Introduction
There is so much more to education that statistics cannot show. Some of the most important things to learn in school simply cannot be easily measured, for example the skills of critical thinking and independent learning. Below are some educational statistics that do show some aspects of education at Valley Lutheran.
Michigan Merit Exam
The Michigan Merit Exam (MME) is a combination of tests administered under the direction of the Michigan Department of Education. The tests include the ACT, the ACT Work Keys Test, and several tests developed by the Michigan Department of Education. Students completing these tests are eligible to receive the Michigan Promise Grant.
Valley Lutheran administers these tests because it is the only means that students qualify for the Michigan Promise Grant and it is the opportunity for students to complete the ACT without cost to them. It should be noted that although we do examine the Michigan Standards and Benchmarks that are tested on the MME, we are not required to teach those standards. Consequently we have made curriculum decisions that we feel are in the long-term best interests of our students that may not reflect current testing theory in Michigan.
Our percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards for the Class of 2007 are:
| English Language Arts |
Reading | Writing | Mathematics | Science | Social Studies | |||||||
| Valley Lutheran | 88% | 86% | 78% | 77% | 83% | 94% | ||||||
| Saginaw County | 52 | 61 | 41 | 46 | 56 | 79 | ||||||
| State | 52 | 62 | 41 | 46 | 57 | 80 |
ACT Scores
Since 1992 91% of VL graduates have taken the ACT. The average score during that time is 22.2 which is in the 85th percentile as a school. The Class of 2007 had an average ACT score of 23. The Class of 2008 was the first to have all students complete the ACT as part of the Michigan Merit Exam. Their average score was 22.1. Students are allowed to take the ACT multiple times. The average score for the Class of 2009 after its first attempt on the test is 22.6.
Advanced Placement Tests
We offer Advanced Placement Calculus and Advanced Placement English. In recent years students have started taking other Advanced Placement tests based on our regular curriculum.
A score of 3,4, or 5 is considered "passing" on the Advanced Placement tests. Universities have their own standards for granting credit. Since 1998 students have earned the following scores:
| Subject | Number Scoring 3,4,5/ Total Tests |
Pct at VL | Pct of All Testers (2007 data) |
|||||
| English | 118/188 | 63% | 56% | |||||
| Calculus | 92/152 | 61% | 58% | |||||
| Psychology | 5/6 | 83% | 67.2% | Not offered as AP Class | ||||
| Music Theory | 1/1 | 100% | 63.6% | Not offered at VL | ||||
| Government | 4/5 | 80% | 52.4% | Not offered as AP Class | ||||
| Chemistry | 0/1 | 0% | Not offered as AP Class |
Alumni Surveys
Each spring we survey alumni one year after graduation from VL. We address a number of topics one of which is how they feel about their academic preparation. They grade the four core subject areas using the following ratings:
- I was prepared well. I had a good base of knowledge and skills that made me comfortable in this subject area.
- I was adequately prepared. I recognized the material and had been exposed to the necessary skills but in order to be successful in this subject area I had to work hard on the basics.
- I was not prepared. It seems that I had to learn everything from scratch.
The average ratings since we began surveying in 2003 are:
| Subject Area | Avg Rating Since Inception | |
| Math | 1.20 | |
| Life Science | 1.29 | |
| Physical Science | 1.71 | |
| Social Studies | 1.36 | |
| Writing | 1.20 | |
| Literature | 1.26 |
It should be noted that ACT (the college entrance exam) studies show Science to be the most challenging subject area for students transitioning into college.
Scholarship Acceptance Data
Beginning with the Class of 2000, Valley Lutheran graduates have accepted $10,061,124 in scholarships. 550 of 797 graduates (69%) received at least one scholarship. The average amount accepted during this time is $18,293.
We elected to record scholarships accepted by students. Other schools often track scholarships awarded. This means that if a student is awarded scholarships at multiple universities, they will all be counted. We believe that this practice is misleading, as a student can only attend one college at a time and therefore can only accept scholarships from that one college.