Michigan toughens school standards

Jennifer Chambers:

At least 200 public schools in Michigan would be at risk of losing their state accreditation -- and being closed -- under new standards being pushed by the state Department of Education.

Under the changes, accreditation would be based on standardized test scores, a move state education officials say would help them identify failing schools that need support and intervention.

Currently, accreditation is awarded based on a school's compliance in six areas related mostly to administration and school organization. Schools can self-report data to the state, including staff certification, state curriculum compliance and school improvement plans.

The system misleads the public about how Michigan's 4,000 schools are doing, said Jan Ellis, Department of Education spokeswoman. She added that a revised accreditation system would make schools more accountable to parents and the public.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at August 3, 2011 2:07 AM
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