M-STEP Test Results Released: How Does Your Child's School Stack Up?

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - The results are in from statewide standardized tests taken by Michigan school children this past Spring.

M-STEP results, released Tuesday by the state Department of Education showed Michigan students were less proficient in reading and more proficient in math, science and social studies.

Scores show that English language arts scores worsened in four of the five grades in which students were tested last spring. Math scores improved in four of the five grades from the year before.

State Superintendent Brian Whiston says the math and science results are "exciting" while the reading scores are "disappointing." He says Michigan's initiative to target early literacy should lead to better reading results as it is fully implemented.

Whiston is currently working to establish a new state testing system - one that takes less time and benchmarks progress throughout the academic year.

Andy Middlestead, Director of the Office of Educational Assessment & Accountability for the State Department of Education, agreed that  education officials  should be keeping an eye on students' progress in English language arts.

"That's certainly an area that we want to monitor and look at and see what we can do to turn that around," he told WWJ's Beth Fisher. We know that we're already putting a lot of things in place to support our youngest learners with early literacy efforts to build up their abilities in reading and writing."

How do scores are your local schools compare? M-STEP results, searchable by district and building, are available at HERE. Check out the complete report at this link.

© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.