Alternative Educational Academy of Ogemaw County

The Alternative Educational Academy of Ogemaw County is a small public charter high school in West Branch, Michigan, serving grades 6-12 with a student population of 118. However, the school has struggled with extremely low graduation rates, high dropout rates, and poor academic performance compared to nearby traditional public high schools.

The data shows that the Alternative Educational Academy has had four-year graduation rates ranging from just 8.5% to 22.2% over the past five years, which is significantly lower than the 87.7% graduation rate at Whittemore-Prescott JrSr High School. Correspondingly, the school has had dropout rates as high as 41.4%, more than five times the 8.1% rate at Whittemore-Prescott. The school also suffers from extremely high chronic absenteeism, ranging from 58.6% to 93.8%, more than double the 36.4% rate at Ogemaw Heights High School.

Academically, the Alternative Educational Academy lags far behind state and nearby school averages, with only 17.65% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in M-Step/Science, compared to the state average of 37.5%. The school also serves a very high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, ranging from 90.7% to 94.92% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, much higher than the 61.78% at Ogemaw Heights High School or the 83.8% at Whittemore-Prescott JrSr High School. These factors may contribute to the school's struggles, suggesting a need for additional support and intervention to improve student outcomes.