February 1, 2026
Dear Parents and Community Members:
We are pleased to present you with the Annual Education Report (AER), which provides key information on the 2024-25 educational progress for Zoo School. The AER addresses the complex reporting information required by federal and state laws. The school’s report contains information about student assessment, accountability, and teacher quality. If you have any questions about the AER, please email FlavinD@grps.org or call our school’s main office at (616) 819-3344 for assistance.
The AER is available for you to review electronically by clicking this link, or you may review a copy in the main office at your child’s school.
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 group in 2024-25. An Additional Targeted Support (ATS) school is one that had at least one student group 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, 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.
Our school has not been given one of these labels.
Click here to view the School Index Overview for our school. This site provides additional information about key performance indicators.
We continue to implement the district’s Academic Plan that focuses on creating a learning culture to advance students’ thinking and providing a rigorous and standards-based curriculum to help students achieve College- and Career-Readiness by the time they graduate.
State law requires that we also report additional information.
About Our School
Zoo School offers highly motivated students the opportunity for a diversity of learning experiences to meet their academic, intellectual, emotional, and social needs. The school is designed to heighten an awareness of the environment, stimulate creative thinking, develop leadership, promote intellectual growth, and increase self-esteem. The school is located on the grounds of John Ball Park Zoo and has been in existence since 1973. Zoo School serves 60 selected sixth grade students each year, attracting students from public and non-public schools throughout the city of Grand Rapids plus a few students from other nearby cities. The student body is a heterogeneous mixture of ethnic, economic, and social backgrounds.
Mission Statement
Zoo School is designed to provide a learning environment that will produce students with a heightened awareness of the environment, stimulate creative thinking, develop leadership, promote intellectual growth, and increase self-esteem.
Process for Assigning Pupils to Our School
Our school is a theme school requiring application. Click here to view the GRPS Attendance Area Finder. It shows the neighborhood elementary school, middle school, and high school for your address. Additional options, including K-8 schools, theme schools, and Centers of Innovation are available. Please contact Student Services at (616) 819-2150 to learn more about your school choices.
Local Assessment Results
NWEA’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is the district’s local assessment. The table below reflects the proportion of students who scored at or above the 50th National Percentile in Reading and Math during Spring 2024 and Spring 2025.
NWEA Measure of Academic Progress
Students Scoring at or above the 50th National Percentile
Reading
| Grade Level | Spring 2024 | Spring 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 84% | 89% |
Math
| Grade Level | Spring 2024 | Spring 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 71% | 67% |
Core Curriculum
GRPS continues to...
- Align curricula to Michigan Grade Level Content Standards and College and Career Readiness Standards.
- Provide professional development that supports our Academic Plan.
- Assess student learning so teachers have accurate information about each student.
- Define individualized student targets, school-wide targets and district achievement targets.
We are committed to ensuring our students reach their full academic potential. Feel free to contact me if you have questions or need additional information.
Thank you for your interest in our school!
Sincerely,
Denise Flavin
Principal, Zoo School