Transparency

Annual Education Report (AER) for the 2022-23 educational progress

We are pleased to present the Annual Education Report (AER) for the 2022-23 educational progress at WAY Michigan. This report adheres to the reporting requirements mandated by federal and state laws, providing a comprehensive overview of our school's achievements in student assessment, accountability, and teacher quality.

The AER is accessible for review electronically here, or a physical copy is available in the main office at your child’s school.

School Designation:

Following the criteria established by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), WAY Michigan has been designated as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school for the 2022-23 academic year. This identification reflects our focus on addressing key areas for improvement, notably our graduation rate and reading proficiency.

Educational Challenges and Responses:

  • ● Graduation Rate: Our four-year graduation rate has improved to 42.5%, reflecting our concerted efforts to support every student towards timely graduation. Our strategies include targeted support from a College and Career Coach, who assists our Juniors and Seniors in preparing for post-secondary life through various initiatives, including in-person and virtual college visits.
  • ● Reading Proficiency: To address challenges in reading, we've implemented a Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports program, featuring Reading Interventionists and the Exact Path program, aimed at improving reading skills among our students. SAT and NWEA Performance Highlights:
  • ● SAT Performance: For the 2022-23 school year, our students achieved an average SAT total score of 889.1, indicating a collective advancement towards enhancing college readiness. Our focus remains on elevating student capabilities in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, as well as Mathematics.
  • ● NWEA Growth and Achievement Overview: Our students demonstrated significant growth and achievement in both Math and Reading. The Math K-12 assessments showed a median growth percentile of 56th, with achievement reaching the 48th percentile by Fall 2023-24. Notably, our Grade 10 students achieved the 99th percentile for growth and the

98th percentile for achievement. In Reading, we observed a median growth percentile of 61st, with achievement progressing from the 58th percentile in Fall 2022-23 to the 51st percentile in Fall 2023-24.

Additional Reporting Information Required by State Law:

Enrollment Process: WAY Michigan participates in the "Schools of Choice" program, welcoming students based on their academic knowledge, age, and completion of the previous school year.
School Improvement Plan: Our school improvement plan focuses on enhancing student achievement in writing, math, social studies, and science. It also addresses goals towards a positive school climate through behavior goals.

Specialized Programs: While WAY Michigan does not offer a specialized school designation, our curriculum is designed to support deep exploration of concepts through project-based learning and personalized educational pathways.
Parental Involvement: We hold two conferences annually (fall and spring) to foster parental engagement, offering both virtual and in-person options. Our goal is to maintain high attendance and participation rates to ensure parents are actively involved in their child's education.
Community Support: The unwavering support of our community is crucial as we continue to refine our educational practices and prepare our students for productive futures.

WAY Michigan remains committed to addressing the challenges highlighted in our AER, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the educational experience for all our students. We appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to a future of continued improvement and success.

Thank you for your partnership in our educational journey.

In Partnership,

James E. Pack, M. Ed
Director of Programs
WAY Michigan

Download this letter here...


Budget & Salary Transparency Reporting

Section 18 (2) of the Public Act 94 of 1979, The State School Aid Act, requires each school district and intermediate school district to post certain information on its website within 15 days after a board adopts it including the annual operating budget or any subsequent revision to that budget.

The Annual Budget & Transparency Reporting is an opportunity to communicate to our community how we utilize the resources that are provided to us. The following information is required to be posted on our website.



Learning Loss (ESSER III & 98C Funded)

State Approved Evaluation Tools

Please describe how the LEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act (see below) to address the academic impact of lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended school year:

Learning loss, as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, is one of the largest factors needing to be addressed. The Academy has identified as its method to mitigate learning loss the research-based strategy and system of Multi-tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS). This includes identifying and tiering students based on performance data and providing interventions that are targeted for each student. The Academy will allocate funds to provide individualized tutoring for each student based on their continuum of learning and needed areas of improvement. This will allow the Academy to work to mitigate learning loss while also accelerating overall improvement for students.

In addition, in order to implement this rigorous system and strategy, the Academy plans to use funds to purchase additional instructional resources (i.e. Exact Path licenses, Newsela, etc), additional technology for students, additional technology for staff, and digital resources to ensure access for students beyond the school day. Along with increasing instructional and technological resources, the Academy plans to use funds to offset use of a “Highly Qualified” paraprofessional that will work to assist in providing supplemental support to students throughout the school day.

Please describe how the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements, including but not limited to the interventions implemented under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act (see below) to address the academic impact of lost instructional time, will respond to the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students, and particularly those students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and migratory students.

The Academy plans to use allocated funds to provide a wholistic approach to meeting the needs of all students. This includes their academic, social, emotional, mental, and health needs. The Academy will undergo a comprehensive needs assessment and a program evaluation process each year to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of its strategies and its implementation of the plan.

In addition, data will be collected throughout the year including academic data, perception data, health and mental wellness data, to be able to assess the effectiveness of the plan, as well as the needs that students might have in those areas. The plan increases the amount of resources available to meet the very diverse needs of all students while providing a means to target the specific areas of concerns for specialized demographics (i.e. low-income families, students experiencing homelessness, etc.).

Also, in an effort to ensure that the Academy maintains a healthy and consistent staff to support the needs to students, the Academy plans to allocate funds to retain highly qualified staff members as well as to further recruit highly effective individuals to join the team to assist in providing for the needs of all students.

This section of the WAY Michigan website addresses the State of Michigan Statutory Requirement MCL 388.1618 Subsections 2 and 3 for School Budget and Transparency Reporting.



Click the above logo to view the MI School Data Dashboard & Accountability Scorecard.

A. Fiscal Year Board Approved Budget

B.1 Personnel Expenditures

B.2 Current Operating Expenditures

C.1 Bargaining Agreements

Our staff is hired through a third party vendor. We have no collective bargaining agreements in place at this time.

B.3 Educational Service Provider Transparency Reports

C.2 Employer Sponsored Health Plans

Our staff is hired through a third party vendor. We have no health care plans in place at this time.

C.3 Audited Financial Statements

c.4 medical benefit plan bids

Our staff is hired through a third party vendor. We did not request medical benefit plan bids for 2015 - 2016, 2016 - 2017, 2017 - 2018, 2018-2019 nor 2019-2020.

c.5 procurement policy

Current Procurement Policy

c.6 Expense reimbursement policy

Current Expense Reimbursement Policy

C.7 Statement of Reimbursed Expenses

D. Employee Compensation Information

E. District Paid Association Dues

There were no district paid Association Dues for 2015 - 2016, 2016 - 2017, 2017 - 2018, 2018-2019 nor 2019-2020.

F. DISTRICT PAID LOBBYING COSTS

There were no district paid lobbying costs for 2015 - 2016, 2016 - 2017, 2017 - 2018, 2018-2019 nor 2019-2020.

G. Approved deficit elimination plan

We are not operating under a deficit, therefore a deficit elimination plan is not required.

h. district credit card information

No Credit Cards for WAY Michigan.

i. district paid out of state travel information

The district did not have out-of-state travel to report in 2015 - 2016, 2016 - 2017, 2017 - 2018, 2018-2019 nor 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023

J. Title IX Policy

Board Operating Policy


Michigan educator evaluation

State Approved Evaluation Tools

Below are documents in alignment with the Michigan Educator Evaluation Postings and Assurances Documents for State-Approved Evaluation Tools guidelines.

MTEM Michigan June 1, 2016

Addendum - January 9, 2017

Staff Evaluation and Performance

Safety Drills Report

Annual Crime Report

Extended COVID-19 Learning Plans

Public Act 48 Reports