ACT

Michigan Merit Exam Results In Area Near State Average

Statewide, the Michigan Department of Education says the trend continues to be positive for student proficiency on both the 2013 Michigan Merit Examination and the ACT college entrance exam, even with a slight drop overall in the MME this year.

That test is taken by 11th graders every spring, and this year showed statewide, reading proficiency stands at 53.5%, 49.3% of students are proficient in writing, 38.6% in social studies, 28.6% in math and 25.7% in science. 

Locally, it's a mixed bag. St. Joseph and Lakeshore schools set the standard in Berrien County, topping the state average in all subjects, while Benton Harbor schools performed very poorly. Less than 5% of Benton Harbor students tested proficient in math, science and social studies, while just 6% were proficient in writing and 16% were proficient in reading. Berrien County as a whole performed right in line with the state results, while Van Buren County scores were slightly below the state averages.