Metro

Nobel Prizes,
Noble Goals.

NEAP Conflict

Made possible by
the American Technion Society.

Area school districts work to respect High Holidays.

DON COHEN

Special to the Jewish News

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"Working toward an MBA and a Ph.D, at the same time is a challenge,

but I'm willing to work hard to make a significant contribution. The

ATS fellowship is a wonderful help that I greatly appreciate to build

the state of Israel."

- Barak Freedman, Ph.D. candidate in physics and MBA candidate.

The American Technion Society

is proud to be a partner in the

achievements of the Technion

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AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR

ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

For more information,

call Jo Strausz Rosen,

Assistant Regional Director

(248) 737-1990

Detroit Chapter

Courtyard Center

32506 Northwestern Highway

7/14

Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334

2005

24

995250

f there weren't enough controversy
about the Michigan Education
Assessment Program (MEAP)
already, Jewish parents and teachers
added additional concern that the test
might be given during the High
Holidays.
The concern began when the MEAP
testing window was announced as Oct.
3-21. Rosh Hashanah is Oct. 4 and Yom
Kippur is Oct. 13. The first two days of
Sukkot, which also have work restric-
tions but are not as widely observed that
way, are Oct. 18
and 19.
"The districts are
aware of the prob-
lem," said Eric
Adelman of the
Jewish Community
Council of
Metropolitan
Detroit.
He raised a red
flag in letters sent
Eric Adelman
in early June to
MEAP coordinators
in the Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield
Hills, Farmington, Oak Park, Southfield,
Walled Lake and West Bloomfield dis-
tricts. The letters asked coordinators to
be aware of the Jewish holidays and
schedule their MEAP testing according-
ly.
The MEAP tests measure the effec-
tiveness of a school district's teaching
and impacts the rating, funding and
even the independence of the district.
Additionally, the tests can help high
school students earn a $2,500 Michigan
Merit Award by meeting or exceeding
MEAP standards.
"It is in the school's best interest that
each kid take the test and do his or her
best," Adelman said. "In this case, the
districts and the Jewish community are
really on the same side. It is in the best
interest of both parties not to let the
tests cause any problems."
Kenson Siver, deputy superintendent
of Southfield Public Schools agreed.
"For the smooth operation of the test
and for the reassurance of the students,
we would prefer to have the students
taking the MEAP when their regular
teachers are present and not substitute
teachers," he said in an e-mail.
This year, the timing of the MEAP

has been changed from late winter to
late fall. Last year, it was given during
the final week of January or the first
week of February. The change was made
by the State Board of Education to
respond to school districts across the
state that had complained that results
came back too late to adjust their cur-
riculum or teaching methods. This year,
for example, they came back less than a
month before the end of the school year.
Additionally, it is hoped that students
will be refreshed on the subject matter
during the reviews that often take place
at the start of the school year, providing
a solid preparation for the test.
Diane Bauman of Farmington Public
Schools agreed and added that fewer stu-
dents would miss the test in fall because
of illness, which takes more of a toll in
winter.

Expanded Window

This year, by design, the Michigan
Department of Education has given a
three-week window to administer the
test instead of two weeks.
"When the MEAP office took into
account the religious calendar, they
added the third week when there are no
major religious holidays or calendar
events," explained Martin Ackley,
department spokesman. "The depart-
ment will readily grant, upon reasonable
request, to have a week before or a week
after as long as we can protect the
integrity of the test. We say, 'This is the
calendar; if you have any problems or
concerns give us a call to make adjust-
ments.'"
Schools in West Bloomfield and
Bloomfield Hills are closed during the
Jewish holidays and, together with Oak
Park and Farmington, which both
remain open, they have requested an
additional week to administer the test.
Most of the districts contacted haven't
finalized their testing dates, but Walled
Lake's director of community relations,
Judy Evola, could speak for all of them
when she interrupted her vacation to
assure the Jewish community: "We will
work to ensure Jewish students and staff
are not adversely affected."
For those districts across the state who
may not know of the conflict or feel less
inclined to respect the dates because few
are affected, there are two weeks of
make-up dates, Oct. 24-Nov. 4, so no
one has to take the MEAP test even if it
is scheduled on a Jewish holiday. ❑