations

While AYP was designed to measure student achievement as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), , received last month, frees Michigan from following some of the NCLB rules.

As a result of the waiver, the MDE has identified three new school designations: reward schools, priority schools and focus schools.

Reward Schools: The top five percent of all Michigan schools in the annual top-to-bottom ranking and the top five percent making the greatest academic progress over the past four years.

Priority Schools: Previously called persistently lowest achieving schools, these are now identified as those in the bottom five percent of the annual top-to-bottom ranking and any high school with a graduation rate of less than 60 percent for three consecutive years. There were 146 priority schools identified this year. These schools will be required to come up with a plan to improve.  None of them are in Huron Valley.

Focus Schools: The 10 percent of schools with the widest achievement gaps, meaning the academic disparity between the top 30 percent of students and the bottom 30 percent. That list includes 358 schools, many who in the past would be considered high-achieving. The schools are now charged with bridging the gap.