Feds flunk more Mich. high schools

Tougher exam cited for lower passing rate under No Child requirements

Shawn D. Lewis / The Detroit News

The ranks of Michigan high schools that failed to meet federal No Child Left Behind requirements swelled by 90 this year, according to the state's annual school report card released Friday.

The poor results -- which experts and state officials mostly attributed to a more rigorous test -- equally affected affluent and underprivileged districts statewide.

Of the state's 1,149 high schools, 489 -- compared with 399 last year -- did not make Adequate Yearly Progress, the measure of how schools are meeting federal academic benchmarks.

"This is a more rigorous test, and some juniors who were required to take the test in the spring may not have taken the rigorous course work that is tested on the ACT," state Department of Education spokesman Martin Ackley said of the ACT-based Michigan Merit Exam, which replaces the MEAP test.

But the bleak numbers should serve as a wake-up call to educators, parents and students, said Sharif Shakrani, co-director of the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University.

"Don't blame the test, because the test is reasonable," he said. "These figures show there's a huge population not ready to go to work or on to post-secondary education."

"We need to look at the quality of education," said Shakrani, who said the rigorous math section was the downfall for most districts.

Schools that miss targets over consecutive years may be required to offer mandatory tutoring, hire staff, or even overhaul their curriculum. School restructuring is one of the options under the federal law after schools receive repeated failing grades.

State officials expected lower scores because the students who took the test last spring hadn't been taught under the state's revamped curriculum, which went into effect this fall, but some officials defended their results.

"We've got a number of alternative high schools and students attend these schools, in many cases, as a second chance," said Ernie Bauer, consultant for research evaluation and assessment for Oakland County schools. "They may not be making this level of achievement. I think, instead, they should be judged on 'Did the school meet them where they were and move them forward?' I don't place a lot of value on those numbers."

Robin McGregor of Waterford has a daughter who attends Waterford Kettering, which failed because some subgroups did not make adequate yearly progress. Subgroups include major racial/ethnic groups, students with disabilities, limited English proficiency or those who are economically disadvantaged.

"I am sad because they're basing a whole school on a test, instead of testing kids for hands-on knowledge," McGregor said. "And they're basing a whole school on a few kids."

Only 17 of Detroit Public Schools' 57 high schools met standards. The district closed six of the failing schools this fall as part of a restructuring plan in response to hemorrhaging enrollment.

Shakrani said schools, including those in Detroit, need to do a better job of ensuring students take Algebra II.

"Every school now must offer Algebra II," he said. "But the proportion of students who take it -- like at Cass Tech, King and Renaissance -- is very high and they're doing all right. But at other schools, the proportion taking it is very low, and those are the schools in trouble."

District officials did not return calls seeking comment.

Two of Livingston County's five public high schools failed to make AYP. Hartland High School and Howell high schools received B grades overall, but their special education students did not meet test standards.

Charles Hughes, principal of Hartland High, said the school has worked to improve special education students' test scores.

"We're putting the students in different situations where they would feel comfortable with testing," he said. "You find ways to help them feel more comfortable. You have smaller environmental settings so they aren't in a larger setting."

In Highland Park, where both high schools failed, officials plan to offer evening tutoring next semester and an extensive summer school program, Superintendent Arthur Carter said.

Gayle Green, chief academic officer and assistant superintendent for instruction for the Macomb Intermediate School District, said the AYP report can be confusing, especially for parents in districts that didn't make the grade.

"Schools with great reputations and success stories didn't make AYP and the general public is left wondering why," she said.

"But making adequate yearly progress isn't the goal," she said. "The goal is improving student achievement and success."

Five schools in the Warren Consolidated Schools District and one in the Warren Woods district did not make AYP.

Lisa Murchison, a Warren Consolidated parent, said she doesn't think standardized tests are the right way to measure academic performance.

"With all of the rules associated with AYP, how can you expect every fourth-grader or every 10th-grader to be at the same level?"

"There is too much government control in this, and the government is not letting schools succeed on their own," she said.

Detroit News Staff Writers Candice Williams and Charles E. Ramirez contributed to this report.