What’s a State Champs score?

Schools’ scores on the ACT, giving annually to all juniors, are judged in the context of student family incomes. It allows Bridge to predict a school’s performance based on the percentage of students eligible for a free or reduced price lunch. If a school has a state champs score of 100, it’s meeting expectations. These schools here are well above expectations and are in the top 5 percent of all schools in the state.

For this year’s Academic State Champs, Bridge grouped high schools two ways: by size of county and by student income levels. Those with more than 55 percent of students eligible for a free or reduced lunch (up to 185 percent of the poverty level) were in the lowest income group; betwen 35 and 55 percent were in the middle and schools where fewer than 35 percent of students could get a break on lunch were in the higher income group.

The county groupings:

Large counties

Kent, Macomb, Oakland and Wayne

Medium-sized counties

(90,000 – 425,000 population)

Allegan, Bay, Berrien, Calhoun, Eaton, Genesee, Grand Traverse , Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Muskegon, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair and Washtenaw

Smaller-sized counties

(less than 90,000 population)

Alcona, Alger, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Barry, Benzie, Branch, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Emmet, Gladwin, Gogebic, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Houghton, Huron, Ionia, Iosco, Iron, Isabella, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Lake, Lapeer, Leelanau, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Marquette, Mason, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Missaukee, Montcalm, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, Shiawassee, St. Joseph, Tuscola, Van Buren and Wexford