State Assessments
FAQs
Question: I hear Bloomfield Hills High School falls in the 44th percentile. What does that mean?
Answer: The percentile tells us how we are doing overall, across the state. Our MME scores in science were lower than anticipated, which brought down the overall score (composite score). In terms of performance, this does not indicate that only 44% of students are proficient in any of the tested subject areas, but rather indicates overall student performance on a scale with all of the other high schools in Michigan.
Question: Typically, 44th percentile is not our goal for student achievement so are we worried about what the scorecard says about our district?
Answer: Like all data points, this is one we consider on an annual basis to inform instructional decisions. Looking at the scorecard data more closely, we can see that almost 90% of all students at the high school are proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) and approximately 80% are proficient in math. Where we know we need to continue to concentrate our efforts is in the area of science, where just under 50% were proficient. Also a focus is social studies, where we saw a 52% proficiency.
Question: The low proficiency scores don't seem to align with the higher scores. Do you have a sense of what happened?
Answer: As we look into the individual data points, we know that the science scores and social studies scores come from the M-STEP. If you recall, we had extreme technology issues surrounding the M-STEP test. We have engaged with MDE, who has committed to being on site this year during the test to ensure a smooth online experience for all students. In addition, our anecdotal feedback from BHHS administrators and educators tells us that not every student took the M-STEP quite as seriously as the SAT, which is where we obtain the ELA and Math scores. This year, we will encourage all students to take their time with the M-STEP online assessment and have adjusted the testing schedule to allow for deeper concentration.
Question: Despite the technology issues experienced and the difference in the testing schedule, we can see we have lower proficiency in both science and social studies. What is the district doing to support greater student achievement in those areas?
Answer: In Science, we are working to align all 9-11 grade classes to the new NGSS standards including making Earth Science an option in 10th grade. With the development of learning communities, this will include an American Studies experience which will allow students to expand their literacy within the social studies curriculum. We continue to look at sub-group data to build additional supports for students.
Question: How significant is this data point in the consideration of our curriculum and overall student achievement?
Answer: The Scorecard is one data point of many that we consider as we make adjustments from year to year. As we review our SAT scores, we se that our students score above state average and we know our students place well in the college selections of their choosing. Our SAT scores are highly competitive county-wide with a mean score of 1112.8, which is approximately somewhere between a 22-23 on the ACT. The state average is 1001, which equates to approximately a 19 on the ACT.