LANSING – State assessment scores for the Michigan high school Class of 2004 improved across-the-board. The numbers of 2004 graduates who met or exceeded state standards for the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) high school test increased in all five testing areas: Reading, Mathematics, Science, Writing, and Social Studies.

"These results show that we're on the right track," said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, "but we need to keep working hard to help all of our students master the skills they need to get jobs in today's economy."

The most dramatic MEAP increase came in the Reading test scores, which jumped by nearly 10 percentage points.  The number of students who met or exceeded state reading standards increased from 68,198 (66.8 percent) for the Class of 2003 to 80,214 (76.2 percent) for the Class of 2004.

Just as remarkable was the drop in the number of students who scored in the lowest band, or "not endorsed" category, on the Reading test.  Some 10,004 students (9.5 percent) of the 105,236 test takers scored in this band, compared to 20,893 (20.5 percent) from the previous class.

"This is a very promising sign," said State Board of Education President Kathleen N. Straus.  "But we cannot diminish the importance of getting every student to meet our Reading standards.  That is the goal of the Governor, State Board of Education, and the Michigan Department of Education."

A record number of high school students from the Class of 2004 took the MEAP tests, averaging 105,006 students for the Reading, Mathematics, and Science tests.  That bested the Class of 2003's average participation rate of 102,383 students. The number of students taking the Social Studies test increased by nearly 5,000 (102,943).

"It is obvious that the hard work by our teachers and administrators and commitment to learning by our students are the catalysts to these gains," state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Watkins said. "While everyone can take pride in the gains, we need to redouble our efforts on all counts," Watkins added. "While our students are making progress, we cannot rest until they all have the knowledge and skills to thrive in the 21st Century knowledge economy."

The number of students who met or exceeded state standards for Mathematics increased from 61,592 for the Class of 2003 to 62,109 for 2004; from 62,419 to 66,901 in Science; from 60,066 to 60,979 in Writing; and from 25,094 to 36,026 in Social Studies.

Despite the moderate number of students achieving well on the Social Studies test, the number who scored in the top band (exceeded standards) jumped from 732 in 2003 to 1,950 in 2004.  Likewise, the number who scored in the lowest band (not endorsed) dropped from 41,656 to 37,682. 

"This, too, is encouraging," Straus noted. "Our schools certainly are headed in the right direction.  We are not there yet, but we will be reviewing later this year plans to help get more students meeting the state standards in Social Studies."

A special task force was commissioned by the State Board of Education in May 2004 to study the issue of student performance on the Social Studies MEAP test, and to make recommendations to the State Board of Education on steps that need to be taken to improve student performance. 

The Social Studies Task Force, consisting of Social Studies experts from around the state, held public hearings throughout Michigan during the summer.  The department will propose to the State Board later this year specific plans to implement the Task Force recommendations.

Summary Reports for each of the state’s public school districts and both public and non-public high schools have been posted on the Michigan Department of Education web site.  You can access that information by logging on to www.michigan.gov/mde

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The MEAP web page includes Class of 2004 statewide results data; school district and building data; and Frequently Asked Questions. 

Click Here for Class of 2004 MEAP Results Detail