Behind the numbers: Why some Washtenaw County schools didn't make Adequate Yearly Progress
Related story: 8 of 9 charter schools in Washtenaw County meet Adequate Yearly Progress
Many of the Washtenaw County schools that did not meet the federal government’s standards for Adequate Yearly Progress had something in common: Students with disabilities who did not meet proficiency scores in reading, math or both.
Schools such as Ypsilanti Middle School, Estabrook Elementary School, Willow Run’s Kaiser Elementary School, Milan Middle School and Lincoln’s Redner Elementary School met proficiency standards in every category except for students with disabilities’ reading proficiency. Ann Arbor’s Skyline High School did not meet AYP due to students with disabilities not scoring proficient in math or reading. Saline High School missed AYP standards because enough students with disabilities did not score proficient in math.
Lincoln High School also did not meet proficiency standards for students with disabilities in reading, and both African-American and economically disadvantaged students not meeting proficiency standards in math.
Steve Laatsch, the assistant superintendent of instructional services for Saline Area Schools, said close to 55 percent of Saline High School students with disabilities were considered proficient, but in order to meet AYP the federal government requires that 67 percent of students with disabilities be considered proficient. He said it was about the same amount of Saline High students who scored proficient in 2009-10.
“What the high school is doing in response to that is spending more time focused on efforts to support those students in math,” Laatsch said. “There will be some co-teaching, getting special education teachers together in math classes and we’ll also be looking at preparatory classes for the ACT.”
The majority of Washtenaw County schools met AYP standards in 2010-11, according to statistics released by the state on Monday. In order for the school to be meeting AYP standards, students at the school have to be considered in all of a number of subgroups that vary from school to school. If a school misses proficiency standards in one subgroup, then the entire school is deemed as not meeting AYP.
The federal government has required that all schools in the country meet AYP by the 2013-14 school year — a mandate that has seen some weakening in recent weeks. Several states, including Michigan, have requested waivers from the U.S. Department of Education from the mandate and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has indicated he is willing to grant them.
A statement from state superintendent Mike Flanagan earlier Monday stated that many schools did not meet AYP in 2010-11 because of rising standards from the federal government. However, 79 percent of Michigan schools and 93 percent of school districts met AYP.
In Ann Arbor schools, Skyline High School students with disabilities did not meet proficiency levels in math or reading. District spokesperson Liz Margolis said the school is taking measures to address the scores.
“It’s a large target from the special education department and the general education department,” Margolis said. She was not aware of Skyline’s strategy to bring those students to the AYP standard but said there is a specific strategy in place.
Ann Arbor Technical High School (formerly Stone High School) and the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center were the other two Ann Arbor schools that did not meet AYP. Ann Arbor Tech did not test 95 percent of students in reading or math and did not meet proficiency levels for AYP in math or reading, while also missing the graduate rate target of 80 percent. Roberto Clemente students did not meet the AYP proficiency standards for math.
Other area schools did not meet AYP for a variety of reasons.
Ypsilanti High School students did not meet reading proficiency levels overall, economically disadvantaged students did not meet proficiency standards in reading and African-American students did not meet proficiency in reading. The school also did not test at least 95 percent of economically disadvantaged students in math and students with disabilities in reading and math.
YHS did meet high school graduation requirements, which was 80 percent of students graduating. The graduation rate data is from the 2009-10 school year, the most recently available school year.
District spokesperson Emma Jackson said the district is appealing the state's findings.
"There may be a different outcome regarding the district's academic standing," Jackson said in a statement.
Willow Run High School students met AYP standards in all subgroups, but the school did not meet the 80 percent graduation rate target for all students, African-American students and economically disadvantaged students.
There was some good news all around for four county school districts.
Dexter Community Schools, Manchester Community Schools, Whitmore Lake Public Schools and the Chelsea School District had each of their schools meet AYP standards.
Dexter superintendent Mary Marshall said the fact that all of the district’s schools met AYP is a reflection of the work of district employees and the result of community involvement.
“Our students continue to perform very well on state assessments and we are pleased with their continued success,” Marshall said in a statement. “We are constantly analyzing our strengths and weaknesses and work to assure our curriculum is aligned to state standards. We are fortunate that student achievement is a community priority.”
This story has been updated with a comment from Ypsilanti schools spokesperson Emma Jackson
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
teach23
Sat, Aug 20, 2011 : 6:44 p.m.
