Highest Third-Grade ELA Scores in Northern Michigan Are Found at a Charter School, Old Mission Peninsula School

Literacy experts say that third-grade reading scores are the most important indicator of a child’s future academic success. Third grade is when students should be “reading to learn” instead of “learning to read,” which is why third-grade English Language Arts (ELA) scores are considered the single most significant measure on the M-STEP test.

An analysis of the 2025 M-STEP scores, released in August, shows that the highest third-grade ELA scores in Northern Michigan are found at a charter school in Traverse City, Old Mission Peninsula School.

The scores showed that 62.5% of third-graders at Old Mission Peninsula School were proficient in ELA, well above the state average of 38.9%.

That was the highest score of any school district in the Northwest Education Services ISD, which covers a wide swath of the northern Upper Peninsula, including the counties of Grand Traverse, Antrim, Benzie, Kalkaska, and Leelanau.

Three of the top four districts in the ISD were charter schools, with the Woodland School in second place at 56.5% proficient and Grand Traverse Academy in fourth place at 49.4%.

Old Mission Peninsula School Principal Kaitlyn Bailey said the outstanding performance is a testament to the school’s mission and the hard work of the students and staff.

“I am so proud of all of our students, especially our third-graders,” Bailey said. “At Old Mission Peninsula School, we build a love of reading from the very beginning. Our teachers use a structured literacy approach grounded in the science of reading, with plenty of small-group instruction and individualized support.”

Bailey said they also take steps to make sure their students don’t just have to read; they want to read.

“We also make sure reading is joyful,” she said. “Students see books as a way to explore, imagine, and connect with the world around them. We value cross-grade-level collaboration to make sure all students are getting what they need.”

Located on the beautiful Old Mission Peninsula north of Traverse City, Old Mission Peninsula School opened as a charter school in 2018, authorized by Grand Valley State University. The school was previously part of the Traverse City Area Public Schools district, but after the district announced plans in 2015 to close the school, a local foundation was formed that gave it new life as a charter school. It’s been thriving ever since.

Old Mission Peninsula School’s fourth-grade ELA scores were also excellent, with 70.8% of students scoring proficient.