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MEAP RESULTS CONFIRM STRONG ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE BY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS
Majority of charters outperform state average in Math or English; record number of schools are "Beating the Odds" with at-risk students
Lansing, MI – Students in the state's public charter schools continue to demonstrate academic success with improved achievement on the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) tests for students in grades 3-8, according to results released recently by the Michigan Department of Education.
The following highlight proficiency comparisons in Math and English Language Arts for students in public charter schools against the statewide average as well as similar districts:
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131 public charter schools, or 57% of all charter schools, earned individual grade/subject test scores exceeding the statewide average for all public school students. At the same time, 57 public charter schools outperformed statewide proficiency averages on a majority of their MEAP tests.
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52 public charter schools have been recognized as "Beating the Odds" by MDE for achieving over 60% proficiency in Math and ELA while having at least 60% of their students eligible for free or reduced priced lunch. This compares to 42 schools earning this recognition in 2007.
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The performance advantage for charter students when compared to those in similar traditional districts* widens at nearly every grade level, supporting the assertion that length of time in a charter environment contributes to improved academic performance.
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Overall, 73.0% of charter students in were ranked proficient in Math, compared to 68.6% proficiency for students in similar traditional school districts.
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Overall, 69.3% of charter students in were ranked proficient in ELA, compared to 64.5% proficiency for students in similar traditional school districts.
"The annual MEAP scores, while a single measure, are an important index of student achievement. We are pleased our students continue to perform well, and we applaud the students, their parents, our dedicated teachers and dynamic school leaders for their success," said Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
Regional highlights of this year's MEAP results include the following:
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In Detroit, when comparing the 40 charter schools to the local district:
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67.0% of charter students were proficient in Math, compared to 58.9% proficiency for DPS students, a 13.8% advantage.
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63.5% of charter students were proficient in ELA, compared to 55.9% proficiency for DPS students, a 13.6% advantage.
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In Grand Rapids, when comparing the 3 charter schools to the local district:
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83.0% of charter students were proficient in Math, compared to 63.2% proficiency for students in GRPS; a 31.3% advantage.
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76.8% of charter students were proficient in ELA, compared to 58.9% proficiency for students in GRPS; a 30.4% advantage.
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In Flint, when comparing the 5 charter schools to the local district:
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72.6% of charter students were proficient in Math, compared to 61.2% proficiency for students in Flint Public Schools, an 18.6% advantage.
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68.4% of charter students were proficient in ELA, compared to 50.3% proficiency for students in Flint Public Schools, 35.9% advantage.
"We are encouraged by the overall performance of our students. The primary mission of education reform is to create the type of 21st century schools in which all children can achieve. These scores indicate continued success, which must be expanded, and in that regard, we still have much work to do," said Quisenberry.
"There is no 'one-size-fits-all' model for delivering K-12 education, and we believe every Michigan family should have access to a full compliment of quality educational choices, including traditional public schools, charter public schools, private schools, parochial schools, and home-schooling," added Quisenberry.
MAPSA will continue analyzing the 2008 MEAP test results and will release additional year-by-year, regional and sub-group comparisons in the coming weeks.
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MAPSA represents 104,500 students and 5,000 certified teachers in 232 public charter schools across the state. For additional information, please visit www.charterschools.org.
*For baseline comparison purposes, the Michigan Department of Education has identified 20 local traditional school districts that have three or more charter schools within their boundaries as the “host district.” For 2008, the host district includes Ann Arbor, Benton Harbor, Dearborn, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Holland, Inkster, Jackson, Lansing, Midland, Muskegon, Pontiac, Port Huron, Saginaw, Southfield, Taylor and Wayne-Westland.
Please click here for a complete list of the 52 “Beating the Odds” schools for 2008.
Please click here for an easy-to-use internet resource to examine the 2008 MEAP results by county, by district and for individual schools, courtesy of The Detroit News.
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