A Brief Look at Blue Ribbon Schools in Michigan

For more than 12 years, Dr. Christine Johns has functioned as superintendent of schools with Utica Community Schools in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Over the course of her tenure as superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns has established a graduation rate of 93.6 percent. Of the 36 schools under her guidance, 28 have been recognized as Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary Schools of Excellence.

The state of Michigan is home to 48 Blue Ribbon Exemplary Schools of Excellence, an honor that distinguishes a school as academically advanced in the eyes of the United States Department of Education. The student to teacher ratio at Michigan Blue Ribbon schools is 18:1, while 27 percent of the student body at these schools consists of minority enrollment. The state added 13 new Blue Ribbon schools at the end of 2017.

Blue Ribbon honors are open to both public and private schools from the elementary level through high school. In addition to the overall quality of academic offerings, important aspects of a Blue Ribbon institution include the school’s ability to address and correct achievement gaps between specific student subgroups. In total, more than 8,500 schools in America are part of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

Utica Community Schools' Use of eSpark Learning Apps

Since 2006, Dr. Christine Johns has served as superintendent of Utica Community Schools, the second-largest school district in Michigan. As superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns has led the incorporation of eSpark technology into the classroom.

Utica Community Schools has integrated eSpark apps into its classrooms as part of a blended learning strategy. The change came at a time when the district was transitioning from half-day to full-day kindergarten, and blended learning was designed to enhance student engagement despite limited school funding for equipment.

By contracting with eSpark, the district avoided the logistic nightmare of having individual teachers purchase learning apps for more than 28,000 students. Instead, eSpark served as a third-party curator and facilitated distribution of apps to students so they could develop individualized learning plans.

As innovative, engaging tools, the apps provide students with immediate feedback as they respond to questions on curricular material. The apps also allow students to provide feedback to teachers on each learning activity, getting students in the habit of taking ownership of their learning as early as kindergarten.

Digital Promise and Verizon Innovative Learning Schools

With master’s and doctorate degrees from Harvard University, Dr. Christine Johns serves as superintendent of Utica Community Schools in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Alongside her activities as superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns has worked closely with education groups such as Digital Promise. 

In its efforts to accelerate innovation in education, Digital Promise engages educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs in activities that support and advance teaching strategies and technologies to improve student outcomes. The organization oversees a variety of people-driven projects and networks, including Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS). 

Supported by the Verizon Foundation and Verizon Wireless, the VILS initiative aims to close the digital learning gap by improving access to technology for students and teachers. The initiative currently serves 28 school districts across the country. In addition to working directly with participating schools, the program provides a variety of resources and tools to help other schools better use technology for learning. 

Based on insight from participating educators, VILS has a created a guidebook for implementing schoolwide technology initiatives. The guidebook features chapters on technology management, digital literacy and responsibility, and progress monitoring. VILS also has compiled a number of online resources for teachers interesting in using mobile technology to support and advance classroom activities. More information about VILS and other Digital Promise projects is available at www.digitalpromise.org.

Digital Promise Promotes Innovation in Education

The superintendent of Utica Community Schools in Sterling Heights, Michigan, Dr. Christine Johns has fostered academic excellence for 12 years, in part by spearheading efforts to achieve a 93.6% graduation rate. To this end, Superintendent Dr. Christine Johns participates in Digital Promise, a nonprofit created in 2008 to enhance progressive learning opportunities. 

Guiding the Digital Promise program is Challenge Based Learning (CBL), in which students, families, and teachers cooperate to explore significant ideas and issues. CBL works by employing experiential learning with new practices in computer technology and media. Students of the program combine classroom activities with critical reflection, discussion, and writing. 

CBL guide students through three phases:

- Engage. Students learn to translate abstract concepts into practical action steps.

- Investigate. Participants collaborate in considering solutions while meeting academic benchmarks.

- Act. Learners develop evidence-based solutions for results-oriented evaluation.

Practitioners will meet in July 2019 for the Digital Promise Challenge Institute in Monterey, California. The event will create a peer network between educators and leaders to encourage innovations specific to participants’ schools and districts.

Benefits of Montessori in the Elementary Grades

Since 2006, Dr. Christine Johns has served as superintendent of the Utica Community Schools district in Michigan. As superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns offers families a rich suite of options for elementary education, including a Mandarin Chinese program and a Montessori program that serves kindergarten through sixth-grade students. 

