School Board Discusses MEAP Cut Scores, Property Sales and More

The heard a brief explanation of MEAP Score Reports and considered a variety of other matters at Thursday night's meeting.

MEAP Score Report

Sarah Olson, the school district's director of instruction, gave a brief explanation of the change in the way Michigan will describe standardized test scores and the affect the  – or the point on the scale that separates one performance level from the next – will have on the MEAP program.

Olson said it is very important to note the MEAP test has not changed or gotten more difficult. “It’s that the score a student needs to attain on that test has gotten higher now in order to be deemed proficient,” Olson said.

The new cut scores apply to the 2011-12 school year, so they will be applied for the first time to the fall 2011 MEAP administration, according to the state.

Olson showed the school board graphs to demonstrate the impact of the new scores. The graphs showed drastic drops in the number of students who will be deemed proficient under the new cut scores.

Olson suggested people watch  the attached video titled “Understanding the New Michigan Cut Scores.” It explores how the cut scores have been applied, how they may impact schools and students, and the concepts of career and college readiness.

Other highlights

• Lewis-Lakin also said he executed purchase agreements for the properties at the former Twain and Lincoln elementary school sites and indicated there is a buyer interested in the former Franklin Elementary site.
• In honor of , students from , and acknowledged the board’s hard work and dedication.
• Director of Administrative Services Cheryl Goodgine gave an update on the district’s technology strengths and challenges. Lewis-Lakin stressed the need to have technology connectivity between buildings in the district. “Nothing we want to do in our buildings will be possible unless we have a high bandwidth connection to those buildings,” the superintendent said. “That is the first step in terms of the infrastructure we need to have in place in order to move our technology.”
• Executive Director of Business Services Rick West told the board he will be kicking off the 2012-13 budget with a goal setting and budget workshop.
• The board acknowledged it received 12 letters regarding Principal Michael Greening. . There was no update or discussion of Greening's status.