MEAP Malady? Not So
When Facts Examined

March 2006

First the news making item: MEAP scores have decreased each of the past 4 years at Novi High School. Let the panic begin. By writing this article, this writer hopes to shed more light on this admittedly disturbing trend, and let my readers come to their own conclusions about whether or not the afore mentioned panic is unfounded.

The brewing firestorm over MEAP scores is understandable. If one asked people across the state what they think of when the community of Novi is mentioned, they’ll probably talk about the mall or the highly successful Novi High School athletic teams. But if Novi residents are asked what the pride and joy of their community is, they’ll undoubtedly mention the great school district and the quality students it produces. So when a continuing trend of lower scores emerges, it seems to signal a decline in the greatest asset of the city. Well, as with most things in life, it just isn’t that simple.

Starting with the 2005 (most recent) tests, all students were required to take the MEAP. Previous to that year, the best turnout Novi had garnered was 80%. The MEAP also isn’t a test that remains a constant. Therefore, to borrow some chemistry terminology, by examining Novi MEAP scores, one isn’t examining the relationship between a constant (the MEAP) and a variable (the students) but a relationship between two variables.

The MEAP changes from year to year due to a number of issues. The amount of money the state government is willing to commit to grading the tests is a key factor. The more writing, the more specialists are needed to grade the tests (vs. a scantron multiple choice test where the exam is graded by machine), and the more costly the MEAP becomes.

But the variability of the MEAP, and standardized tests in general is not what’s causing the downward trend. The benchmarks for each grade level have changed drastically due to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The new benchmarks set by NCLB have made school districts totally revamp their curriculums. But if a benchmark is set that 11th graders need to know x, y, and z, how is a school district suppose to educate 9th, 10th, and current 11th graders on those subjects when for their whole educational careers they’ve been learning totally different material? The answer is that the students are caught in an educational black hole and their test scores fall.

By far, the most exonerating piece of information for the school district is that MEAP scores across the county and state have been following a similar downward trend. Other districts are facing similar struggles and challenges. Despite all the hurdles, the Novi Community School District is still one of the top 5 districts in all MEAP-tested subjects in the county. It’s also important to note that mean ACT scores and GPAs for NHS students have increased over this same time period. But when looking at the percentages of passing students, Novi High School Principal John Lawrence describes the scores as “unacceptable for Novi” and recognizes that improvement should be made. There’s much being done to “reverse the trend”. In the words of Mr. Lawrence, “the best thing we can do is to encourage students to take rigorous classes.”