Prime Highlights-
- AMA ESD special education data shows graduation rates and fourth grade literacy improved in 2024 to 2025, though both fell short of state targets.
- Early benchmark data shows kindergarten and first grade students making measurable reading gains through new literacy and math programmes.
Key Facts-
- Fourth grade reading proficiency under alternate standards nearly doubled compared to the previous school year.
- High school students in the AMA ESD met their reading proficiency goal, one of the few targets the district cleared outright.
Background-
New federal data shows special education outcomes are moving in the right direction across school districts in the Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District, with graduation rates and fourth grade literacy both improving over the past year.
The AMA ESD provides and manages special education services across Alpena, Atlanta, Hillman and Alcona school districts.
More students with Individualized Education Programs earned a regular high school diploma this year compared to last, though the district and the state both fell short of the graduation target set for the 2024 to 2025 school year.
Fourth grade reading proficiency under alternate academic standards also climbed, nearly doubling from the previous year, though the district stopped just short of the state benchmark.
High school students in the AMA ESD cleared their reading goal, one of the few targets the district met outright. Participation in statewide math and reading assessments was largely strong, with fourth graders achieving full participation across both subjects.
AMA ESD Superintendent Justin Gluesing said the district has put greater focus on literacy and math instruction within special education. Staff are now training in a programme designed to deepen understanding of how students think through math problems. At the same time, instructional coaches are working with teachers on a literacy approach grounded in the science of reading.
The early results are encouraging. Benchmark data from the current school year shows kindergarten and first grade students in Alpena and Atlanta making measurable reading gains between fall and winter assessments, with roughly half of kindergarten students moving up at least one reading level.
Gluesing cautioned against viewing student outcomes purely through data, saying each student carries potential and possibilities that numbers alone cannot capture.
