In more than 100 school districts across the state, more than half the graduates enrolling in public colleges take remedial courses — in essence repeating lessons that should have been learned in high school. Using the searchable database below of 515 public school districts with complete data, check out how your school district fares in remediation, […]
Ron French
Ron reports on a variety of subjects across the state. Ron came to Bridge in 2011 from The Detroit News, where he was a project reporter. Born and raised in Indiana, Ron graduated from Purdue University. He reported for newspapers across Indiana before moving to Michigan in 1995. Ron lives in Okemos, and like the true Michigander he’s become, he now has a family cabin Up North. You can reach him at rfrench@bridgemi.com or 517-214-3636.
Posted inTalent & Education
Who's ready for college? Who's scoring?
What percentage of Michigan high school seniors are ready for college? 17 percent 61 percent 74 percent The correct answer is: No one really knows. About 74 percent of high school students graduate, which, if the diploma means something, should make them college and/or career ready. By the standards used by the Michigan Department of […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Enrolling in community college is just half the battle
The good news: Low-income students are enrolling in Michigan colleges at a record rate. The bad news: Many of them won’t leave with degrees. While more low-income students are making it to campus, they’re more likely to attend Michigan community colleges, where the graduation rates are among the lowest in the nation. “These kids hit […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Ready for college? In Michigan, likely not.
If you live in Michigan, your high-schooler is probably less prepared for college than the average American student. Your teen has only an average chance of graduating from high school, and a below-average chance of enrolling in college. And if your son or daughter makes it to campus, he or she is less likely to […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan's 'Faltering 40' on college prep
If you want your son or daughter to succeed in college, there are 40 public school districts you may want to avoid. In an analysis by Bridge Magazine and Public Sector Consultants, these 40 districts, spread across the state and ranging from urban to rural, scored in the bottom rungs of four different college-readiness measures. […]
Posted inTalent & Education
A decade of slipping: Michigan's students fall behind
Michigan is falling behind other states in preparing its teenagers for college, a trend that could hobble the state’s efforts to revitalize its economy. The percentage of Michigan high school graduates going to college has been inching upward, from 57.5 percent in 1992 to 59.4 percent in 2008, according to the National Center for Higher […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Parsing the 3 Rs: Rigor, responsibility, readiness
College readiness means knowing how to solve an algebraic equation, but it also means knowing how to set an alarm clock. That’s the advice of Jim Montoya, former dean of admissions at Stanford University and now president of higher education relationship development at the College Board, which runs the SAT college admissions test. In an […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Report: Charters spend less in classrooms
Michigan charter schools spend $1,141 less per student on instruction than traditional public schools, and $774 more per pupil on administration, according to a newly released study by professors at Michigan State Universityand the University of Utah. The study examines spending data for all charter schools and public school districts in the state, and attempts […]
Posted inTalent & Education
The day I almost killed Mike Wallace
One of the last times I saw Mike Wallace, he was in my rearview mirror, back bent, pushing my car down Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor. He had a huge smile on his face. I had a look of terror on mine. It was Spring, 2003, and I was in the midst of an eight-month […]
Posted inChildren & Families
Michigan Radio continues look at welfare reform's consequences
How are Michigan families faring after losing welfare cash assistance? Tracy Davenport lost her house and her car — and can’t find work because of a medical condition that causes her to fall down constantly. Learn her story at Michigan Radio, which has teamed up with Bridge Magazine to chronicle the first year after welfare […]