In Italy near the turn of the 20th century, a physician by the name of Dr. Maria Montessori developed an innovative method to educate some of her city's most economically disadvantaged children. The philosophy of the Montessori Method centers on a child's natural curiosity and drive toward learning. The teacher, or directress, presents the students with a carefully prepared environment and allows the child ample time to work with his or her chosen materials, while responding to each child's learning needs as they arise.

Although Montessori itself focuses on individual growth rather than testing, this child-centric and hands-on method has measurable academic benefits. A 2003 study showed that students who attended a Montessori program between the ages of 3 and 11 had notably higher standardized test scores in math and science when they entered high school. In addition, a study conducted in the East Dallas Community School system showed that students who attended the district's two Montessori schools performed among the top 36 percent of student sin the country in both reading and math.

Research also has shown increased subject-specific content knowledge among Montessori students, even when those students entered the Montessori program struggling to grasp the topic at hand. A study published in the journal Science showed that students with a Montessori education produced more sophisticated writing by the age of 12, while also showing higher-level social and interpersonal skills than students in non-Montessori programs. Similarly, a 2012 study published in the Journal of School Psychology showed notable gains not only in core academic skills, but also in social problem-solving as well as overall executive functioning.

Looking Back at the 2014 ConnectED Superintendents Summit

Dr. Christine Johns, superintendent of Utica Community Schools (UCS), received her doctor of education in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University. Over the course of more than a decade as superintendent for the Sterling Heights, Michigan, district, Dr. Christine Johns has established herself as a national leader in education.

Among a number of awards and distinctions, Dr. Johns was selected to take part in the 2014 National ConnectED Superintendents Summit at the White House in Washington, DC, an invitation extended to only 100 teachers, administrators, and other educational leaders, many of whom were recognized for their achievements in the area of digital learning. The nation's top 100 education professionals in America used the summit as an opportunity to engage with the Education Department and discuss ways in which technology can further enhance the classroom experience for both teachers and students.

The summit was also attended by President Barack Obama, who spoke and took questions not only from attendees, but a national Internet audience. The President used his platform to discuss technological initiatives being undertaken by other countries, such as South Korea's goal of replacing all textbooks with digital materials, while outlining a brighter future for American students powered by new tools and technologies.

UCS Recognizes Grads with Prestigious Seal of Global Language

For more than a decade, Dr. Christine Johns has acted as superintendent of Utica Community Schools (UCS) in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Through the office of superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns has assisted in the development of new student achievement awards such as the Seal of Global Language. 

As one of the top performing school districts in Michigan, UCS helps its students works towards successful futures by providing an education that fosters innovation and strong academics. In 2016, the district sought to further bolster student achievement by introducing the Seal of Global Language award. UCS bestows this accolade upon graduating students who have displayed oral and written skills in both English and at least one other international language. 

To earn the Seal of Global Language, students must achieve a score of at least three on their language AP exams and fulfill the requirements of either an International Baccalaureate or Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency in Language test. As such, this accolade not only recognizes academic achievement, but it also indicates that recipients are fully prepared to enter the global economy.

In its inaugural year, the Seal of Global Language recognized 150 UCS graduates. By 2017, this number increased by nearly 20 percent to include 174 recipients.

Utica Academy for International Studies Promotes Literary Proficiency

For the past 10 years, Dr. Christine Johns has served as superintendent of Utica Community Schools in Michigan. As superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns oversees several specialized programs, such as the Utica Academy for International Studies (UAIS).

The UAIS’s mission is to develop an appreciation for both personal and academic growth. In addition to exploring other nations’ cultures, the school requires advanced participation in the study of Western literary traditions.

UAIS students must complete six credits of English language arts, beginning with Honors English 9. In that course, they develop an appreciation for literary expression by reading such classics as Romeo and Juliet and Of Mice and Men.

As they develop analytical writing skills, students move on to Honors English 10, in which they study foreign authors, focusing on works such as The Kite Runner, Brave New World, and The Prophet.

Speech/Production Teams 9 and 10 facilitate speaking and listening abilities as students give formal presentations and practice informal communication. They also begin to develop research skills for their Extended Essay, which is required for graduation.

