ZPS Annual Reports

January 12, 2026    

Dear Parents and Community Members:

We are pleased to present you with the Annual Education Report (AER) which provides key information on the 2025-26 educational progress for Zeeland Public School District and our schools. The AER addresses the complex reporting information required by federal and some requirements of state laws. Our staff is available to help you understand this information. Please contact Julie Patrick (jpateric@zps.org) for help if you need assistance.

The DISTRICT AER is available for you to review electronically by visiting the following website https://www.mischooldata.org/annual-education-report/ or you may review a copy in the main office at your child’s school. Each school will also be communicating its own AER to parents directly.

These reports contain the following information:

Student Assessment Data 

• Includes the following three assessments: M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress), MI-Access (Alternate Assessment), and College Board SAT 

• Presents assessment information for English language arts and mathematics for grades 3 to 8 and 11, and MI-Access science for grades 4, 7, and 11, compared to state averages for all students as well as subgroups of students 

Educator Qualification Data

• Identifies the number and percentage of inexperienced teachers, principals, and other school leaders

• Reports teachers who are teaching with emergency or provisional credentials

• Includes teachers who are not teaching in the subject or field for which they are certified

NAEP Data (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

• Provides state results of the national assessment in mathematics and reading every other year in grades 4 and 8

Civil Rights Data

• Provides information on school quality, climate, and safety

Review the table below listing our schools. For the 2025-26 school year, schools were identified based on previous years’ performance using definitions and labels as required in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). A Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) school is one that had at least one underperforming student subgroup in 2024-25. An Additional Targeted Support (ATS) school is one that had a student subgroup performing at the same level as the lowest 5% of all schools in the state in 2021-22. A Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school is one whose performance was in the lowest 5% of all schools in the state, or had a graduation rate at or below 67%, failed to exit CSI status in 2024-25, or failed to exit ATS status in 2021-22. Some schools are not identified with any of these labels. In these cases, no status label is given.

Zeeland Public Schools is proud of our commitment to students and to providing an educational environment grounded in our motto: Safe, Valued, Loved, and Learning. We continually reflect on our practices and adjust student opportunities to ensure alignment with our vision. Each day, we strive to educate the hearts and minds of all students so they can reach their fullest potential.

As part of this commitment, we are implementing a comprehensive strategic plan focused on high-quality instruction with support, student achievement, positive school culture and climate, staff recruitment and retention, and the maintenance of exemplary facilities. In addition, we are strengthening our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to ensure every student receives the academic and behavioral support needed to be successful in the classroom.

Zeeland Public Schools continues to strengthen academic performance while prioritizing social and emotional support for all students. We remain focused on addressing achievement gaps, particularly for our English Language Learners and Special Education subgroups. We are proud of our students and remain committed to continuous improvement so that every learner is prepared to learn for life.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rod Hetherton
Superintendent
Zeeland Public Schools