Since November 2007, the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators has participated with the Office of School Improvement in a cross-office collaborative effort to assist high-priority schools, particularly high schools, in Michigan.

This effort involves representatives from:

• Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators
• Michigan Department of Education (MDE)
• Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University
• Lansing Community College
• Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals
• Ingham Intermediate School District
• Oakland Schools
• Association of Michigan School Counselors
• Michigan Virtual University.

MDE collaborates with the Great Lakes East Comprehensive Center to lead and facilitate this work. Great Lakes East is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide high-quality technical assistance to MDE in meeting the goals of the Federal No Child Left Behind Act and is currently in its fourth year of operation.

The High School Core Team is an important element of MDE’s comprehensive effort to strategically redefine the vision of future Michigan high schools. It is an active advocate for all students, supporting initiatives to increase their achievement and meet the Michigan Merit Curriculum high school graduation requirements.

Currently, the team meets monthly to engage in facilitated conversations and collaborate on specific issues, such as English language learner achievement. Collectively, the members explore topics and identify opportunities for cross-office and partner collaboration. They create a plan for collaborating and addressing the challenges.

Each office representative takes the responsibility to share the information with their units and follow through the action steps. To learn more about this comprehensive effort, please contact Jon Tomlanovich, MAISA Associate Executive Director jont@gomasa.org; or MaryAlice Galloway, Interim Director of the Office of School Improvement, at gallowaym@michigan.gov.