Bridge Magazine, a respected online publication launched in September, has initiated its own State Academic Championship and just announced its 60 champions.
Bridge’s Ron French explains the project:
“Bridge Magazine began the State Academic Championship two weeks ago, with 213 school districts from the four corners of Michigan making the playoffs. Today, we unveil the winners.
“Using a database created by Public Sector Consultants and the Citizens Research Council, Bridge Magazine is naming state champions in eight academic categories: College readiness (ACT proficiency); graduation rate, 8th grade math, 8th grade science, 8th grade reading, 4th grade math, 4th grade reading and 4th grade writing.
“And just like in high school football, we’ve split the state’s schools into eight divisions, based on community type and socioeconomic status.
“… Those champions range from expected academic powerhouses such as Bloomfield Hills in Metro Detroit and Forest Hills in Grand Rapids, to poor, rural schools in the Upper Peninsula.
Some of the champions will surprise you. Some will inspire you. All deserve praise, not only under the Friday-night lights, but all week long.”
In Macomb County, the big surprise is that Clintondale, a school district that has struggled with its student test scores and Adequate Yearly Progress, is the only champion from Macomb.
Clintondale Community Schools’ was crowned champion in 4th Grade Reading, Division 5. Enrollment is 3,601 and the number of free lunch kids is 56 percent.
The key to victory: “Just because I might not learn it as fast as you learn it, doesn’t mean I can’t learn it,” explained Karen Hessler, curriculum coordinator for K-8 education. “We learn (students’) challenges and implement interventions where teachers work one-on-one.”
Sixty Michigan public school districts claimed at least a tie for a championship in one of the eight academic categories. These winners were drawn from a database created by Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based research firm, and the nonpartisan, nonprofit Citizens Research Council.
To get a look at the list of champions and how your neighborhood schools performed, click here.
