UPDATE:
OKEMOS - Using an unconventional ranking scale, Bridge Magazine, s state based periodical, released their list of school district in Michigan.
"We know in general Michigan schools aren't doing as well as people would like so we want to figure out how do we judge whats working and what isn't and if you look just at raw test scores, you don't get an indication of that" commented Senior Writer Ron French.
Bridge Magazine used family income as a factor in the rankings and calculated the income level of students by the number of free or reduced rate lunches in each district.
When it comes to school rankings it can be difficult to know who to trust because different scales use different variables. For example Bridge Magazine, who took into account family income levels, placed Godwin Heights in second place. But according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, who did not include that variable, Godwin Heights, the exact same school district, would be ranked 353rd.
"We are such a growing and culturally diverse nation at this point in time that we just cant continue to rely only on one measure, it's not that those measures are bad, but we can't look at those measures in a vacuum in order to understand school quality ad student achievement," commented Dorinda Carter Andrews, Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at MSU.
"We're hoping that this is the beginning of a discussion with educators and legislators that ends with a system being developed that takes into account a lot of factors," commented French.
ORIGINAL STORY:
OKEMOS - Once again, Okemos Public Schools received high rankings but not every Michigan school did as well.