Over the last several years, we have seen significant growth in numerous grades and subject areas on state assessments. For 2021, we are super excited to share that our ELA scores in third grade went through the roof! We saw the highest scores in Lapeer County and the second highest in Genesee County. In 2019, 54 percent of LCS third graders scored as proficient on the M-STEP (ELA); in 2021 that number shot up to 61 percent. The state average in 2021 was 42 percent. 

We were also proud to see our students in grades 3-6 all score in the top 10 of Lapeer and Genesee County school districts. 

This growth is a testament to the incredible work of our staff and students. 

“We are very proud of all the effort that was made to complete these assessments,” said Michelle Bradford, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. “The Pandemic altered the trajectory of our assessment trends, but we were committed to ensuring that we had the data moving forward.”

For the better part of the last two years, the COVID-19 Pandemic has been a disruptive force the likes of which we have never seen in public education. Because of this, there has been downward pressure on assessment scores in school districts across the state — and other school districts opted out of testing entirely. In fact, more than a quarter of all students in the state have not done state-level assessments since the start of the Pandemic (there was no state testing in 2020). 

LCS Superintendent Matt Wandrie said assessment data are crucial for the District moving forward. 

“State assessments, even in difficult times, are incredibly important for us as we tailor our instruction to best meet the needs of our students,” he said. “Our expectation is that, over time, we will reclaim the positive momentum we had as a district prior to the Pandemic.”