January 11, 2002

The number of high school students qualifying for Michigan Merit Awards increased substantially in 2001, according to State Treasurer Douglas B. Roberts. Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) Summary Reports released today show a record number of students in the graduating class of 2001 earned Merit Award Scholarships of $2,500. The students can use those scholarships at any approved post-secondary educational institution. In all, 48,760 Michigan students earned Merit Awards, up from 43,068 for the graduating class of 2000. "More than half of the public school students who took the MEAP test qualified for a Michigan Merit Award, compared to 45 percent for the graduating class of 2000," said Deputy Treasurer Michael Boulus.

MEAP tests, administered since the early 1970 s, provide a common measure of how well our students are doing and ensure that all Michigan public school students skills and knowledge are measured consistently and at the same time. "We re very pleased with the increased level of participation in the 2000-2001 school year and the significant improvement in high school MEAP scores on the math, reading, science, and writing tests," says Deputy Treasurer Michael Boulus.

Summary Reports for each of the state s public school districts and both public and non-public high schools have been posted on the Michigan Department of Treasury Web site at www.michigan.gov/treasury and the Merit Award site.