MDE identifies WUS’ Steeby Elementary as ‘Reward School’

January 20, 2017

Wayland Union Schools, MI – The Michigan Department of Education released the state’s score cards today and Steeby Elementary has been identified as a Reward School. The Michigan Department of Education defines schools as a reward school when one or more of the following criteria is met:

• The school is in the top 5 percent of schools on achievement in the Top-to-Bottom ranking, OR
• The school is in the top 5 percent of schools on the improvement metrics, OR
• The school is designated as a “Beating the Odds” school (a school that is outperforming schools with similar demographics).

Schools are assessed on the progress students make on M-STEP, the annual state assessment. In the spring of 2016 fourth grade students at Steeby Elementary made tremendous growth from the assessment that they took during the spring of 2015 as third grade students.

Across a district, the percentage of students identified as proficient or advanced increased in 12 out of 16 areas tested. Students in Wayland Union Schools continue to show significant gains in language arts and math. Wayland Union Schools has made a commitment to providing students with intervention and enrichment opportunities that meet their needs.

All of our schools have implemented the practices of Professional Learning Communities. Professional Learning Communities are groups of teachers of the same grade level or content area that work together to monitor student growth. Over the course of the year the district utilizes five early release days so that teachers can work together to refine curriculum and instructional strategies, design and analyze assessments, and plan intervention and enrichment opportunities for students.

“The designation of Steeby Elementary as a Reward School, and the demonstrated growth in all of our buildings, is a testament to the hard work of our staff and students to increase academic achievement in our district” stated Teresa Fulk, Director of Instruction. “We will continue to work to ensure that our students graduate with the skills necessary to succeed in college or in a career after high school.”

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Contact:  Laurie Zywiczynski, lauriez@waylandunion.org. Director of Community Relations, 269-792-2281 x2811