Juniors and seniors graders must take IB English HL/SL, which includes material crucial to earning the school’s International Baccalaureate. Works translated from other languages provide insight into cultures of other societies, which students learn to understand by research and oral presentations.

Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools

Since 2006, Dr. Christine Johns has served as superintendent of Utica Community Schools in Sterling Heights, Michigan. With Dr. Christine Johns serving as superintendent, Utica Community Schools has worked to accelerate student learning through the use of technology in the classroom. Due to her strong commitment in this area, Dr. Johns was among only 40 educators nationwide to be invited to take part in Digital Promise. 

A nonprofit authorized by Congress, Digital Promise brings together educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs to solve learning challenges through technology and innovative approaches to teaching. As part of these efforts, the organization oversees a number of programs and collaborative groups, including its League of Innovative Schools, a coalition made up of forward-thinking education leaders from across the country. 

In addition to advancing the smart use of learning technologies, League members come together to test new approaches to teaching and learning. The League, which comprises district leaders from 33 states, also uses the insights of entrepreneurs and researchers to identify educational methods and tools that can create positive change in public schools. 

Recently, Digital Promise announced the launch of the Competency-based Education (CBE) Toolkit, which was developed based on the work of the League of Innovative Schools. The toolkit offers actionable advice and shares resources to help administrators implement competency-based education in the districts they serve. 

The CBE Toolkit and accompanying videos are available to every district in the country through Digital Promise’s online portal. For more information, visit www.digitalpromise.org.

Two Utica High Schools Named among Best in Michigan by Washington Post

A graduate of Harvard University School of Education with both a master’s in education and a doctorate in educational administration, Dr. Christine Johns has served as superintendent of Utica Community Schools since 2006. As superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns leads Michigan’s second largest school district, which includes two schools recently recognized by the Washington Post.

The Washington Post has recognized Utica Academy for International Studies (UAIS) and Eisenhower High School as among the Most Academically Challenging High Schools in Michigan. Notably, UAIS received the top spot in the state for the fifth consecutive year, and its International Baccalaureate program was ranked 38th in the country. Eisenhower High School earned the 28th spot in Michigan. 

These rankings are significant, given that 2,324 schools in the nation applied for consideration and only 12 percent earned recognition. The Washington Post Challenge Index takes into account the number of students who enroll in challenging academic programs, such as courses approved by the International Baccalaureate Organization and Advanced Placement courses authorized by the College Board. The index divides the number of International Baccalaureate, AP, and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests administered at a school in a given year by the number of graduating seniors that year.

Following news of the award, Dr. Christine Johns stated, “This recognition reflects the district’s focus to increase rigorous opportunities for all students to support their post-secondary success.”

Utica Community Schools' Efforts Drive SAT Preparation Readiness

Dr. Christine Johns is an experienced academic leader who serves as superintendent of Utica Community Schools (UCS) in Michigan. Committed to preparing students for competitive college and career environments, superintendent Dr. Christine Johns has overseen efforts surrounding Michigan’s recent transition from the American College Test (ACT) to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

The shift was set in place by the Michigan Department of Education, which mandated that, starting with the class of 2016, high school juniors must take the SAT. This followed a determination that the SAT aligned better than the ACT with the state’s academic standards.

Starting in 2015, school administrators coordinated with UCS educators to ensure that they engaged with CollegeBoard training materials. By reviewing sample exams of the newly revised SAT, teachers were able to define optimal testing strategies and transmit this to students.

Students are already on track for SAT success, as they take the PSAT in 10th grade to familiarize themselves with the test structure and materials and define skills they must improve to attain admittance into college. Parents were also encouraged to get involved, and more than 500 attended a district-led SAT awareness meeting.                            

AVID at Three UCS Secondary Schools

Dr. Christine Johns serves as superintendent of Utica Community School (UCS). Students within the UCS system have been performing above state and national averages. Three of the secondary schools that Dr. Christine Johns oversees as superintendent offer the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program.

AVID was started by Mary Catherine Swanson in 1980. It is now a global nonprofit organization with a guiding principle of having students adhere to the highest standards while providing the necessary academic and social assistance. AVID methodology believes students will rise to the occasion.