AMOC: Thank you for your comments. My concern is that in the students daily work, accommodations are provided to help them access the curriculum in their disability area. When the assessment is given, all accommodations are not available. For instance, a child who has a learning disability in reading may have assessments read to them, length of the reading reduced, partnered with another student etc. None of those accommodations can be given when it comes to the Reading (ELA) MEAP. There are also students who can read every word on the MEAP, who have learning disabilities in comprehension, so they will struggle equally. I understand your point concerning grade placement however, continuing to hold a child back a grade over and over until they can read on grade level , would make them lose out on other things they could be learning. For example, a student who is only able to read a minimal number of basic sight words in 3rd grade, could be a science wiz or advanced in math. To hold them in a grade, with peers who are younger and to have the rest of the same curriculum repeated, does them a disservice. Maybe an assessment that is not grade specific, that would look at individual students growth as a measure, would be more appropriate for those who are struggling and those who are advanced.
babmay11
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
As a parent of a student with an IEP entering Skyline, I wasn't very happy to receive a letter from the principal basically blaming not making AYP on one special education student, or as they put it in the letter a "Sped" student. Which is not exactly a nice way to refer to students with IEPs. It was stated several times. I wonder if they didn't make AYP based on a students with low income levels or a particular race, that there would be so much emphasis on blaming the students. Very discouraging for me, I wonder if my son will be accepted there or just looked at as another "sped" student contributing to the problem. He deserves an education too, and is entitled to it under the law.
AMOC
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 10:26 p.m.
That sort of thing is exactly what AAPS and parents should expect from their PEG-coached "culturally sensitive" staff members. When the only achievement gap that matters to the administration is the racial one, other sub-groups are more likely to be ignored, disrespected, or scapegoated.
teach23
Wed, Aug 17, 2011 : 1:15 p.m.
There are guidelines as to what accommodations can be given, when administering this assessment. For the math, science and social studies assessments, one of the accommodations available is the test can be administered via a recording, CD, script etc. which is provided by the state. This helps the child who has reading struggles, access the material and allows them to show what they know about the material. For the reading assessment, this is not an accommodation that is allowed because it is a reading assessment. So for instance, you can have a 5th grader who has been identified with a learning disability in reading, who may be reading a year or more below grade level. This child is expected to read passages and answer questions above their reading ability. What many who administer these assesments see, is children who are extremely frustrated, that just mark answers to get finished. While looking at what teachers, districts and parents can do to help with this, a look at the appropriateness of the assessment for these students is needed. For those of us who work with these children everyday, it is heart wrenching to see all the work we have done in making them feel confident and proud of what skills they have acquired, destroyed because of they have to take an assessment that is above their ability level and we can't give them any help.
AMOC
Sat, Aug 20, 2011 : 1:52 a.m.
Teach23- The very simplest way to make sure that students are not required to take assessments that are far beyond their ability is to end the age-grade lockstep our schools enforce so blindly. If the students don't advance to 4th grade (for example) until they can meet the proficiency levels required for the end of 3rd grade, the problem mostly goes away. It's not that the assessments are inappropriate, it's that the child is in an inappropriate grade placement. In contrast, if you have a student who's advanced at reading, maths, etc. you place him or her with the class working just above their current achievement level in order to provide some challenge.
apples
Wed, Aug 17, 2011 : 12:46 a.m.
I agree Monica that something is wrong with the accommodations if a certain population of students don't t pass these test. Accommodations need to be written into programs and followed by staff. Perhaps, we need to see if high school staff are following procedures and IEP accommodations. Parents, staff and students need to find out why they failed on these test. How many students with IEP's in our county are failing high school classes? What will these schools do differently now that the reports are in?
Gardener1
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 1:09 p.m.
Teachers can only do so much with a student. The student needs to be willing to learn and parents have to want their child to learn. As a parent of a Skyline student, I know the teachers are willing to do whatever they can to help a student be successful. The student has to be there for the teachers to work with them. The Ann Arbor court program for mandatory attendance is weak.
J. A. Pieper
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 11:01 p.m.
