LANSING, Mich. — With the pandemic came a lot of confusion, such as how kids would continue learning if they couldn't go to school. The solution for many districts was going virtual. Two years later, we are starting to see what—if any—impact virtual learning had on students.
According to the state of Michigan's website, M-STEP test scores for some local districts—like Ovid-Elsie Area Schools, Lansing School District, Mason Public Schools, Leslie Public Schools and Dansville Schools—have plummeted since the 2018-2019 school year.
Ovid-Elsie Middle School's scores dropped year after year in both English/Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics from 2018 to 2022.
Eastern High School in the Lansing School District had a drop in math test scores from the 2018-2019 school year and the 2021-2022 school year—down to just 5.4% of students meeting or exceeding expectations for their grade level.
Mason Middle School had scores drop in mathematics each year. For ELA, there was a drop between 2018 and 2020. In 2021, only about 3% more students met or exceeded score expectations than in 2020.
Leslie Middle School has had significant drops in M-STEP scores for both ELA and mathematics. This past year in math, just 11.7% of students met or exceeded score expectations.
In the 2020-2021 school year, only 14.6% of Dansville Middle School students met or exceeded expectations on the M-STEP mathematics test.
Michigan Education Association's Spokesperson Thomas Morgan, however, said standardized test scores are not a great measure of the success of districts, teachers and students.
"Standardized tests can show how good a student is at taking a test, or how effective a teacher is at teaching to a test," Morgan said.
Frankly, he's not surprised at all there has been in a drop in scores.
"Between the pandemic and virtual learning, threats of school violence and so much else—it's just been a period like none other, and during all this uncertainty and strife, we really can't expect test scores to go up," Morgan said.
Morgan said the best thing to do for students now is address the mental health crisis.
"There was already mental health concerns before the pandemic, and the pandemic just made them that much worse," Morgan said.
To see M-STEP test scores by district, click here.
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