STORY PRODUCED BT THE CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE
Nearly three quarters of Michigan high school students are considered to be unprepared for college, according to data from the Michigan League for Public Policy.
Students who are told they are unprepared for college are less likely to attend university or any postsecondary training after graduating from high school, leading to lower income throughout their life, education experts say.
The metric that measures college readiness is the benchmark scores on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT.
For example, on the SAT students are considered 'college and career ready' if they reach a 480 and above score in reading and writing and a 530 and above in math. The maximum score on each is 800 and a perfect overall score is 1600.
On the ACT a student must reach a benchmark score in various areas to indicate 'college readiness' for each subject.
Scores are declining among K-12 students across the board, including key indicator areas like third grade reading and eighth grade math, said Alexandra Stamm, an education policy analyst at the league, a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization.
“There’s a variety of reasons that people are pointing to, not only for what is causing these declines but also how we can fix it,” she said.
Educators cite the COVID pandemic’s continuing legacy of adverse effects on scores across all grades because of the disruption and challenges of online learning, Stamm said.
Living in poverty and food insecurity are other factors that negatively impact the ability to learn. About 18% of K-12 students in Michigan live in poverty and around 50% are economically disadvantaged, she said.
Another possible reason for worsening scores is the curriculum and teaching methods used in the classroom, especially for early reading education, she said.
“When I went to school, it was ‘Hooked on Phonics’ and sound everything out,” she said. “The state did this change based on some research, and now the research is changing again to say maybe we should go back to this ‘Hooked on Phonics’ method.”
Decades-long underinvestment in Michigan’s education also plays a role, said Rachel Richards, the league’s fiscal policy and government relations director.
“There’s been a significant gap between what we know we need to put into the system in order to make sure that every kid has access to an adequate education and what we’ve historically put in there,” she said.
One-time investments won’t fix the problem. Continuous year-by-year investments and consistent policy are the only ways to see results, Richards said.
Standardized tests in high school are not an effective way to determine whether a student will ultimately complete university, said Robert LeFevre, the president of Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities.
“If you’re below every single benchmark, meaning you’re not career and college readiness in any of the benchmarks and still go to college, 50% of those students will still complete,” LeFevre said. “So, at 50%, that’s a coin toss.”
Factors that can predict college success include students’ high school grade point average and attendance records. College students who are dedicated to their studies, show up to class, pay attention and go to office hours will be more likely to complete their degree, he said.
“The tests don’t accomplish, in my view, what they’re designed to accomplish and that is predicting college outcomes,” LeFevre said. “They are an effective barrier for many students because they’re told if their score is below this level, you’re not college material.”
He said he thinks the tests have significantly contributed to the decline in the percentage of Michigan students who go to college. In 2019, about 63% of graduating Michigan high schoolers went on to college while only 53% went to college in 2024.
Doug Pratt, the director of public affairs at the Michigan Education Association, said the tests can be predictive of college readiness and college success, but are also predictive of a student’s socioeconomic status.
The MEA is the state’s largest union of teachers and other school personnel.
“When you look at the numbers, the higher your family’s income, the higher your socioeconomic status, the higher the test scores,” Pratt said.
That’s because those students’ basic needs are met and they can afford prep courses and taking the test multiple times.
College and career readiness includes post-secondary training like trade programs or apprenticeships, he said.
“Those can look very different in terms of what readiness is,” said Pratt. “A college entrance exam, which is what the SAT is, can be misleading when you’re looking at the broad scope of college and career readiness.”
The tests are a snapshot in time – but what’s really important is if students are learning, being creative, socializing with others and learning to solve problems, he said.
“We’ve got to continue to make progress on funding for public education,” he said. “ It’s not about test scores. It’s about well-rounded, well-educated, ready-to-learn problem solvers, who can succeed in life, can succeed in the workplace and can succeed in our democracy.”