The key ideas in this comment are related to the idea that teachers can only do so much, and that the child has to be willing to learn, with strong support from parents. As a teacher in the district, I am not a miracle worker, I need top effort from the child and parents who realize that it will require much support, like making the child attend school, helping with homework/projects. Children with learning issues can be successful, I hate to go back to this, but it really does take a village! The academic demands on students today are much different from the time periods when parents went to school - you can't just send your child off somewhere else in your home to do homework. Success with academics requires a close working relationship: Child -> Teacher -> Parent -> If one element of this is not functioning efficiently, then academic success might not be where everyone wants it to be. Please note that with the No Child Left Behind expectations, the only element held responsible is the TEACHER!
Tony Livingston
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 2:16 p.m.
Skyline has the same type of population as Pioneer and Huron. There is something very wrong there.
mwest22
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 1:04 p.m.
Can you explain exactly how AYP is calculated? Also, are students with disabilities anyone who as an IEP? The nature of the disability could greatly affect their ability to score proficient on a test
Judy
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 12:45 p.m.
My daughter had some learning disabilities that made reading and math very hard for her. The Whitmore Lake Middle School and Whitmore Lake High School teachers were great. They worked with her and she will be in her 2nd year of the WCC nursing program this fall. Good teachers are worth there weight in "GOLD" and we all know how much gold is going for right now, but poor teachers need to be weeded out so good teachers have a chance to teach. Way to go Whitmore Lake teachers keep up the good!
Sports Girl
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 4:30 p.m.
Thank you for sharing, Judy. Nice to read something positive in these comments. Kudos to Whitmore Lake.
Tony Livingston
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 2:15 p.m.
I have heard really good things about Whitmore Lake. They are very inclusive of all students.
Judy
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 12:25 p.m.
Stephen, as an avowed "progressive" "Democrat" I must say I agree. This is a huge social justice issue. The system is broken. I agree about the summer. Low income kids are most negatively affected by the summer break (according to EMPIRICAL RESEARCH). And, we need to recognize that many in Ann Arbor are not being well served by the well-meaning Liberal teachers. We need high standards and expectations (not more tests) and the support of good teachers. Too often we get low expectations and pity for kids who really need to know that they can do anything despite the limitations of poverty.
macjont
Wed, Aug 17, 2011 : 4:55 p.m.
As an "avowed progressive, liberal Democrat," I think Stephen and you, Judy, are missing something. See my reply to Stephen.
Monica R-W
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 12:22 p.m.
The comment about "Liberals" or "Democrats" were not required by any poster who read the article, as this was not a political piece. By READING the article, the issues with in particular Willow Run, Ypsilanti and Skyline in AAPS were students with Learning Disabilities not meeting the requirement set up by the Federal Government standards for AYP. By reviewing this, it appears that these schools and individual districts need to beef up their special education programming; particularly how they address accommodations for students with IEP's for state/college based standardized testing procedures. Without the proper planning in place before standardized testing takes place, many of these students are bound to fail. Thus, impacting those students' self-esteem and overall perceptions on their ability to pass these types of tests. As for the graduation rate for Willow Run and Ypsilanti Public Schools, two factors could be affecting this situation. One, the number of days a student is in school versus absences and behavioral suspensions. Two, not properly addressing Special Education students with Learning Disabilities in the IEP with a four year graduation plan. Again, IEP's should be readdressed by the administration, teachers, parents and students anytime a child fails a class or certain subject, especially at the high school level. Sadly in many cases, this is not done and instead the student is hit in the 11th and 12th grade year, with a large number of credits needed for graduation. Finally, children are not "Liberal" or "Conservative", they are just kids. Let's keep adult political discussions out of the classroom and focus on the proper education of all kids, regardless of their individual learning disabilities. Thanks Kyle for the follow up on this story.
Tony Livingston
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 2:11 p.m.
There is no excuse for this happening at Skyline. None. Every school has special education students. Skyline may be somewhat new but the teachers are not. This is a complete failure to address the academic needs of a population of students. Ridiculous.
Stephen Lange Ranzini
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 11:12 a.m.
