Great Lakes Wire

Results from Michigan’s statewide standardized test, the M-STEP, indicate that 61.1 percent of third graders are not reading at a proficient level. The data shows only 38.9 percent of the 101,069 third graders tested achieved advanced or proficient scores in reading, while the remaining students were categorized as partially or not proficient. Fourth grade results showed similar trends, with 42.4 percent scoring advanced or proficient and 57.6 percent falling below proficiency.

State Superintendent Michael Rice said English Language Arts (ELA) scores for grades three and four “remain a concern.” He expressed hope that full implementation of early literacy and dyslexia laws would improve future outcomes. Rice also advocated for reduced class sizes in high-poverty K-3 classrooms, increased in-person instructional time, more research-based funding, and better access to early literacy materials.

Business Leaders for Michigan President and CEO Jeff Donofrio commented on the results: “Here’s what today’s test results mean: if you walk into a third-grade classroom in Michigan, six out of 10 children in that room cannot read proficiently,” he said. “It highlights how dramatically Michigan’s kids, teachers and parents are being let down by our state’s education system.

“Just throwing more money at the problem or pointing fingers won’t solve anything. We need leaders committed to setting clear goals, implementing proven models and bringing together those who aren’t satisfied with the status quo to do better by our kids.”

Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) pointed to these statistics as evidence of broader failures within state leadership: “Providing our children with a quality education is one of the most important things we do so they can make it in Michigan. We must change course quickly before an entire generation gets left behind,” Nesbitt said.

Jennifer Mrozowski, EdTrust-Midwest Senior Director of Strategic Communications and External Relations, used the same data to call for an increase in school funding: “Today’s M-STEP results should be a wakeup call to policymakers that they should urgently prioritize support for our students and schools,” Mrozowski said.

The M-STEP assessment provides a baseline for tracking year-to-year changes among student cohorts. When examining longitudinal data, English language scores have shown improvement across five out of seven English and math grade levels compared to previous years. Proficiency rates for ELA in grades five through seven reached their highest point in three years; math proficiency rates for grades four through seven also saw three-year highs.

Pamela Pugh, State Board of Education President, referenced these results when urging lawmakers to require Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training: “Even with record-highs in graduation rates and gains in Advanced Placement success, Career and Technical Education completion, and dual enrollment, today’s M-STEP results underscore an urgent truth: Too many Michigan students are still not getting what they need to succeed,” Pugh said.