Additional funding now is available for 108 schools in Michigan struggling to increase student achievement, the Michigan Department of Education recently announced.
The funds are from the federal School Improvement Grant, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law by President Barack Obama last year. Michigan received $119 million from the School Improvement Grant for local schools to improve teaching and learning for all students. Each eligible school can apply for up to $2 million each year, over a three-year period.
“We are committed to ensuring that every student in Michigan receives a first class education,” said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. “These additional Recovery Act funds will help schools that are struggling the most to meet that goal.”
These schools were identified using a federally-prescribed and federally-approved formula to find what the U.S. Department of Education is calling the “Persistently Lowest Achieving Schools.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan explained that schools eligible for School Improvement Grants now have the advantage of time and resources to begin implementing their improvement plans before the state identifies the list of lowest performing schools affected by the state school reform law this fall.
“Most of the schools eligible for these federal funds are those that will fall under the school reform law that also requires a redesign plan,” Flanagan said. “These are the lowest performing schools in the state and they will have unprecedented resources to begin turning around their school. This is a unique opportunity.”
The schools eligible for the School Improvement Grant were identified by student achievement and academic growth based on state testing data from the 2007-2009 school years. The state will be using student achievement and academic growth data from 2008-2010 to identify schools for the state school reform law beginning this fall.
“Even though the two lists might be slightly different, most of these schools will be on the State Reform list in the fall,” Flanagan said. “We want them to succeed and put into place an instructional strategy that will raise student achievement.”
Districts with eligible schools must apply to the Michigan Department of Education for a School Improvement Grant by August 16, and submit a detailed school improvement plan using one of four improvement models required by the U.S. Department of Education. Schools will begin implementation of their plans this fall and will have three years to use their federal School Improvement Grant funds.
The four federally-required school improvement models from which the schools must select, are:
- Turnaround Model—This would include, among other actions, replacing the principal and at least 50 percent of the school's staff, adopting a new governance structure, and implementing a new or revised instructional program.
- Restart Model—School districts would close the school and reopen it under the management of a charter school operator, a charter management organization, or an educational management organization selected through a rigorous review process. A restart school would be required to enroll, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend.
- Transformational Model—Districts would address four specific areas: 1) developing teacher and school leader effectiveness, which includes replacing the principal who led the school prior to commencement of the transformational model; 2) implementing comprehensive instructional reform strategies; 3) extending learning and teacher planning time and creating community-oriented schools; and 4) providing operating flexibility and sustained support.
- School Closure—The district would close a failing school and enroll the students who attended that school in other high-achieving schools in the district.
For more information on the School Improvement Grants, including the list of schools eligible, visit www.michigan.gov/mde.