Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy, Midland Schools Top Tri-County MEAP Scores
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The Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, 200 Congress Street, Saginaw, recently attained accreditation by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools.
Frank Starkweather, program manager for community and economic development for East Central Michigan Planning and Development Region, presides at a meeting of regional commissioners in Saginaw's Hoyt Library.
It is hardly a surprise that the Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy (SASA) tops 24 other tri-county high schools in Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) scores.
The school enrolls the best scholars it can find, some driven to school daily from other communities. And it tests only about 20 students compared to the nearly 370 tested by Heritage High School in Saginaw Township.
What is surprising about this year's MEAP scores is that only three public schools in the tri-county region scored better than the state overall average of non-public schools on an average of the five MEAP (Reading, Science, Writing, Math, Social Studies) tests.
The MEAP averages were compiled and ranked by Frank Starkweather,program manager of the East Central Michigan Planning and Development Region, (ECMPDR), Saginaw, an economic development agency of 14 mid-Michigan counties.
Only SASA and the two Midland high schools, Midland High and H.H. Dow High, toppedthe non-public averages of 74.50% passed, 25.50% failed. Midland High had 77.90%, 22.10 failed and Dow had 77.86% passed and 23.32% failed.
SASA, 200 Congress St., Saginaw, enrolls 491 students in grades 6-12. Daily attendance averages 98%. Principal Janet Nash heads a staff of 23 teachers and 13 support personnel. Parent association President is Rose San Miguel.
Rounding out the top 10 area schools in MEAP averages were: 4) Frankenmuth, (72.78% passed, 27.22% failed); 5) Heritage, (64.76% passed, 35.24% failed); 6) St. Charles, (63.92% passed, 36.08% failed); 7) Swan Valley, (63.36% passed, 36.64% failed); 8) Bullock Creek, (62.58% passed, 37.42% failed); 9) Essexville-Hampton Garber, (61.56% passed, 38.44% failed);and 10) Freeland, (61.52% passed, 38.48% failed).
ECMPDR decided last year to begin evaluating the MEAP scores of area high schools on the basis of the importance of education to economic development.
"How can a community expect industrial growth, business parks and high tech industries if it is not turning out capable and trainable young people into the work force?" asks Starkweather, commenting: "The academic performance of students in the local school system is no longer just a school board issue; it is a community-wide and region-wide economic development issue and also a global issue for all of us."
Last year ECMPDR used 73 schools in its 14 county region in a comprehensive study of the 2002 MEAP rankings. Notable was the finish of Bad Axe, Ubly and Harbor Beach in Huron County, Ithaca in Gratiot County and Tuscola County's Cass City in the top 10 along with SASA, Frankenmuth and the Midland high schools.
In the 2002 rankings of high schools in the 14 county region, Garber High was 19th, Bay City Central 32nd, John Glenn 44th, Western High 47th and Pinconning 48th.
In the 2003 tri-county five-test MEAP averages, Garber was ninth among 25 schools ranked, Western (61.42% passed, 38.58% failed) 11th, Pinconning (59.78% passed, 40.22% failed) 13th and Central (56.26% passed, 43.74% failed) 16th. Only John Glenn in 20th place was below the state public school average at 46.46% passed, 53.54% failed.
Notable departures from the averages were Garber's rise to 5th, Pinconning to 6th and Western to 9th in the Math test. Garber was 8th and Western 10th in Social Studies. Western was 9th in Reading and Garber 9th in Science.
The bottom 10 performing schoolsin the tri-county area in the five test MEAP averages were 16) Bay City Central; 17) Birch Run; 18) Sanford Meridian; 19) Coleman; 20) John Glenn; 21) Bridgeport; 22) Carrollton; 23) Saginaw Arthur Hill; 24) Saginaw High; and 25) Saginaw Buena Vista.###
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