Hillsdale Preparatory School’s results from a Michigan-wide standardized exam were above state average in all four subjects and improved from last year’s results.
The kindergarten to eighth grade classical charter school on W. Mechanic Road had more than 50 percent of the students evaluated at or above proficiency in English language arts and mathematics, according to data from the Michigan Department of Education. It also had higher proficiency rates in science and social studies than the county averages, courtesy of a new technology initiative.
Headmaster George Bauman credited the school’s success to the teachers and the school’s mission.
“It was what we expected,” said Bauman, who started his first year at Hillsdale Prep in June. “We don’t judge success of school based on the M-STEP or standardized tests. Scores give us a way to adapt curriculum and meet the needs of our students.”
The M-STEP, or Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, is an exam administered by the education department beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. School districts across the state have students in third grade and up take it in the spring and use it to track progress. It aligns with Common Core, a national set of academic standards many states, including Michigan, have put in place. For the first time in the spring, students took the exam on computers.
Hillsdale Prep tested 75 of its 131 students. It had a 56.4 percent proficiency rate in English, up from 40.8 percent in 2015 and surpassing the 47.3 percent state average. Additionally, its 50.2 percent proficiency rate in math beat its 2015 44.2 percent and the 37.3 percent state average.
Although Hillsdale Prep aligns with Common Core, the school is modeled after Hillsdale Academy, Hillsdale College’s private school. Hillsdale Prep’s mission is to teach problem solving, critical thinking, and moral character, Bauman said.
He said the school’s schedule is set to push students. For each grade, the first and second hours of the day are math and then English so that those at higher math and reading levels may sit in higher grades’ classes. Bauman said about 20 students participate in this.
In science, which only fourth and seventh graders take, the 34.4 percent proficiency rate crushed 2015’s 5.6 percent. Bauman said the increase benefitted from professional development, new projectors, and other hardware purchased for studies related to science, technology, engineering, and math. Bauman is continuing the initiative this year and said he expects more improvement.
As for social studies, which only fifth and eighth graders take, Hillsdale Prep had a 34.7 percent proficiency rate. That beat the 19.3 percent state average and its proficiency rate last year of 29.2 percent, even though the school places greater emphasis on the American heritage than what Common Core requires, Bauman said.
The tools students learn are versatile and able to help them in both school and real life, said Tammy Fix, a 10-year sixth grade teacher at Hillsdale Prep.
“I don’t teach to the M-STEP,” Fix said. “I teach to a sixth grade class, so they can gain as much knowledge as they can.”
Bauman said the M-STEP helps teachers identify learning styles and provides a breakdown of areas where students excel and need extra help. Paraprofessionals and college student tutors may work one-on-one with students who do not reach the proficiency benchmark, too.
The extra help comes in addition to the time students spend with their teacher in small classes, ranging from nine to 15 students. It allows the instructors to give more attention to each individual, Bauman said.
“At this age, they crave that,” the headmaster said.
Toni Sharp sent her three children to Hillsdale Prep, two of whom have graduated and are performing well in high school, she said. Sharp said the M-STEP helped identify the areas in math where her daughter was weak.
“It helped me to know where I needed to help her,” Sharp said. “Her teacher spoke with me, and we worked on it from there.”
Bauman said his team of teachers make the difference in the students’ education.
“I’m impressed here,” Bauman said. “I believe anyone that comes to school here can be successful.”
