MONTANA UNIVERSITY SYSTEMMONTANA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
46 N Last Chance Gulch
PO Box 203201
Helena, Montana 59620-3201
(406)444-6570
FAX (406)444-1469
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2007
Contact: Jan Clinard, Ed.D.
Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
Phone: 406-444-0652
jclinnard@montana.edu
Montana University System Recognizes Top-Performing High Schools
Helena, MT - Twenty-eight Montana High Schools received Merit Awards from the Montana University System for exemplary writing scores on the 2007 Montana University System Writing Assessment. The average score across the state was 3.5 on a six-point scale. Average scores in the Schools of Merit ranged from 3.8 to 4.5.
The 2007 Schools of Merit were Winnett, Dutton-Brady, Geyser, Hysham, Savage, Valley Christian, Three Forks, Bainville, Centerville, Moore, Denton, Huntley Project, Park, Hamilton, Helena Capital, Darby, Chinook, Gardiner, Sheridan, Flathead, North Star, Helena, Dawson, Manhattan, Sunburst, Plevna, Melstone, and Belt High Schools. Of these schools, eleven had also earned the award in 2006.
In addition to the Merits, 76 students who earned scores of 6.0 and 141 students who earned scores of 5.5 received Letters of Recognition from the Montana Board of Regents. Many students include these letters in their applications for colleges and scholarships.
The Montana Board of Regents adopted the Montana University System Writing Assessment (MUSWA) as one way for students to demonstrate their Writing Proficiency and earn full admission to the four-year degree programs of the Montana University System. Participation in the MUSWA is voluntary. It was administered for the seventh time in February of 2007 to 7,270 students in 110 high schools.
To gain full admission to the four-year degree programs of the Montana University System in 2007, students must earn a minimum score of 2.5 on the MUSWA or the equivalent score (5.0) on the ACT or SAT essays. Of the 5,913 students who indicated that they plan to attend college, 92.5% scored above this threshold on the MUSWA. Students whose scores are below this threshold can take the MUSWA, the ACT, or the SAT again.
After all tests are completed, the MUSWA is scored by trained teachers, college instructors, and pre-service teachers at regional sites throughout Montana. In March, 310 educators were trained and scored the tests in Glasgow, Great Falls, Billings, Miles City, Helena, Bozeman, Missoula, and Whitefish.
In 2007, 61% of the tests were submitted online, cutting printing costs and streamlining the data-gathering process.
Jan Clinard, Ed.D., who has directed this writing program for the Commissioner of Higher Education since 2000 said, “We have witnessed a steady increase in the number of participating schools, volunteer scorers, and students who can produce outstanding essays under the constraints of a 40-minute test setting. We are especially pleased that so many high school teachers are dedicated to improving their students’ writing skills.”