Mary Kay Shields Interim Executive Director The Center for Charter Schools | Central Michigan University Pursuing Excellence – Together!! Back to School 2011 The Lansing Center | September 28, 2011

CMU BACKGROUND In 1994, CMU became the first university authorizer of charter public schools in the nation. Today, our 55 schools enroll over 28,500 students in the state, with nearly 10,000 students from Detroit. We have been a leader in developing processes and systems to help schools reach academic excellence.

PURSUING EXCELLENCE, TOGETHER!! In the partnership between CMU and our schools, we are pursuing excellence, together! Excellence in performance! Excellence in our schools! Excellence in action!

A DAY IN OUR LIFE In addition to trying to educate our kids, we’re still in a constant conversation to defend ourselves across the state! Policy Makers Foundations News Media Experts

FALL 2011 ADVANCE Together We Lead: A Conversation With Mary Kay 5 Half of CMU’s Schools are in the Bottom 25%!!

Yes, but take a closer look at the data…. EVIDENCE

MDE’s “Top to Bottom” list confirms poverty’s impact on school performance. LOOK CLOSER AT THE DATA

STUDENTS IN THE BOTTOM 25% & CMU CHARTERS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO BE “AT RISK” THAN THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE.

75% of CMU charters outperform where their student would be attending school… ANSWER:

10 Your Schools aren’t any Better than Regular Schools!!

Lots of media attention with limited data…. EVIDENCE

Students in CMU schools outperform the districts in which they live on all 18 MEAP tests and in the 4 largest cities in math and reading. ANSWER

Your Schools aren’t any Better than Regular Schools!! Charters were supposed to help transform public education!?!?

The Education Reform movement was largely formed to address the achievement gap. The achievement gap in Michigan is greater than the achievement gap nationwide. How are minority students in Michigan performing academically? CONSIDER

African- Americans in CMU charters outperform African- Americans statewide, 5 years in a row! CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

FALL 2011 ADVANCE Together We Lead: A Conversation With Mary Kay No More Charters Until You Meet the StateWIDE Average!!

Don’t you understand that charter students are twice as likely to be at-risk than the statewide average? Isn’t outperforming their peers enough!? WHAT!? MATCH THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE?

CONTINOUSLY ENROLLED CMU STUDENTS MEET OR EXCEED THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE ON MATH AND READING PROFICIENCY: MEAP Achievement in Math & Reading by number of years enrolled in CMU charters 85.5% 83.4% Reading Statewide Average Grades 3-8 combined Years enrolled before fall 2010

19 How could this possibly HAPPEN!? Were you just lucky?!

“No! We worked hard and smart.” Sid Smith, Former CMU Trustee Center Mid-Year Advance February 26, 2008 ANSWER

INTERVENTIONS Over a dozen types of intervention s & strategies to assist schools.

Helping schools help kids succeed. INTERVENTIONS

1.Be proud or your accomplishments and keep telling “our story” to people! 2.Develop your own :60 second “elevator speech” and start using it! 3.Write letters to the editor, get stories about your schools in local media! 4.Contact your elected officials and make them aware of your success! WHAT CAN ALL OF US BE DOING?

1.We’re always looking to develop new tools and resources to help you succeed. 2.Please let us know if you have specific needs we can help with. 3.Perhaps you’ll develop the next “Ignite” professional development event, and we’d love to partner with you! 4.Bring us your “best practices” and ideas, like you’re seeing in today’s breakout sessions. Let’s spread the word! WHAT ELSE CAN THE CENTER DO FOR YOU?

1.Continue to cultivate a portfolio of charter schools that represent the “best of the best” of American education. 2.Continue to leverage the Center’s connection with charter schools to create linkages with the University & the College of Education and Human Services. 3.Strengthening and leveraging the University’s reputation as the nation’s premier authorizer of charter public schools. 4.Recruiting and retaining a team of passionate professionals who are committed to quality and accountability, and known for their integrity. 5.Harnessing the technology and know-how needed to collect, analyze, and report data that drives academic achievement and school performance. CENTER GOALS FOR

Mary Kay Shields Interim Executive Director The Center for Charter Schools | Central Michigan University | QUESTIONS ? ? ?