District data review: Midland Public Schools posts strong 11th‑grade results but flags third‑grade ELA and some middle‑grade math

Midland Public Schools officials briefed the board Oct. 20 on spring 2025 assessment results, saying the district’s 11th‑grade students ranked above the state median in ELA and math while identifying specific areas that need additional focus, including third‑grade reading and math at middle grades.

Ken Weaver, presenting the district’s data profile, said Midland’s 11th‑grade ELA and SAT scale scores placed students well relative to state averages and that median NWEA percentiles often exceeded the national 50th percentile. He flagged a steady increase in the share of economically disadvantaged students and noted the district’s share of students with individualized education programs (IEPs) was roughly 17 percent — above recent state averages.

Weaver pointed to stubborn third‑grade ELA proficiency as a priority and described the adoption of a K–2 systematic phonics program, You Fly Phonics, to address early literacy. He also highlighted an observed dip in math proficiency in upper middle grades since the shift from paper to a computer‑adaptive test and suggested increasing student familiarity with digital tools (including the Desmos calculator) as part of the response.

“We’re really working very hard on things,” Weaver said of elementary literacy efforts, and added the district is building a more coherent MTSS (Multi‑Tiered System of Supports) to identify and address individual student needs. On growth metrics, district median growth percentiles ranged broadly by grade but showed that 73 percent of students experienced average or above‑average ELA growth and 78 percent in math on the aggregated measure presented.

Trustees asked whether the elite comparison group (a set of historically top‑performing Michigan districts) remains the appropriate benchmark; Weaver acknowledged it had not been recently reviewed in depth and said the CIA team would revisit the comparison set. Board members and staff discussed a district hypothesis that students converge academically by 11th grade due to cumulative course pathways and greater relevance of secondary coursework.

The board accepted the report for information and asked administrators to return with additional data and recommendations for addressing the identified gaps.