Wyandotte Public Schools Miss Top Ranking in New State Assessment

*Editor Daniel Lai contributed to this article.

The majority of Wyandotte's nine public schools earned an average rating on the state’s new reporting system for school performance.

On Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Education released the Michigan School Accountability Scorecards, a color-coded system designed to hold all of the state’s schools accountable under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In order of highest to lowest, the colors include green, lime-green, yellow, orange and red. The designations are based on meeting targets in several areas. According to the data, all but two schools fell into the yellow category. That means they received between 60 to 70 percent of possible points.

Madison School received an orange ranking, and The Lincoln Center received a red ranking.

Garfield Elementary School was named a "focus" school, which means it has the largest achievement gaps in the district. Achievement gaps are the difference between the average scale score for the top 30 percent of students and the bottom 30 percent of students, according to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

To exit "focus" school status, Garfield must make Accountability Scorecard progress by the end of a four-year deadline. Administrators must also submit a report to MDE documenting the ongoing steps that will be taken to sustain the effort.

Comparatively, only 13 schools in Metro Detroit earned the highest rating. No schools in Wayne or Oakland county received green status.

The scorecards examine student participation and student proficiency on state assessments, student graduation or attendance rates, educator effectiveness reporting and school improvement plan reporting.

Schools must meet targets for the bottom 30 percent of student achievers as well as for any subgroup that has a minimum of 30 students, including race and ethnic groups, students with disabilities and low-income students.

“This new color-coded system provides a meaningful diagnostic tool that gives schools, districts, parents, and the public an easy way to identify strengths and weaknesses,” said state superintendent Mike Flanagan. “It provides greater transparency and detail on multiple levels of school performance.”