Friday, March 18

This morning I arrived in Flint, Michigan around 9:15 a.m. on Friday, March 18. I had the opportunity to eat breakfast at the University of Michigan-Flint student centered and enjoyed an egg sandwich and hashbrowns. Afterwards, I nearly bumped into an individual who then began to tell me stories about a rivalry between Flint Northern and Flint Southwestern High Schools. He mentioned that he scored several touchdowns in one particular game. He also asked me if I had heard about a young lady being stabbed in the nearby area. Unfortunately, I had to leave this potentially enlightening conversation and had to bow out of his presence. As I walked out of the student center, I passed at least two individuals who would most likely be assumed to be "homeless." I arrived at the Flint Public School administration building on the corner of Kearsley and Crapo St. to meet with Dr. Leonard Bianchi, Director of Research and Testing. I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Bianchi for nearly an hour and half. We touched on a number of important items. Perhaps, the most rewarding part of this meeting is when we had the data on a school and he was able to provide me some insight into what some of the abbreviations were on each one of the items reported on the DIEBELS results. He commented that it would have been helpful if those reading such information had these descriptions as well. We also discussed, in what appeared to be a substancial amount of state reporting requirements that put a great deal of pressure on the district. Dr. Bianchi's main role is to provide technical and professional support administering assessments to the districts schools. There appears to be five (5) assessments that schools have to administer throughout the year: 1) MEAP, 2) MME or the Michigan Merit Exam, 3) Benchmarks (more for teacher to use the data to drive instruction), 4) STAR Reading and Math and 5) ACT. Please also note that schools are currently administering the DIEBELS exam and have phased out the IOWA Basic Skills Test. What was not mentioned and I feel is crucial is administering these assessments is the support the district can provide to communicate basic good test taking habits. Districts have a role to play here. Communicate to the schools by providing "one-page" documents that spell out how a school prepares their students to take high-stake tests. Tell kids to get a good nights rest. Have breakfast available for your students and staff. Conduct a prep rally to get students excited about the test and celebrate the results (either way) to demonstrate growth and determine where kids need help.