Plymouth-Canton fourth-graders outscored the state average in reading by 16 percentage points on the 2026 M-STEP, but the district's own results still slipped.

The Michigan Department of Education released statewide standardized test scores on Friday, Sept. 4. In Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, 57.4% of fourth-graders met the English Language Arts standard, down from 58.4% in 2025. The district tested 1,101 fourth-graders out of 16,043 total students, according to MLive.

That one-point dip mirrors a statewide slide. Across Michigan, fourth-grade ELA proficiency fell from 42.4% to 41.3%, according to MLive. Third-grade reading dropped to 38.2%, the lowest mark in the M-STEP's 12-year history, Bridge Michigan reported.

Even with the decline, Plymouth-Canton ranked among the highest-performing large districts in the state. Ann Arbor posted a 58.4% fourth-grade ELA rate. Dearborn came in at 43.8%.

Statewide, only 44% of students in grades 3 through 8 are proficient in reading. In math, that figure drops to 35.5%, according to Chalkbeat Detroit.

The MDE said in a press release that most scores were essentially flat compared with 2025, with all but four of 20 tested areas staying within two percentage points of the prior year.

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko called for broad collaboration to raise scores. "We need to improve the results of all these assessments for our students moving forward," Maleyko said Sept. 4 in remarks reported by Bridge Michigan. "Michigan proficiency rates are not where we want them to be."

Michigan has begun rolling out literacy reforms. A new law signed in summer 2026 requires elementary teachers to complete "science of reading" training by the 2031-2032 school year. A separate requirement takes effect by the 2027-2028 school year, mandating that districts use evidence-based reading instruction and screen students for characteristics of dyslexia. The MDE has distributed more than $150 million in grants to over 500 districts for literacy materials and professional learning, according to the department.

Plymouth-Canton's internal data showed some positive signs before the M-STEP release. At the board of education meeting on June 23, Jonathan Flukes, the district's director of data, assessment, research and evaluation, reported increased course pass rates, improved graduation outcomes and a reduction in the number of students needing intensive literacy support as measured by DIBELS screening. Flukes said closing achievement gaps would remain a key priority for the 2026-2027 school year.

No Plymouth-Canton official has publicly responded to the district's 2026 M-STEP results. Only fourth-grade ELA data for the district was available in published reports. Parents can search their school's full results by grade and subject on the Bridge Michigan or MiSchoolData websites.

The P-CCS board meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the E.J. McClendon Educational Center, 454 S. Harvey St., Plymouth.