Update: August 30
The Mt. Morris Consolidated School District says EAJ High School has been taken off of the Persistently Lowest Achieving schools list.
New Superintendent Tricia Hill said in a press release, “after being notified of PLA placement last year, the school quickly secured a $1.5 million grant and implemented classroom reforms, like beefing up teacher training and offering extra courses for struggling students.”
According to the school district, these changes helped the school achieve 11% higher MME scores than the year before.
The Michigan Department of Education has released the list of the 98 Persistently Lowest Achieving (PLA) schools in the state, and several Mid-Michigan schools can be found on the list.
The MDE reports that once a school is deemed amongst the lowest achieving, they’re required to develop a redesign plan, and the school will be put under the supervision of a School Reform Officer. This applies to all lowest performing schools except those with a state appointed Emergency Manager.
According to the MDE, schools that made the list, they’re required to come up with the following models:
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.
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.
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.
Here’s the Michigan Department of Education’s complete list. You can also read more about the PLA list by clicking here.
