Oxford School District students’ most recent standardized test scores were well above state averages and most were at or above county averages, according to results from the Michigan Department of Education.

English, Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are assessed in grades 3-8; science in grades 4 and 7, and 11; and social studies in grades 5, 8 and 11. The M-Step exam was administered in spring 2017.

Students across the state took the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) test for the first time in the 2014-15 school year. The test replaced the Michigan Educational Assessment Program test.

Oxford students in all grade-levels exceeded state averages in all subjects tested. Many Oxford students also made gains this spring in assessed proficiency over last year on the M-STEP test.

Despite statewide trends which have shown a decline in reading and writing scores, ELA scores in Oxford increased in grades 4, 6, and 8 compared to last year’s numbers. The same grades were shown to be above the county average.

In science, all Oxford grades scored well above state averages and were at or above the Oakland County average. Oxford’s average M-STEP science scores increased across the board in comparison to its spring 2016 scores, with the largest growth being shown at the 11th-grade level with an increase of 3.7 percentage points.

In math, grades 3, 4, 6, and 8 scored above the county average. Grades 4 and 6 saw an increase from Oxford’s math scores last year.

In social studies, grades 8 and 11 were both scored above the county average. The same grade levels saw an increase compared to Oxford’s scores last year.

Fifth-grade social studies scores were shown to have declined 2.2 percent from last year’s district scores and fell below the county average by 5.3 percent.

Eleventh-grade SAT scores were also reported for the district.

With a score of 1,044, Oxford schools overall average SAT score fell 10.2 percentage points below the county average, but was around 36 percent higher than the state average. This also showed a 27.9 percent increase from Oxford’s average SAT score last year.

Oxford students met or exceeded the average county SAT scores in science, social studies, and ELA. Oxford fell below the SAT county averages in math by 6.9 percent.

“Our SAT scores stood out to me in a positive light first and foremost at the high school and OVA,” said Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Ken Weaver. “They both experienced a dramatic jump in scores as compared to what the state moved up in scores. That was a good jump, although we still have some work cut out for us at the high school. We’re not satisfied with being below the county average and our goal is to get up above that county average.”

Weaver said the district plans to work on improving areas of the test where scores were not higher than county averages, such as third-grade ELA, this year.

Third grade ELA scores M-step scores showed a 3.8 percent decline compared to Oxford’s scores last year and were 3 percent lower than the county average.

“We’ve put a lot of effort into reading intervention for that K-3 piece, especially with reading, and it’s a big process. It’s going to take some time. We’ve really only been at it a year and these scores don’t go up dramatically overnight,” said Weaver.

District and building M-STEP results for 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 are available at www.mischooldata.org.