Annually, AVID programs provide training to over 30,000 educators, who learn to use proven techniques to prepare students to achieve success in high school, college, and in a chosen career. There is emphasis on traditionally underrepresented students in higher education.

While the AVID College Readiness System is intended for elementary, secondary, and higher education, a school district may implement independently the part that it needs.

Ninety-nine percent of students under the AVID system graduate from high school on time.

The Educator Micro-Credentials Initiative of Digital Promise

Multi-awarded Dr. Christine Johns is the superintendent of Utica Community Schools, which is the second-largest school district in Michigan. Superintendent Dr. Christine Johns, who earned her PhD from Harvard University, is among only 40 invited national educators to take part in Digital Promise.

Digital Promise involves the collaboration of education leaders, learning technology developers, and researchers, in using technology and research to provide better learning opportunities for all Americans. This independent, bipartisan, nonprofit organization has a number of undertakings, including its educator micro-credential initiative.

While educators are learning new skills on a regular basis, it is usually only at the start of their careers that they earn credentials. Hence, Digital Promise is establishing a coalition among educators and partners to create a micro-credential system the will recognize teachers who have mastered certain skills in the course of their career. This will give America’s educational system the capability to regularly identify and disseminate the best practices of the country’s educators and will encourage all teachers to improve their existing skills as well as learn new ones.

Utica Community Schools Rank among Washington Post's Most Challenging

Superintendent of schools for the Utica Community Schools (UCS) district in Sterling Heights, Michigan, Dr. Christine Johns maintains a commitment to implementing new initiatives to foster student success. A recipient of a 2014 Tech-Savvy Superintendent of the Year Award by eSchool News, Dr. Christine Johns also leads her schools in receiving national attention as a forerunner for positive educational changes. For instance, the Washington Post has recognized all four UCS high schools through the America’s Most Challenging High Schools list in multiple years.

The America’s Most Challenging High Schools consists of a listing of the nation’s most academically challenging high school institutions based on the ratio results of an internal index formula. Known as the Challenge Index, the formula examines students’ participation in advanced placement programs and divides the number of tests taken by the number of graduating seniors for each year. Particular program tests the Challenge Index looks for include International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE). In order to rank among the listing, schools must obtain an index ratio of 1.00, which indicates that the number of tests taken that year match the number of graduating seniors.

Organizers for the America’s Most Challenging High Schools list choose not to include student test results as a factor due to the actions undertaken by some schools to boost their test score rates. According to research conducted by organizers, some schools establish artificial test score rates by only allowing top students to participate in IB, AP, and AICE courses. Furthermore, the listing also excludes well-known magnet and charter schools whose concentration of top-preforming students exceeds the highest average for open enrollment schools.

League of Innovative Schools Drives Public Education Reform

Dr. Christine Johns serves as superintendent of Utica Community Schools in Michigan. As superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns has championed new ideas in public education through her participation in Digital Promise.

President Obama launched Digital Promise in 2011, after its authorization by Congress. It was created as a nonprofit, bipartisan organization devoted to developing new educational technologies.

One of its chief components is the League of Innovative Schools, which promotes solutions to challenges facing K-12 schools. It unites the efforts of school leaders using information technologies to benefit student achievement, and tests new ideas for teaching and learning in 73 member districts. These schools educate a total of over 3.2 million students from diverse backgrounds.

Digital Promise also sponsors collaborative activities on topics suggested by league members. Included in these working groups are such subjects as connectivity, funding, evaluation, and communication.

In another Digital Promise initiative, policy thought leaders, superintendents, and teachers convened to share their views and experiences with competency-based education. This concept emphasizes personal growth for students and tailors learning to their individual needs.

Communities That Care Enhance Student Achievement

The superintendent of Utica Community Schools in Michigan, Dr. Christine Johns believes strongly in public involvement in the activities of K-12 education. In a recent blog post, Dr. Christine Johns expressed her beliefs in the importance of civic support for teaching and learning.

The superintendent listed three necessities for a strong community: quality schools, secure neighborhoods, and thriving businesses. The care of the community for its children makes these three goals possible.

School-related endeavors help in a number of ways. Experienced students mentor younger ones, elder citizens help with tutoring, parents confer with teachers, and business leaders encourage career plans.

