2011 NAEP READING AND MATHEMATICS RESULTS

ED TRUST-MIDWEST STATEMENT ON THE 2011 NAEP READING AND MATHEMATICS RESULTS

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (November 1, 2011) — Michigan now consistently ranks in the bottom of states in both performance and improvement in student achievement, after a continued relative decline, according to data released today from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Michigan’s African American children now perform among the worse in the nation for black children.

Michigan’s continued descent – falling from a relative rank of 28th in 2003 to 35th today in the U.S. in fourth-grade reading – demonstrates the importance of educational leadership in the performance of our schools. Other states have continued to improve their levels of student learning on the national assessment. In comparison, Michigan’s performance on the NAEP – the best gauge of student learning across states -- has remained relatively stagnant.

“The results announced today show some states are doing far better than others,” said Amber Arellano, Executive Director of The Education Trust-Midwest, a non-partisan education research organization and watchdog that advocates for what’s best for Michigan students. “Indeed, our Great Lakes State is hardly great when it comes to educating our kids.”

Today’s NAEP results are particularly devastating for Michigan African American students, which now are at the very bottom for performance among all black students in the U.S.

“This is tragic – and it’s absolutely unacceptable,” Arellano added. “Other states are showing that Michigan can do dramatically better at educating all of our students, particularly our African American and low-income children.”

According to the data released today:

• Michigan’s low performance goes far beyond one subject. It consistently ranks among the bottom states in both performance and improvement, overall and by subgroup, in both subjects and grades, according to the NAEP data.
  
• Michigan’s rank on Grade 8 NAEP Math has declined from 34th in 2003 to 36th in 2011.
  
• Michigan has nearly a 34 point gap and the 2nd largest achievement gap in nation between White and Black students on the Grade 4 NAEP Reading.
  
• In 8th grade math on the NAEP, Michigan has nearly a 36 point gap between White students and African-American students. This is the 5th largest gap between White and Black students on Grade 8 NAEP Math in the country.

Unlike Michigan, some states are leading the way in 2011 in performance or improvement since 2003, or both:

• While their achievement gaps remain large, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey consistently ranked among the top states in both performance and improvement, overall and by subgroup, in both subjects and grades.
  
• In fourth-grade math, Hawaii, Kentucky and Rhode Island were among the top improvers by overall scale score as well as for black, Latino and low-income students.
  
• Alabama made the greatest improvements in the nation in fourth-grade reading scores overall, for African-American students and for low-income students. In eighth-grade reading, Connecticut’s black students made strong gains since 2009, improving by 10 points.

“Michigan’s challenge is to learn from the places making the most progress so we can accelerate and replicate those improvements for all of our children,” Arellano said. “We all need to play a part in improving our public schools in Michigan, for our children’s sakes.”
For more information on Michigan's NAEP performance, click here: http://www.edtrust.org/midwest/presentation/2011-michigan-naep-reading-and-mathematics-results

The Education Trust-Midwest’s mission is to work for the high achievement of all students, particularly low-income, African American, Latino and American Indian students in Michigan. Ed Trust-Midwest is a non-partisan, independent watchdog dedicated to providing honest, reliable information to families and policymakers. It is Michigan’s only state-wide policy, research and advocacy organization focused on what is best for Michigan students. For more information, go to: www.edtrustmidwest.org

Advice for Governor Rick Snyder from Ed Trust-Midwest

DETROIT, MICH. (April 27, 2011) —Today, Gov. Rick Snyder moved to make students a higher priority and to ensure that all of Michigan’s classrooms are staffed by high-quality teachers. We applaud his recognition of the importance of teachers to our students, but urge him to take further steps to ensure that his proposals are smartly implemented. Students must remain a top priority as the state pursues the governor’s ideas, such as performance bonuses and charter school expansion.

The Education Trust-Midwest has advocated rigorously for Gov. Snyder to enact dramatic teacher quality reforms. The Snyder administration has paid attention, and is proposing revamping Michigan tenure law and teacher lay-off policies. Today, the governor proposed to award tenure based on three years of effective teacher performance. He also pushed for teaching performance to trump seniority in school lay-off and placement decisions.

