ISD expert tells Monroe board school index identifies supports, not punishments

Kathy Berry of the intermediate school district told the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education on Jan. 13 that the Michigan School Index is a statewide accountability tool designed to identify schools that need additional support rather than to impose sanctions. "The school index itself is kind of complicated to read, but it really is about a single school, statewide school accountability system," Berry said, noting the index combines multiple measures into a 0–100 point score and that the underlying detail matters more than the aggregate number.

Berry reviewed the federal and state history that shaped accountability (PA 25, No Child Left Behind and ESSA), explained how components are weighted and how testing thresholds affect point totals, and emphasized governance‑level uses for trustees. She urged board members to ask productive questions and to pair index scores with local data: the index can trigger supports such as regional assistance grants and ISD staffing, but it is not a complete measure of school quality.