Students themselves appreciate these examples of voluntary action. Utica pupils were asked to identify supports that help them in their education. Possible choices included their interest in school (engagement), ideas and plans for the future (hope), and their beliefs about upcoming success (well-being).

Respondents gave more positive responses to these factors than the national average for school children. To Dr. Johns, these results indicate optimistic beliefs about their prospects; one source for this hopeful outlook was the knowledge that their community cared for and believed in them.

The Benefits of Taking AP Courses

Over the last decade, Dr. Christine Johns has overseen district-wide educational programs in her role as superintendent of Utica Community Schools in Michigan. Throughout her tenure as superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns has aimed to facilitate student success through such avenues as Advance Placement (AP) programs.

Many high school students in their junior and senior years elect to take AP courses that can further their educational opportunities. Encompassing a wide range of subjects, these classes provide a wide range of benefits to students who take them.

Those who achieve high scores from their AP courses have the unique opportunity to earn early credit for college classes. This allows students to complete their undergraduate degrees in fewer semesters, thus helping them save money on tuition. In addition, high AP scores often help students earn scholarships, which further minimizes the cost of higher education.

Not only do AP courses better prepare high school students for a college education, but they also allow them to immediately enroll in the more challenging courses that more directly pertain to their majors. Further, choosing to take AP classes impresses college admissions officers, and excelling at the AP level provides even further evidence that a student is prepared for higher education.

Educational Opportunities with Utica Community Schools

An experienced superintendent from Sterling Heights, Michigan, Dr. Christine Johns plays an instrumental role in facilitating the success of students at Utica Community Schools (UCS). In her role as superintendent of schools, Dr. Christine Johns oversees a number of the district’s educational programs that serve both children and adults.

In addition to standard educational programs for students in elementary, junior high, and high school, UCS holds a number of specialized instructional courses. These programs serve both the district’s schools and the community at large, providing opportunities for all students to pursue an education. The following are a few of the learning opportunities offered through UCS.

-Technical Education. Through UCS’ technical program, students can cultivate practical, career-based skills to benefit their future work. These courses cover expertise across a number of fields, including industrial engineering and business management. Technical education students can also earn college credit through a number of local schools.

-Adult Education. UCS hosts a community education program through which adults can pursue an education and earn their high school diploma or GED. The program’s network of certified teachers offers both standard and personalized classes to best serve the needs of each student.

-English Learner (EL) program. The UCA EL program aims to help non-native speakers learn the English language and gain a strong education in the process. Through this program, students build not only their speaking skills, but also their writing and reading capabilities.                            

The Rotation Model of Blended Learning Theory

The superintendent at Utica Community Schools in Sterling Heights, Michigan, Dr. Christine Johns has spearheaded a number of educational changes at schools in her district. As superintendent, Dr. Christine Johns introduced to kindergarten through second-grade classrooms a blended learning model, which garnered national attention for its focus on personalized instruction for each student.

The term “blended learning” refers to a formal education program involving elements such as student control over pacing, online learning, supervised study away from home, and integrated subject-based learning. Blended learning often adheres to a rotation model, during which students rotate among various activities according to a fixed schedule determined by the instructor.

The rotation model often incorporates physical stations in a classroom or group of rooms, as well as computer labs for online learning components. In the flipped classroom rotation, students conduct their primary learning via online modules and visit a brick-and-mortar location for teacher-guided practice of concepts. The rotation model also includes individual rotation, in which students design their own rotation schedules.

Utica Community Schools Serves Students from a Variety of Backgrounds

Dr. Christine Johns serves as superintendent of Utica Community Schools, a 36-school district located in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Dr. Christine Johns’ role as superintendent requires her to preside over a student population that contains individuals from a variety of backgrounds.

Ninety percent of the student population in Utica Community Schools is white, and 4 percent is African-American. Asian students make up 3 percent of the population, Latino students account for 1.8 percent, and non-white minorities make up the remaining 1.2 percent.

Utica Community Schools serves almost 1,000 students who fall into the category of English language learners. Collectively, these students speak 46 different languages. Utica’s English Learner (EL) program emphasizes teaching students who are learning English to improve their skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. They are also given guidance on how to strategize academically.

The EL program often serves bilingual students, but many students enrolled in the program actually come into it knowing several languages.