High School Turnaround Initiative
Thirty high schools in southeast Michigan are traditionally low-performing schools, meaning less than 60% of their students graduate. In Southeast Michigan, almost 22,000 students from the Class of 2009 dropped out. Analysts estimate that reducing this number by 50% could result in $145 million in increased earnings, $147 million more in home sales and $24 million in increased tax revenue.
Why it matters
Southeast Michigan ranked third from the bottom among the top 20 metro areas nationwide in the number of college graduates among its citizens.
Since almost 90% of the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs require some postsecondary education, having a high school diploma and the skills to succeed in college and the workplace are essential.
The costs of dropping out are born not just by individuals, but by the communities in which they live and the rest of society. Dropouts from the class of 2008 will cost Michigan almost $12 billion in lost wages over their lifetimes.
Unless more people complete school prepared to succeed, Southeastern Michigan will be unable to compete in the global economy.
What we've done
In 2008, with generous support from AT&T and the Skillman Foundation, UWSEM launched the United Way Venture Fund, a fund that provides resources to education turnaround specialists to go into the schools and implement reforms that have proven successful in other regions. Individual schools select their preferred turnaround specialist. For example, by instituting site-based management and by breaking large schools into smaller schools, each smaller school will have a specific focus-area (like math and science or technology). This structure allows students to receive more personalized instruction in smaller class environments.
The first network of five schools supported by the Fund include: the Cody High School Campus, the Van Dyke Lincoln High School Campus, Melvindale High School Campus, Pontiac High School Campus and the Osborn High School Campus. Early indicators show that these schools are on track - and chronic absences were reduced by 25% in the first year.
In 2010 the General Motors Foundation made an unprecedented donation of $27.1 million, spread over a five year period to activate a second network of schools. The second network of schools include: Central Collegiate Academy Campus, Henry Ford High School Campus, Hamtramck High School Campus, Harper Woods High School Campus, East Detroit High School Campus, Madison High School Campus and River Rouge New Tech International Academy Campus.
In the policy arena, United Way led an effort to pass legislation creating robust alternative teacher certification routes in Michigan as part of our state’s efforts to compete for federal “Race to the Top” funding. This legislation helped United Way’s efforts to bring “Teach for America” back to Michigan.
Our goals for this year and the future
2011 - 2012
- Activate a second network of at least seven more turnaround schools in the region with unprecedented support from the General Motors Foundation.
- Ensure that the incoming freshmen class and returning sophomore class at exist¬ing turnaround high schools maintain a projected graduation rate of at least 80% by missing less than 20 days of school and not failing more than two core classes – two key research-based factors.
- Activate a group of community leaders to address the unique needs of each school community called Champions Councils.
2018
- UWSEM embarked on an aggressive initiative to turn around high schools so that they graduate at least 80% of their students by 2018.