“Every Michigan student deserves an effective teacher,” said Amber Arellano, executive director of The Education Trust-Midwest, Michigan’s only state-wide education policy and advocacy organization that advocates first and foremost on behalf of students. “We urge the legislature to quickly pass the legislative reforms that Gov. Snyder is proposing—and to do so while respecting teachers’ bargaining rights. Tenure should be modernized, not gutted.”

Snyder also proposes giving districts bonuses on top of per-pupil funding based on district performance and “growth.” He did not clarify whether such bonus funding would come out of state per-pupil school funding.

“The question is, how will districts be required to measure such growth and performance?” Arellano said. “Tenure and other teacher quality reforms—as well as any smart performance bonuses—rely upon robust evaluation systems that reliably measure student growth and teacher performance. Such systems don’t currently exist now in Michigan, which must be addressed.”
In particular, the legislature must change our state assessment timing; define what effective teaching looks like; and develop rigorous evaluation standards and a state-wide evaluation model for all districts. Presently, Michigan’s state assessment is administered in the fall, which means it measures the learning that has occurred under two different teachers – one in the previous school year and one in the new school year. That is not a good way to measure the impact of individual teachers.

Instead, Michigan needs to move its fall assessment to the spring, which would allow it to more accurately assess what students have learned over the course of the school year and give the governor an opportunity to reward a much more reliable picture of student growth and school performance.

The state also needs to develop a state-wide model and standards for teacher evaluation. Unless it does so, districts will use whatever evaluation that they want and set any standard they choose. Districts would have incentive to set their bars low so that their students and teachers look like they are performing well.

“Without thoughtful reform of both teacher evaluation and accountability system, Michigan parents will have no idea how well their students are doing and how good their teachers really are,” Arellano said. “Other states, such as Colorado, are taking months to create a smart, state-wide evaluation system. If we’re serious about improving our schools, we need to do this as well—and right now.”

Other Ed Trust-Midwest positions on Gov. Snyder’s proposals:

• Snyder: Giving bonuses to schools based on district performance.

Arellano: “We urge his administration to re-think this approach. Students would be punished for their districts’ low performance under such a system, especially in our low-income communities. Snyder should replicate what other leading states are doing, which is to reward schools with bonuses based on individual school performance.”

• Snyder: Lifting the cap on charter schools in some areas.

Arellano: “We all know our charter schools in places like Detroit are performing just as tragically and poorly, on average, as our traditional public schools. Only the highest-quality operators should be allowed to open schools or expand. The criteria for such selection should be made public. Parents and students deserve honest information.”

• Snyder: Requiring one year of growth for one year of instruction.

Arellano: “The bar must be set higher. African American and Hispanic children across the state are behind in reading, math and other basic skills. Schools need to help these students catch up—and it’s the state’s job to ensure they do so.”

• Snyder: Improving all of our schools through greater accountability.

Arellano: “We support accountability and high standards. However, accountability alone does not improve schools. We need to hear more from the Snyder administration about its plans to improve all of our schools, especially our low-performers. These schools have had very little state support—and often have been restricted from improving. Our minority and poor children need better schools right now.”
Contact info:

Amber Arellano, (734) 277-5084, aarellano@edtrustmidwest.org
Donnell Green, (248) 854-5297, dgreen@edtrustmidwest.org

This week Governor Rick Snyder is expected to lay out his education agenda in a major speech to policymakers and Michigan parents and students. In an op-ed in The Detroit Free Press, Amber Arellano, executive director of the Education Trust-Midwest, urges Governor Snyder and the state legislature to choose the path of smart education reform that will truly benefit children and not be sucked into the poisonous, combative politics that are dividing Americans in other states.

While governors in Wisconsin, Ohio, and elsewhere have attacked teachers collective-bargaining rights and marginalized the societal importance of teachers spurring understandable backlashes, Michigan's new governor and state legislature need to know that they can advance bold education reforms without following these divisive models.

Learn more about Ed Trust-Midwest's goals for Governor Snyder, read Arellano's recent piece in The Detroit News.