Student Achievement
 

During 2005-2006 the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) was given to specific grade levels at the elementary schools and the middle school. The high school students took the High School Test  (HST).  Scores are percent proficient.

Michigan Educational Assessment Program

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                2004-2005                                            2005-2006

                                                Grade                     Subject                                 

                                3                              Math                                      Not tested                                             95

                                                                Reading                                 Not tested                                             90

                                                                Writing                                  Not tested                                             56

                                                                ELA                                        Not tested                                             78

                                4                              Math                                      84                                                            89

                                                                Reading                                 93                                                            90

                                                                Writing                                  48                                                            65

                                                                ELA                                        79                                                            86

                                5                              Math                                      Not tested                                             93

                                                                Reading                                 Not tested                                             86

                                                                Writing                                  Not tested                                             75

                                                                ELA                                        Not tested                                             86

                                                                Science                                  91                                                            91
                                                                Social Studies                       44                                                            Not tested            

                                6                              Math                                      Not tested                                             74                           

                                                                Reading                                 Not tested                                             86                           

                                                                Writing                                  Not tested                                             78                           

                                                                ELA                                        Not tested                                             83                           

                                                                Social Studies                       Not tested                                             79

                                7                              Math                                      Not tested                                             72
                                                                Reading                                 76                                                            83
                                                                Writing                                   78                                                           72
                                                                ELA                                        76                                                            80

                                8                              Math                                      73                                                            69                           

                                                                Reading                                 Not tested                                             75                           

                                                                Writing                                  Not tested                                             69

                                                                ELA                                        Not tested                                             73

                                                                Science                                  87                                                            86

                                                                Social Studies                       47                                                            Not tested

                                9                              Social Studies                       Not tested                                             89

*ELA is a combined score for English and Language Arts

Retention and Dropout
 

           All public schools in Michigan are required to verify student enrollment in September and again in February of each year.  Recently, the state has also required that districts record the percentage of students who drop out of the school system.  The drop out rate for Western High School for those students leaving the building and not attending another school is 3.01 %.

Safe and Drug Free Schools
 

                The Western School District offers a variety of activities and programs for students under the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act.  All three elementary buildings participated in a grades 1-3 program called Families and Children Together (FACT) with distribution of backpacks that focused on violence prevention, substance abuse, and social skill development.  Each backpack contained a VCR tape and was designed to spur family involvement and discussion of the material presented.  At all three elementaries and Western Middle School, “Girl Quest” - an exercise and asset-building activity approach for girls - was utilized to help young people make more appropriate choices regarding drugs and violence and to develop untapped leadership potential.  Students engaged in a variety of supervised after-school activities designed around developing their internal “assets” or strengths.
 

School Improvement/North Central Association

     Each of the buildings within the Western School District is engaged in a five to six year process of school improvement centered around three goals (writing across the curriculum, social studies knowledge, and science knowledge).  All buildings have secured “outcomes accreditation” awarded by North Central Association - the premier accrediting agency in the Midwest.  In order to continue to maintain this prestigious recognition, buildings have developed comprehensive plans to raise student performance in each of the identified goal areas by the Fall of 2006.  A team appointed by North Central Association visited all schools in the Spring of 2004 and validated the effort to date.  That same team will be back for another visit this coming year to make sure that the improvement plans have been implemented and that student achievement is significantly improving as a result.  This peer review team of “expert educators” from throughout the state converged at Western to put a seal of approval on the various building plans.

Each building has a school improvement team composed to parents, teachers, staff, community members at large, administrators, students where appropriate, and a school board member who meet throughout the year to oversee and guide the process in each building.  Staff from all five buildings meet continually throughout the year during research and development days to develop specific interventions or strategies, examine possible assessment options, and design professional development opportunities to hopefully ensure increased student learning and achievement in each of the goal areas.  You are cordially invited to contact any building principal to be a part of this process.

     Western School District was one of the first twenty-one school districts in Michigan to receive NCA accreditation for all of its elementary schools, middle school, and high school.  That tradition is a source of pride for the entire community.  Western - an excellent school - getting better every year!