


	August 26, 2011 Graduate Michigan Action Network Preventing School and Student Failure The Michigan Department of Education has released its latest rankings of all Michigan schools and has used this ranking to identify 98 schools as Persistently Low Achieving Schools (PLA). These PLA schools will again have to develop redesign plans approved by the MDE School Reform Office. Michigan’s Children knows that the students, school and communities targeted by reform efforts often face layers of challenge and that educational success is an outgrowth of successes and failures within many systems that have been built over the course of young people’s lives. Any school restructuring is unlikely to see intended results without a specific focus on building and maintaining broad-based community partnerships and connecting community resources to reform efforts. Several of Michigan’s Children’s recent pieces have illustrated both the need for better partnerships and strategies that increase success. Michigan's Education Achievement System - Plans for Helping Failing Schools and Things Left Undone Racial Disparities in High School Graduation Bullying and School Safety - Encouraging A Model Policy Preschool Programs Critical to Closing the Educational Achievement Gap Read the MDE’s statement and more information about low performing schools. Michigan's Children CEO Jack Kresnak: Dropouts Need Innovative Programs "Just weeks ago we celebrated the success of our graduating high school seniors. We went to their open houses and offered congratulations. Now many of them are going off to college, doing what we need for Michigan’s economy to prosper. But what about the thousands of their peers who didn’t graduate? Those who dropped out or are entering their fifth or sixth year of high school. What are we doing to help them become educated, skilled workers and taxpayers?" Read more of Jack's Op-Ed Michigan’s Extended-Year Graduation Rate Highlighted in AYPF Issue Brief The American Youth Policy Forum, Gateway to College National Network, and the National Youth Employment Coalition have produced an issue brief to encourage states’ use of extended-year graduation rates in adequate yearly progress calculations and incorporation of these rates into their state accountability frameworks/systems. The Michigan data highlighted in the brief include a nine point increase in the graduation rate for economically disadvantaged students, and a six point increase for African American students. To read the brief, or to learn more about the American Youth Policy Forum, check out: Making Every Diploma Count: Using Extended-Year Graduation Rates to Measure Student Success. Promise Neighborhood Update The US Department of Education has released a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document detailing issues with the planning and implementaion grants awarded for Promise Neighborhood. For more information on the September 6th grant deadline, or to Learn about the Promise Neighborhood initiative, check out PolicyLink's website or go to http://www.promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.org/ If your organization is interested in being highlighted by Michigan’s Children through Youth Voice or KidSpeak events, or if you would like to work with us on advocating for youth at the local, state and federal level, please contact Beth Bennett or Michele Corey.
	Sincerely, Michele Corey Beth Berglin, MA Vice President for Programs Policy and Outreach Associate michele@michiganschildren.org beth@michiganschildren.org Michigan's Children 428 W. Lenawee Lansing, MI 48933 517/485-3500 FAX: 517/485-3650 www.michiganschildren.org
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