Sister Lakes Elementary School’s A grade and CAP score of 112.2 ranks it first in Cass County on 2009-2012 MEAP results and 75th in Michigan out of 2,362 elementary and middle schools.

CAP stands for Context and Performance, a measure developed by Midland’s Mackinac Center, the largest state-based, free-market think tank in the country.

A CAP score takes student poverty into account.

Sister Lakes is not only the district’s smallest elementary at 239 students, but 81.2 percent qualify for free lunches, compared to Patrick Hamilton (78.4), Justus Gage (70.2), Dowagiac Middle School (59.6) and Kincheloe (53.3). Second and third, Eagle Lake Elementary School and Edwardsburg Intermediate School, have 34.5 percent and 36.3 percent, respectively, of students qualifying for free lunches.

“The outcomes show fruit for various interventions,” such as Reading Recovery. “Our teachers are working hard and our principals are monitoring strategies and consistently following through,” Supt. Dr. Mark Daniel said, “because we see positive trend lines across all schools. Every student matters in our classrooms, and we’re on to something huge with the mindset of constant improvement. This is the start of blowing away our wildest dreams.”

President Michelle Helmuth-Charles said, “Talking about data in the beginning was uncomfortable, but we wanted it to show improvement and that we do a good job. The staff is owning it, and it shows.”