News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena High School is pictured in this July 2022 News photo.

ALPENA — Michigan public school students have shown a dip in performance, according to recently released scorecards from a pair of Michigan advocacy groups.

On Monday, the West Michigan Policy Forum and Great Lakes Education Project, released A-F scorecard for all Michigan public schools using Department of Education data from the 2021/22 school year.

Northeast Michigan high schools scored well in graduation rates, but received a mixed bag in other categories.

The scorecard grades schools in the following categories:

*Proficiency: Which measures the number of students in a school that meet the state criteria for proficiency in math and english language arts.

*Growth: Which measures the number of students in a school that have shown one year of growth from their starting point.

*English learner progress: Which measures students who have less than two years of English instruction.

*Graduation Rate: Which measures the four-year, five-year and six-year cohorts of students graduating in a school.

*Comparison: Which measures proficiency grades of buildings with similar federal free lunch populations.

The scorecards show parents, taxpayers and teachers that student performance is languishing, the groups said to a news release announcing the grades.

The release cited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s decision to have public schools shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic as a possible cause for the current grades.

The scores were released as Whitmer considers whether or not to sign or veto House Bill 4166, which would repeal the A-F scoring system used to gather the information used in the scorecard.

Both groups, in the news release, urged Whitmer to veto the repeal.

“Michigan’s A-F school accountability law is a simple yet effective way to measure our schools based on their performance, but the repeal measure on the governor’s desk is a blatant attempt to hide this key data from Michigan parents,” John Kennedy, board chair of the West Michigan Policy Forum, said.

The most recent data gave Alpena High School received a B for proficiency, a C for growth, an A for graduation rate, and a C for comparison. English learner progress was ungraded.

When asked about the scorecard, Alpena Public Schools Superintendent David Rabbideau said the district doesn’t use either group as a source of data, but did voice some agreement that the current performance of students can be linked to the pandemic.

“We understand their reasons for putting this information out,” Rabbideau said. “We’re still recovering from the pandemic, and we don’t fully understand yet its effects on students.”

Alcona and Hillman high schools both received a C for proficiency, a B for growth, an A for graduation rate, and a C for comparison.

Atlanta Community Schools received a C for proficiency, a C for growth, an A for graduation rate, and a D for comparison.

Posen High School received B’s for proficiency and growth, an A for graduation rate and a C for comparison. Onaway High School received a B for proficiency, a C for growth, an A for graduation rate and an A for comparison. Rogers City High School got C’s for proficiency and growth, an A for graduation rate and a D for comparison.

All APS elementary schools only had data available for proficiency and comparison categories. Besser, Ella White, and Willson elementary schools all received a C for proficiency and a D for comparison.

Hinks Elementary School received a C in proficiency and an F in comparison. Lincoln Elementary School received a grade of D in proficiency and an F in comparison. Sanborn Elementary School received an A in proficiency and an A in comparison.

Thunder Bay Junior High School received a C in proficiency, a C in growth and a D in comparison.

Pied Piper School received a B in proficiency and a C in comparison.

The data for the project is collected through a Michigan law requiring the Michigan Department of Education to publish an annual report card for every public school based on performance indicators.