Why are some schools in Washtenaw County not making adequate yearly progress? One major factor is the long Summer school break. Ask any teacher and they will tell you they generally spend the first half of each school year teaching the students what they forgot ofer the Summer school break. New material isn't presented until well into the new school year. As someone who believes strongly in the need for social justice, I find it quite amusing that self-professed "liberals" and "Democrats" think that the school system is just fine, as it is, when that system condemns 21% to 23% of kids to a life of poverty and failure because they leave school as functional illiterates. Even in Ann Arbor Public Schools the number is 12.5%. In reality they are most CONSERVATIVE (in the true sense of that word) as they like the broken system they defend a lot and aren't willing to change even when the EMPIRICAL PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH indicates that they are very wrong. I also find it amusing that many of these same "liberals" and "Democrats" blame the failure to properly educate 1 in 8 children in Ann Arbor and over 1 in 5 children in the county on the low and moderate income parents. One of my grandfathers had to stop his education at 4th grade and the other in 6th grade and if a series of fine Catholic nuns hadn't educated my father, he wouldn't have been valedictorian of his school, because he certainly wouldn't have gotten it at home from his 4th grade educated Dad and certainly not from his Mom. In fact, my father taught his mother some English after school every day though in honesty I'd have to say my father wasn't a very good English teacher :-) because my Grandmother spoke an unique and incomprehensible flavor of pidgin English until the day she died despite living in the U.S. over 70 years. Let's cut the Summer break and begin to solve this problem! Solving this problem is one of the biggest social justice issues of our day.
macjont
Wed, Aug 17, 2011 : 4:39 p.m.
I ran out of words. Conclude my previous remarks with: "more sense than the alternatives."
macjont
Wed, Aug 17, 2011 : 4:36 p.m.
Something missing from your analysis, Stephen, is the benefits derived by many students from an extended summer. My sons, now fully grown, are the perfect examples. Both were accomplished violinists who attended lengthy and excellent summer music "camps." Neither of them became professional musicians (one is a lawyer; one a naval officer), but the educational benefits they derived from their experiences are difficult if not impossible to calculate. (I believe it was Einstein who said, "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." ) The problem is not the length of the summer, but what is done with it. Your other point about over-emphasis on blaming relative poverty is not made by your anecdotal evidence of your family experience. There are always exceptions to the statistical norm, but these exceptions do not disprove the rule. I find very curious the blame you place on the teachers for the 12.5% "failure" rate among Ann Arbor students. We are measuring "failure" by test scores and use these scores in ways we do not use them in any other profession. When I go to my doctor for an annual physical, he is presented with many test scores relevant to my physical condition ––– those involved with my blood work, a urinalysis, my weight, and on and on. Based on those scores, my doctor prescribes accepted medications and behavioral modifications. If I fail to follow the doctor's directions or prescribed treatments, and my condition does not improve, no one blames the doctor. My point is best stated with a question: How many of the 12.5% failures would be turned into successes if they would only follow the teachers' directions? And yes, Stephen, I am a LIBERAL and a DEMOCRAT, and have been for most of my 66 years. The reason? While far from perfect, Liberal (Progressive?) and Democratic descriptions, analysis, and prescriptions of and for the world we live in make a whole lot more sense than s
Sports Girl
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 5:09 p.m.
Cutting summer break is not going to solve all of education's problems. Honestly, I find it an easy cop-out rather than finding real solutions. If summer is our problem, why is it that a country like Finland can go to school LESS time than students in the US and be one of the leaders in education in the world?? Yes, they OUTPERFORM countries like China, US, etc. They have summer breaks... Many schools in our area run summer-long programs for students who are behind in math and reading, so essentially we do have students who are going to school all-year round already. Guess what? Those kids are still behind!! They didn't get a summer break, but continue to be behind their peers - no summer break... so what do you blame it on now? I agree that some retention is lost in the summer by some students, but I don't believe that teachers spend half a year catching them up. If you LEARN the material, you know it. If it takes a student 6 months to "re-learn" it, well, quite frankly, they really didn't "learn" it in the first place!
jns131
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 1:18 p.m.
I disagree. It is the economically disadvantaged that believe Willow Run will change and it hasn't. We saw the writing on the wall from the beginning and sent ours to a charter where upon we found out that thru NCLB and Title I we could challenge the system and send ours to Ann Arbor. Which we did. Willow Run will always be a failing school until things change to make it a better school. Willow Run needs a state run system. Otherwise it might as well close up shop. At least ours will have a better chance of getting a great education. Everyone should think about leaving Willow Run and seeing where they can send theirs too as well. As for the nuns? Your father didn't tell you the rest of the story. My grandmother lost feeling in one hand because of them.
sh1
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
Well, you saw what happened with the Mitchell/Scarlett plan to go year-round. Parents are ready to support it.