III. Improvement of
student achievement
- Measured by
appropriate assessment measures
- Implement newly
purchased instructional materials
- Implement school
improvement plans
- Provide
professional development to aid teachers
in being successful in use of newly
purchased instructional materials and
school improvement plans.
- Implement the
Michigan Merit Curriculum
IV. Implement a
communication plan to improve internal and
external communication with all
constituencies.
- Codify building
level plans
- Utilize district
level plans.
V. Maintain the fiscal
stability of Lakeview Public Schools.
- Identify ways to
provide quality benefits for employees
with minimum increase in cost.
- Expand
opportunities for cost sharing with
consortium districts.
- Explore and
identity revenue-producing
opportunities.
- Explore ways to
increase student enrollment through
expansion of schools of choice and
residential enrollment.
A Message from the Superintendent
December 2007
Lakeview
High School’s AYP
Recently, the media
printed stories that highlighted the AYP
(Adequate Yearly Progress) status of each
high school in the tri-county area. The
information, released by the Michigan
Department of Education, was delivered in
the form of a letter grade, the ranking as
identified in AYP terms, and the reason for
the ranking. The ratings that were released
are based on guidelines developed and
demanded by the federal Department of
Education, but designed by each state
department of education.
“The recent scores are,
in part, a reflection of student performance
on the Michigan Merit Examination that was
administered to all Michigan eleventh
graders in March of 2006,” states Lakeview’s
Superintendent Sandra Feeley Myrand.
“Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and a
school’s letter grade were previously based
on scores from the MEAP. Michigan’s
Department of Education made revisions to
how AYP would be determined and identified
the Michigan Merit Examination as the
assessment tool,” explained Myrand. This
was the first time the MME was
administered. The core of the MME is the
ACT, a college entrance examination. The
Michigan Department of Education is
demanding that all students take this test,
regardless of their post high school plans.
“The
administration and teaching staff of
Lakeview High School are dedicated to
continuous improvement,” states Myrand.
“Test measures that reflect student
performance, regardless of the results,
provide us with information about how we can
continue to make improvements in the
curriculum, classroom instruction and how
students are assessed.” MME scores (formerly
MEAP) will fluctuate depending on the
attitude, inherent capabilities, and
dedication of each class of students.
In the case of Lakeview
High School, the primary reason for this
year’s low accreditation grade was a
subgroup of students who did not make the
same level of progress that the entire
student population made. In other words, if
the entire eleventh grade makes a year of
academic growth in one year, each subgroup
(as examples, low-income students, minority
students, special education students) of
students is expected to make the same amount
of academic growth. At Lakeview, at least
one subgroup did not make the same amount of
academic progress as the entire eleventh
grade.
Ever since public
schools were established, teachers have
known that students learn differently from
each other. Some learn best by reading,
some by listening, others by doing, and
still others need concrete objects to use in
order to understand ideas and skills. “As
parents and educators,” states Myrand, “we
also know that not all students need or want
to attend a four year college. We also know
that society does not need all adults to
have a four year college degree to be
successful. Yet this test, which everyone
freely admits, is designed as a college
admission test, is used to access all
students on their progress on state-wide
academic standards which have been developed
and implemented within the last year.”
Fair or not, these are
the issues. Now, what about Lakeview High
School? “This is the same high school where
95% of the students qualified for the
Michigan Promise Scholarship. This is the
same high school that offers a curriculum so
diverse that students can graduate ready to
enter the world of work making $40,000 or go
onto prestigious colleges like the
University of Michigan with a full
scholarship. This is the same high school
that gave out four hundred thousand dollars
of scholarships to its graduating students
last year,” Myrand stated.
Lakeview High School is
a comprehensive high school which addresses
the needs and desires of a very diverse
population. It is a high school that is
safe and accepting of a variety of academic
levels in students. It is a high school
that is, and has been, accredited by the
North Central Association for over 50
years. “Lakeview High School is also a
high school that is dedicated to
continuous improvement and is not
afraid to tackle difficult challenges and to
succeed,” affirmed Myrand.
According to
Superintendent Myrand, the District is
developing more rigorous curriculum,
more effective instructional practices and
more accurate assessment approaches. “We
continue to be focused on meeting the needs
of individual students. We are confident
that these actions will enhance the
education we are providing to our students
and will improve the overall ratings by
which our school is judged. We will show
improvement and will continue to offer the
fine educational programs for which Lakeview
Public Schools is known,” states Myrand.
If you have any further
questions regarding this year’s AYP, please
contact Superintendent Sandra Feeley Myrand
at (586) 445-4000, ext. 2501 or email at
sfeeleymyrand@scslakeview-k12.com.
Sandra Feeley Myrand
Superintendent of Schools
sfeeleymyrand@scslakeview-k12.com
(586) 445-4000, ext. 2501
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