Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District Superintendent Justin Gluesing

ALPENA — The Michigan Department of Education released the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2025 public reporting data, showing the goals that the Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District (AMA ESD) met in the 2023-2024 school year, as well as those that went unmet.

The report is released annually and breaks down the effectiveness of education for students with disabilities in each educational service district and school district in Michigan through 14 indicators.

Many of the goals for the indicators went unmet by both the state and the AMA ESD, however, the statistics do not paint the full picture.

The first indicator measures the percentage of youth with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) graduating from high school with a regular diploma. The target for this indicator is a graduation rate of greater than or equal to 70.78%. Statewide, the graduation rate was 66.15%, and the graduation rate reported by the AMA ESD was 56.14% in the 2023-2024 school year.

Indicator three measures the participation and performance of children with an IEP on statewide assessments. The indicator is split into four categories: participation rate, proficiency rate for students with IEPs against grade-level academic achievement standards, proficiency rate for students with IEPs against alternate academic achievement standards, and gap in proficiency rates for students with IEPs and all students against grade-level academic achievement standards.

The AMA ESD reported that they met four of the six goals for participation in statewide assessments. The goal for participation rate was 95% for each category. The AMA ESD reported a 96.15% participation rate for fourth-grade participation in statewide reading assessments. The state reported a 97.96% participation rate. The AMA ESD also met the goal for eighth-grade participation in reading assessments with a 98.46% rate. Statewide, the goal was not met for eighth grade, with a reported 94.58%. The high school goal was not met by the AMA ESD or the state, with the AMA ESD reporting 85.11% and the state reporting 90.70%.

In the proficiency rate against alternate academic achievement standards for reading in high school, the AMA ESD met the goal of 72.8% proficiency with a 75% proficiency rate. Statewide, the goal was not met with a 63.03% proficiency rate.

Indicator five presents data in three categories on the percent of students with an IEP aged five in kindergarten and ages six through 21 that receive their education inside the regular class 80% or more of the day, inside the regular class less than 40% of the day, and in separate schools, residential facilities, or homebound/hospital placements.

The goal set for receiving an education in a regular class for 80% or more of the day is greater than or equal to 70.25%. The goal was met statewide with 72.75%. The AMA ESD reported 60.88%.

AMA ESD Superintendent Justin Gluesing provided some insight into the numbers.

He said that in the ESD, 14% of students have IEPs. The ESD includes Alpena Public Schools, Atlanta Community Schools, Hillman Community Schools, and Alcona Community Schools. The 14% figure comes out to around 524 students with IEPs. Split that into cohorts for K-12, and there are around 40 students in a cohort.

Data is typically only reported if there are 30 or more students in a cohort, Gluesing said. In an ESD with a smaller population like the AMA, a cohort could easily be less than 30 students.

For some figures in the indicator report summary, the data is listed as N/A for that reason.

When it comes to graduation rates, some students with IEPs receive a certificate of completion rather than a high school diploma, Gluesing said. Students who receive those would not count towards the graduation rate statistic. All Pied Piper students who graduate receive a certificate, so data reported from there would show a graduation rate of 0%.

Even at a facility like Pied Piper, certain educational standards must be met. For instance, a civics course is required by the state of Michigan for all students, no matter whether they have an IEP or not, according to the Personal Curriculum: Parent and Educator Guide.

Additionally, Pied Piper students do not take the M-Step like general education students would, Gluesing said. They take the MI-Access, a standardized test specifically for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, according to the Michigan Department of Education website.

Students who take MI-Access wouldn’t be measured in the proficiency rate against grade-level academic achievement standards, one of the categories in indicator three.

IEPs vary widely for different kinds of impairments, Gluesing said. Students could have an IEP for anything from ADHD to cognitive, emotional, or speech impairments. Some students may need very few accommodations, while others may need more.

The goal is to try to keep students with IEPs with their peers as much as possible. That could mean that a class is co-taught by a general education and a special education teacher. A student may also spend some time in a separate room or facility and take electives with their classmates in a general education environment.

Statistics like those in the report do not perfectly reflect student outcomes. Students could do poorly on a standardized test and lead successful lives post-high school. One snapshot in time should never define what the future options are for any child, Gluesing said.

“Doing right by kids doesn’t always fit into an Excel spreadsheet,” Gluesing said.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.