Mackinac Center report ranks many Dearborn Schools in top 100

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is recognizing 19 Dearborn Public Schools for their outstanding performance on its recent report card.  The Center’s report placed the schools in the top 100 for one of three performance comparisons when state test scores were adjusted for the number of low-income students in the building.

“Michigan’s third-largest school district, Dearborn Public Schools, once again distinguished itself on the CAP Report Card. For the second straight edition, the district had five of the state’s top 10 scoring schools, and more than half of its schools — 17 of 29 — finished in the top 100,” the full report says.

The Center releases its Context and Performance (CAP) report every two years.  The analysis adjusts state standardized tests according to the number of low-income students in that grade at a school.  About 76 percent of Dearborn Public School students are low-income, but those figures vary widely between buildings.

“We are proud to be recognized for the continued success of our students, and I applaud the hard work and dedication of our District staff and our families to help all of our students succeed,” said Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko.

In addition to a base score, schools were compared on long-term performance and most-improved based on test results going back to 2009.  The report compared 2,203 schools for the current CAP report, 2,112 for long-term performance, and 2,075 for most improved.

Dearborn Public Schools recognized in the report include:

• Iris Becker Elementary ranked second for the current CAP scores with a score in the 99.95 percentile.  Becker was the top school for long-term performance and 74^th for most improved.
• STEM Middle School ranked third in the state, with a score in the 99.91 percentile on the report.  Opened in 2014, STEM did not have enough data to be included in the long-term or most-improved comparisons.
• Maples Elementary was fourth in the report, with a score in the 99.86 percentile. Maples was also ranked fifth in long-term performance and 74^th in the most improved category.
• Lowrey Middle School placed sixth in the state, scoring in the 99.77 percentile.  It ranked fourth for long-term performance.
• Lowrey Elementary School placed seventh overall, with a score in the 99.73 percentile, and was sixth for long-term performance.
• Oakman Elementary placed 24^th in the state, scoring in the 98.96 percentile overall, and placed 30^th for long-term performance.
• Miller Elementary School placed 28^th, scoring in the 98.77 percentile, and ranked 29^th for long-term performance.
• William Ford Elementary ranked 37^th overall, scoring in the 98.37 percentile, and was 32^nd for long-term performance.
• Unis Middle School ranked 41^st in the state, scoring in the 98.18 percentile, and was ranked 45^th for long-term performance.
• Geer Park Elementary ranked 44^th, scoring in the 98.05 percentile, and was 17^th for long-term performance.
• McCollough Elementary ranked 53^rd, scoring in the 97.64 percentile, and was 50^th in the most improved category.
• Woodworth Middle School ranked 57^th statewide, scoring in the 97.46 percentile, and was ranked 25^th for long-term performance.
• River Oaks Elementary ranked 81^st, scoring in the 96.37 percentile, and ranked 29^th in the most improved category.
• Henry Ford Elementary ranked 85^th, scoring in the 96.19 percentile, and ranked 79^th for long-term performance.
• Salina Elementary School ranked 87^th, scoring in the 96.1 percentile, and placed 52^nd for long-term performance.
• Stout Middle School ranked 97^th, scoring in the 95.64 percentile, and placed 74^th for long-term performance.
• Haigh Elementary School ranked 100^th, scoring in the 95.51 percentile, and ranked 59^th on the most improved category.
• Salina Intermediate ranked 121^st, scoring in the 94.55 percentile, and placed 82^nd on the long-term performance list.
• McDonald Elementary ranked 141^st, scoring in the 93.65 percentile, and placed 84^th on long-term performance.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonpartisan research and educational institute which touts itself as dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Michigan residents.

“Parents and educators should be able to see more clearly what kind of impact their school has on student learning, rather than simply seeing results that are strongly linked to student poverty,” said Ben DeGrow, Mackinac Center’s director of education policy and co-author of the study. “Our Context and Performance Report Card adds another important dimension by going beyond raw test scores.”

Dr. Maleyko said, “While we know there is always more work to do, we take to heart our motto ‘Students First – Inspire, Educate, Celebrate.’ For most of our elementary and middle schools, this report is something to celebrate.”

See the Mackinac Center CAP report for more details.