MDE Rolls out Phase II of Online Parent Dashboard for School Transparency

Additional programs about schools are now available to parents on the Parent Dashboard for School Transparency.

In addition to last year’s phase I release that included state assessment performance and progress, students with on-track attendance, English learner progress, graduation and dropout rates, and advanced coursework,  Phase II was released today and is now available under  the “School Services and Offerings” also referred to as “Points of Pride.”  This feature allows schools to self-report information on some selected programs and services that set them apart from other schools.

School district-reported Points of Pride may include availability of Advanced Placement; Career Technical Education (CTE); International Baccalaureate; music; and student mentorship programs, as well as clubs, school-sponsored sports, and world languages.

The tool also can compare a school’s performance with the average performance of other similar Michigan schools, including charter schools.

You can look up individual schools using this link:

Parent Dashboard for School Transparency

Fordson High School and Birmingham Seaholm High School Collaboration

Written by Zeinab Chami, Fordson Teacher

Several weeks ago, Birmingham Seaholm High School reached out to us to inquire about visiting Fordson to learn more about our culture, and our Diversity Committee students were eager to partake. Immediately, the Diversity Committee advisors, led by Norma Harb, were cognizant of the many directions this visit could take. That is why we developed a plan to ensure that this dialogue had authentic meaning and impact. Although this was a cultural exchange on the surface, the entire purpose was actually for all the students (Tractors included) to see that, as American teenagers, they are more alike than they are different. So while Seaholm students watched the documentary Fordson: Faith, Fasting, and Football in their Flex classes before coming here, we wanted to clearly communicate to them that Fordson is a mosaic of stories, and that every individual–no matter their heritage or beliefs–writes her own narrative.

On Wednesday, January 9th, everything culminated as Fordson Diversity Committee students led a dialogue with their peers from Seaholm. We decided to start our conversation with watching a TED Talk by Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie on the deep implications of stereotypes. Then, 2-3 Fordson students led discussion circles with 10-12 Seaholm students. These conversations began discussing big ideas, and they ended talking about the everyday minutiae of teen life. Our Tractor student leaders were nothing short of phenomenal! And, of course, Seaholm students were sufficiently impressed by the majesty of Fordson’s architecture. Mission: accomplished!

Group of students from Fordson and Seaholm taking a selfie.Student leading a discussion with students seated in the Fordson auditorium.  Students sitting in a circle sharing experiences.A large group of students from Fordson and Seaholm high schools holding the Dearborn vision sign.

SEDSAC

The Superintendent and Executive Director Student Advisory Councils focus on middle school student leadership.  This is the second year that teams of students from every middle school participated in monthly meetings designed to strengthen student voice and leadership in their school.  Another goal is to encourage relationships and connections across middle schools and students in the district regarding empathy.  The theme of “Empathy Matters” is the focus and students are supported as they take action on their school campuses.  Executive Directors meet with their individual feeder middle schools once a month.