Education

Hard work, wealth drives Okemos High School’s continued excellence

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By Erica Marra
The Meridian Times Staff Reporter

OKEMOS — After being rated the 10th-best high school in the state of Michigan by U.S. News & World Report in 2015, Okemos High School is striving to continue their high rankings into the current year. The U.S. News & World Report base their yearly rankings off of factors including student-to-teacher ratios, college readiness, and proficiency in mathematics and reading. By earning high numbers across the board, Okemos received the U.S. News & World Report’s “Gold Medal” award, which is given only to the top 500 schools in the country based on highest college readiness. In order to sustain classroom success in the 2015-2016 school year, Okemos High School English teacher Laura Ross said that the school implemented new plans and policies to increase student comprehension and engagement. “We’re working really hard to reach all segments of our student body,” Ross said.

Education

Community colleges seek ways to better prepare students

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – Almost half of students entering community college find themselves unprepared, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, and new strategies are being formed to better equip students for success. Forty-two percent of students were not ready for the regular courses, said GAO, an investigatory arm of Congress. As a result, they were required to take developmental classes. There are multiple ways to test college readiness, said Mike Hansen, president of Michigan Community College Association. Typically the ACT test is used to measure knowledge, and many community colleges are finding a large majority of their students are not “college ready” in most subject areas, he said.