Academic achievement is one of the cornerstones of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Through the approved Flexibility Waiver for the ESEA, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has identified Priority Schools. Priority Schools are those schools whose ranking on MDE’s Top to Bottom list is in the bottom 5% of all schools in the state. The districts with Title I Priority Schools receive support services from MDE through its partner Intermediate School Districts and Education Service Agencies to build capacity in order to increase student achievement and decrease achievement gaps.