Many Michigan high school grads not ready for college, analysis finds
At more than half of Michigan’s high schools, fewer than 10% of students graduating this spring are college ready, according to data released today that for the first time measures the extent of college readiness at every high school in the state.
The analysis by the Michigan Department of Education underscores that graduation rates are not a reflection of the quality of education kids are getting. It raises “grave concern” that students are graduating without the skills to succeed, said Martin Ackley, spokesman for the MDE.
“Where is the value of that high school diploma if the students walk out the door not knowing how to read and write or do basic math and science ?” Ackley asked.
The MDE used as its yardstick rigorous standards developed by the ACT, which measures students in English, math, reading and science. The results were dismal even for some elite schools in metro Detroit, with barely half their students considered college-ready. The data was released at the same time the state begins raising the standards for the Michigan Merit Exam and the MEAP.
It’s tough to get kids college-ready
Even top schools face big challenges
It’s consistently one of the top-ranked high schools in the nation. Now a new distinction sets the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills apart from its peers. At the school, 73% of the students who last spring took the Michigan Merit Exam — which includes the ACT — were considered college-ready, the highest percentage among 823 high schools in the state. Other high schools fared far worse, reinforcing concerns state officials have raised for years that Michigan schools are not adequately preparing students for college. The data, released today by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), is the first attempt to give a school-by-school analysis. In the past, the only college-readiness data available was statewide averages on the ACT. That average has hovered around 19%. To determine college readiness, the state used standards developed by ACT, which defines it as scoring — out of a top score of 36 — an 18 in English, 22 in math, 21 in reading and 24 in science. Success beyond high school “We want all students to graduate from high school, but they need to graduate with the level of knowledge that will prepare them for success after high school,” said Martin Ackley, spokesman for the MDE. The MDE data show that even schools with high graduation rates struggle to graduate students who are ready for college curriculum. In Detroit Public Schools, all but two of the high schools had percentages of college-ready students below 1%. Even the district’s top-performing schools had low rates. Cass Technical High had 4.4% while Renaissance High had 10.8%. The International Academy’s strong showing is likely because of the International Baccalaureate curriculum the school uses, said Rob Glass, superintendent of the Bloomfield Hills Schools district, where the school is located. “It’s really designed to be rigorous and to prepare any student to participate at a high level at any university in the world,” Glass said. Today’s data release comes just two weeks after the state Board of Education approved a plan that would increase the standards for students to pass both the merit exam and the MEAP. Up until now, students needed to only demonstrate basic skills to pass those exams; the change would require they demonstrate college-readiness skills. Tougher requirements Jim Ballard, executive director of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, said part of the problem is that schools weren’t focused on college readiness when preparing students to take the merit exam. “We were looking at the wrong target all this time,” Ballard said. But that’s beginning to change, Ballard said. This year’s seniors are the first to have to meet the state’s tougher graduation requirements, which mandate a larger dose of math and science than most districts had been requiring. As a result, he said, student scores are improving. “We’re below college-ready, but at least we’re going in the right direction,” Ballard said. Ackley said all schools will need to set high expectations not just for students, but for teachers, administrators and parents. “Otherwise, it’s a serious disservice to the students and communities who are led to believe they are prepared to succeed, when they are not.” Standards questioned Some, though, question the use of ACT’s college-readiness standards. Judy Pritchett, assistant superintendent for instruction in the Macomb Intermediate School District, said she and many educators are concerned that the ACT has set the standards based on a 50% probability that if a student scores at those levels, the student will be successful in a credit-bearing college course. “We’re questioning whether a 50% chance of a particular outcome is really a meaningful definition of college readiness,” Pritchett said. Other factors, such as motivation, also play into how successful a student will be in a college course. She and others also question whether so much significance should be placed on one test. David Richards, superintendent in Fraser Public Schools, said preparing students to be innovative, collaborative and problem-solvers also is necessary for success. “The ACT doesn’t necessarily measure a lot of those qualities,” Richards said. Still, Glass said the ACT standards are “probably the best measure we have in terms of something that predicts college readiness. But it’s by no means perfect.” For instance, a student can hit the standard in three of the four areas but not be considered college ready because he or she missed it in the fourth. “It really comes down to how you view success in life,” Glass said. “Not everyone is going to be perfectly balanced and even in all areas.” The percentages for students in his district are illustrative of the tough ACT benchmarks. Students in Bloomfield Hills typically post some of the top scores on state exams. Andover High, though, had 47.6% college ready, while Lahser High had 29.7%. Although the district had among the higher percentages, Glass said he is concerned about how the public will perceive the numbers. “It’s not something to be taken lightly, but it’s not something to make a harsh judgment about education,” he said.
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