Dexter's 2012 MEAP Results Show Overall Gains

Students at Dexter Community Schools continue to outperform the state in all subjects, according to the recently-released results of the 2012 Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test.

During the MEAP exam, taken during fall 2012, public school students in grades 3-9 were tested in math, reading, writing, social studies and/or science depending on the grade level.

Across Michigan, students showed improvement in reading, math and writing in 2012, with the improvement seen in all grades and most demographic groups.

In Dexter, however while there were relatively few changes from last year's scores — with improvement in some areas and dips in proficiency levels in others — Mill Creek Middle School's seventh graders saw significant drops in math, reading, and writing scores from 2011. Scores across the district are available on Dexter Patch.

New scores demonstrate students, teachers 'rising to the challenge' of new standards

Across Michigan, students made the biggest jump on the 2012 MEAP in reading proficiency for third and eighth graders — with a 4.1 and 5.2 percent gain, respectively. Proficiency in math and writing also grew, with a 6.1 percent gain in fifth grade math.

Meanwhile, science scores dropped across the state in 2012, particularly in fifth and eighth grade.

"These gains demonstrate (that) Michigan's teachers and students are rising to the challenge of the rigorous standards established last year," said State Superintendent Mike Flanagan in a statement. "I am encouraged by the progress we are making in Michigan and look forward to the continued efforts to help all students achieve at a higher level in all subjects."

Scores across Michigan took a hit in 2011 after the state implemented a new set of cut scores — scores that define the cut-off point for the various levels of proficiency on the MEAP: advanced, proficient, partially proficient and not proficient.

Dexter's proficiency scores saw only minor decline in 2011, when administrators re-calculated the district's 2010 MEAP results using the new cut scores.

Dexter's scores show drop in seventh grade reading and writing

For the 2012 MEAP, Dexter showed improvement in many areas. The percentage of students proficient in third grade reading jumped up five points from 81.4 percent in 2011 to 86 percent in 2012. Fifth grade math also grew 11 to 55.4 percent in 2012. Seventh grade math profiency levels also grew from 49.4 percent to 54.2 percent.

In addition, the percentage of students proficient in fourth grade reading jumped from 81.5 percent in 2011 to 88 percent in 2012 — a seven percentage point leap that places Dexter far ahead of the state average, 68.1 percent.

Still, the categories that saw the most dramatic hit in 2012 was the proficiency levels in seventh grade math, reading, and writing. In 2011, 62.5 percent of seventh graders were proficient in math. In 2012 that figured dropped to 55.7 percent.

Similarly, 83 percent pf seventh graders were proficient in reading during 2011, but only 78 percent were proficient in 2012. Seventy-two percent of students were proficient in writing in 2011, versus 66 percent in 2012.

Fall 2012 MEAP scores

Percentage of all Dexter students who met or exceeded state standards, as compared with those same percentages in 2011.

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

Source: Michigan Department of Education

For more

• MEAP Scores Show Areas of Improvement for Dexter Schools