There was cause for a celebration this week at the International Academy of Macomb in Clinton Township as the school was named the second best high school in Michigan by U.S. News & World Report.
In addition, the school — a public, magnet high school located in the Chippewa Valley Ninth Grade Center — was also named the 13th best high school in the nation and the fifth best magnet school in the country, school officials said Wednesday.
The school is run by the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD)
“For the past 16 years, the IAM has provided this option to high school students where they can optimize their abilities in a variety of subjects,” MISD Superintendent Michael DeVault said. “This is just one example of the many diverse learning opportunities throughout the county supported by Macomb County school districts and the MISD.”
The IAM, which began offering the International Baccalaureate curriculum in 2008, is a consortium high school in Macomb County. The school is open to any Macomb County student in grades 9-12 who want to be enrolled in the International Baccalaureate curriculum.
According to U.S. News, the rankings are based on several weighted factors, including college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rate.
The national high school rankings evaluate nearly 17,660 public high schools at the national, state and local levels and include national and state rankings, plus Best STEM, charter and magnet high schools.
Last year, the International Academy was named the No. 1 high school in Michigan, 11th best high in the country and fifth best magnet school in the country by U.S. News.
IAM principal Laura Strong said the honor represents a “stellar collaborative achievement,” which is the result of a partnership between the superintendents in the participating districts and the MISD. She also credited the “exceptional” teaching staff and support staff at the IAM.
“However, it is also the unwavering dedication, hard work and commitment of the IAM students that truly bring these accomplishments to fruition,” Strong said.
According to a news release, students and their parents express their interest in the school around the time the student is in the eighth grade and coordinate through their local public school district to enroll.
The school is located on Romeo Plank Road at 19 Mile and transportation is provided. The MISD coordinates the school for 19 of the 21 local Macomb County districts.
LaMont Jones, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said the 2024 rankings offer a “offer a starting point for parents to understand a school’s academic performance, whether it’s a prospective school or one that their child is already attending.”