Trenton, Grosse Ile Schools Receive Average Score With New Accountability Standards

*Editor Daniel Lai contributed to this article.

All Trenton and Grosse Ile 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 Trenton and Grosse Ile public schools fell into the yellow category. That means they received between 60 to 70 percent of possible points.

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

Superintendent Rod Wakeham said the yellow rating is accurate according to the assessment standards set up by the Michigan Department of Education.

"Trenton Public Schools is concentrated on continual improvement for students at all grade levels," Wakeham said.

Wakehams said there have been several new programs implemented in the district including those focusing on literacy.

"Assessment analysis allows staff to gauge both a student’s knowledge and skill," Wakeham said. "It has become important to understand what students have learned rather than what was taught."

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.”

Related: How Do Trenton, Grosse Ile Schools Rank?