In 2011, the district struggled with the demolition of four buildings, a lawsuit, tense union negotiations and tougher academic standards.
It seemed like the hits just kept on coming for Farmington Public Schools in 2011. From a controversial building sale to unsettling news about academic performance under new state standards, officials often faced angry parents at board meetings. But the district also celebrated some significant milestones. Here are a few of the year's biggest stories: A controversial vote in January authorized the solicitation of bids for the demolition of elementary buildings closed in 2010, and Fairview Early Childhood Center, closed in 2006. Wooddale, Flanders and William Grace Elementary and Fairview Early Childhood Center were eventually leveled, but officials in January received an offer for Eagle Elementary, from the Islamic Cultural Association (…
42.465783
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Farmington Public Schools Lewis Schulman Administrative Center
32500 Shiawassee Rd, Farmington, MI
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706531
/locations/6482747
42.5133
-83.37514
North Farmington High School
32900 W 13 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI
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1527437
/locations/6482748
42.491712
-83.347775
Beechview Elementary School
26840 Westmeath Ct, Farmington Hills, MI
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1527801
/locations/6482749
42.499234
-83.346462
Harrison High School
29995 W 12 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI
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/locations/6482750
The district is looking at 'a different way of teaching' in light of tougher passing requirements on statewide tests.
A look at how Farmington Public Schools students would perform under new "cut", or passing, scores on standardized tests have officials looking at different ways to teach a new generation of learners. Kristin Gekiere, the district's director of assessment and school improvement, said Michigan is only the third state in the country to move to more rigorous scoring, which was approved by the state School Board in September. The cut scores – the passing scores that distinguish between whether a student is advanced, proficient, partially proficient or not proficient in certain subjects - require students to get roughly 65 percent of the answers correct to “pass” the state test, instead of only 39 percent, which was the previous benchmark. …
42.465783
-83.369608
Farmington Public Schools Lewis Schulman Administrative Center
32500 Shiawassee Rd, Farmington, MI
/articles/farmington-school-officials-take-a-hard-look-at-new-standards
706531
/locations/5834759
The state Department of Education looks at recent results under next year's 'cut' scores.
The Michigan Department of Education has released what it calls a “retrospective look” at how students would have fared on past MEAP and MME exams if new cut scores were in place. Overall, the results show a major decline in student test scores across the state in math, reading, science and social science. In third-grade math, for instance, scores in 2010, go from 95 percent proficient to 35 percent when measured against the new cut scores. In 11 of 23 scores, Farmington Public Schools students either hold their own or drop by fewer than 20 points under the new standard. These scores take drops of more than 30 points: MME Math: 63 percent to 37.3 percent MME Social Studies: 83 percent to 33 percent MEAP Gr. 3 Math: 97.7 percent to 52.8 …
Joni Hubred-Golden
3:11 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
S, we will be doing stories about the progress of Farmington's program in its first year. more ›