LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) has launched the Michigan Postsecondary Strategy Institute (MPSI), an initiative to help school districts develop internal capacity to support every student toward attaining a postsecondary certificate or degree.
In collaboration with the National Postsecondary Strategy Institute and The Kresge Foundation, MCAN will serve more than 20 school teams in developing actionable strategies for their districts. The MPSI takes place Nov. 4–5, 2019, in East Lansing, Michigan.
Built to empower teams to employ a holistic strategy approach, the MPSI integrates three critical components for postsecondary success:
- Using a district’s postsecondary framework and strategy, school leadership will make a clear plan for increasing student postsecondary outcomes that is tied to measurable data points.
- By developing a data strategy, districts will connect student information with state datasets, analyzing data by subgroups, and using data to identify where strategies need to be developed.
- By engaging counselors as leaders, schools will empower counselors to lead the postsecondary access work within their schools, engaging partners in the process.
“This powerful initiative aligns with our goal of ‘Sixty by 30’ and increases college access by strategically supporting Michigan’s school leadership,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of MCAN.
“We look forward to seeing how nationally tested strategies focused on policy and practice changes can be implemented to support every Michigan student on their postsecondary education pathway.”
Following is a list of schools participating in the initiative.
- Alpena Public Schools
- Bath Community Schools
- Chandler Park Academy High School
- Cornerstone Health & Technology High School
- Escanaba High School
- Harbor Beach Community Schools
- Hastings Area Schools
- Henry Ford Academy University Prep Art & Design
- Holton Public Schools
- Howell Public Schools
- Jalen Rose Leadership Academy
- Madison High School
- Manistee Catholic Central School
- Maple Valley Jr./Sr. High School
- Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School
- Milan High School
- Muskegon Heights Academy
- Northwest High School
- Owosso High School
- Pellston High School
- Pershing High School
- Plainwell High School
- Public Schools of Petoskey
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About Michigan College Access Network (MCAN)
As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN has a mission to increase Michigan’s college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color. For the eighth year in a row, Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate has increased — from 35.7% of 25-to-64-year-olds possessing at least an associate degree in 2008, to 41% in 2018. Additionally, it is estimated another 4% of Michiganders have a postsecondary certificate, bringing Michigan’s official 2019 attainment rate to 45%. MCAN’s goal is to increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60% by 2030.
Michigan Postsecondary Strategy Institute helps school districts create successful postsecondary education pathways for students.