Goodrich-Reid Elementary students and staff have been working around ongoing construction as an extensive bond project is completed.
Despite the inconveniences of the project, Principal Beth Zito is still smiling.
And for good reason.
In August, Reid Elementary School was one of about 280 schools statewide designated as Reward Schools for either high student achievement or making tremendous progress in student achievement, according the Michigan Department of Education. Reward Schools include the top 5 percent of schools on the annual Top-to-Bottom ranking of all Michigan schools, and the top 5 percent of schools making the greatest academic progress over the previous four years. The 286 Reward Schools are located in 178 different school districts across the state according to the MDE.
‘We were fortunate enough to be designated as a Reward School,? said Zito. ‘The vision here at Reid is the student comes first. Every teacher and staff member demonstrates that belief. They are relentless, we don’t let up on the students with regard to their progress. Still, when many of the students come to Reid Elementary School for the first time the parents have already done their job and prepared their child for school.?
‘All kids are moving forward, none are left to struggle with work,? she said. ‘We are focused at Reid, at keeping our eye on all students and their progress. We do a tremendous amount of data analysis to see students? strengths and where they need extra support.?
‘We are already infusing that technology right in the curriculum and are thankful for the technology as a delivery system for eduction,? she said.
In contrast to Reward Schools the state has also identified Focus Schools.
These schools have the highest achievement gaps based in part on the gap between the highest-scoring 30 percent of students and the lowest-performing 30 percent.
Moreover, the state has also characterized Priority Schools previously branded ‘persistently lowest achieving.? These schools represent the bottom 5 percent based on achievement, their achievement gap and graduation gap.