Birmingham Public Schools (BPS), formally the Birmingham City School District, is the public school district for Birmingham, Michigan

Birmingham, Michigan

Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...

. Beyond Birmingham, the district provides public school services for all areas of the following municipalities: Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills, Michigan

Beverly Hills is a village in Southfield Township, Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,267.-Geography:...

, Bingham Farms

Bingham Farms, Michigan

Bingham Farms is a village in Southfield Township, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,111 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...

, Franklin

Franklin, Michigan

Franklin is a village in Southfield Township, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,150 at the 2010 census. The community is known for large, estate-style homes situated on ravines, as well as its vintage downtown and cider mill....

 and Southfield Township, Michigan

Southfield Township, Michigan

Southfield Township is a civil township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 14,547 at the 2010 census.The cities of Lathrup Village and Southfield are autonomous municipalities and are no longer part of the township. The township shares some responsibilities with the...

; and parts of these municipalities: Bloomfield Hills

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...

, Bloomfield Township

Bloomfield Township, Michigan

Bloomfield Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*Bloomfield Township, Huron County, Michigan*Bloomfield Township, Missaukee County, Michigan*Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan...

, Southfield (city)

Southfield, Michigan

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...

, Troy

Troy, Michigan

Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...

 and West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

West Bloomfield Charter Township is an affluent charter township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the township had a population of 64,690. As of 2008, West Bloomfield Township was ranked the 8th highest income city in the...

. The current superintendent is David F. Larson .

History

In 1834, the first "district" school in Birmingham opened. This school was housed in John Hamilton's old log house at Hamilton Road and Old Woodward Ave. Rev. Lemuel M. Partridge served as the teacher. In 1855, the brick "Old Red Schoolhouse" was built at Maple and Southfield roads and served as a school until 1869. The Allen House, part of the Birmingham Historical Museum, now stands where the school was.

Through the 1930s other districts had their own elementary schools and sent paid tuition students to Baldwin High School in the Birmingham district. Throughout the 1940s, other school districts in the area were encouraged by the state to join Birmingham's school district. Southfield joined in 1943, Bloomfield Village in 1946, Franklin in 1945 and Walnut Lake in 1947.

Schools

Birmingham Public Schools runs eight elementary schools, one 3-8th grade school, two middle schools, two high schools, and one alternative high school. Each elementary school hosts a half day preschool program and the district also runs a preschool program out of Midvale BPS Early Childcare Center.

• Groves High School
• Seaholm High School
  Seaholm High School
  Ernest W. Seaholm High School is a public school located within the Birmingham City School District in Birmingham, Michigan, serving grades 9-12. It is located at 2436 West Lincoln Road, Birmingham, Michigan 48009. Seaholm opened its doors for the first time in 1951 under the name Birmingham High....
  
  
• Lincoln Street Alternative school
• Berkshire Middle School
• Derby Middle School
• Birmingham Covington School
• Beverly Elementary School
• Bingham Farms Elementary School
• Pembroke Elementary School
• Pierce Elementary School
• West Maple Elementary School
• Quarton Elementary School
• Greenfield Elementary School
• Harlan Elementary School (New building opened 2007, replacing original 1957 building)

Curriculum

The Birmingham Public Schools Strategic Plan calls for a curriculum which is updated and challenging for all students. Curriculum planning and staff development, incorporating developmentally appropriate practices, occur progressively beginning at the kindergarten level. Students in the district have access to a comprehensive arts program , music education, physical education, health life management classes and world languages.

The experiences and knowledge young children bring to school, combined with their natural curiosity, are the foundations for learning in the primary grades. The BPS program is designed to help develop children's potentials. The emphasis is on learning experiences which help children make connections between existing knowledge and new skills and information. All subject area outcomes are clearly defined, but learning is linked across these subject area boundaries. Classroom experiences are designed to be mutually reinforcing. In this manner, children see the connections between skills learned and their importance in real life.

The district incorporates technology throughout the curriculum beginning in elementary school. All classrooms throughout the district utilize Promethian Boards, a type of interactive whiteboard

Interactive whiteboard

An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...

.

Engage

At Birmingham Covington School, grades 5-8 experience the Engage program. Engage is a program of 21st Century skills including science, engineering tech, education tech, and communications. It is problem/project based and uses cooperative teams with ongoing documentation and reflection.

!gnite

In 2009 the district introduced a unique program called !gnite . This program was developed after the success of the Engage program at Birmingham Covington School.

The !gnite initiative strives to create flexible learning environments where the use of technology is a seamless part of the process, ubiquitous in connecting learners to content, each other, and the global community. Students work extensively with digital tools to create podcasts, video casts, still images and mind maps; and use Web-based environments such as Moodle, blogs and wikis to construct, communicate and collaborate across time, space and geographical boundaries.

This project, developed with help from Dr. Punya Mishra and Dr. Matthew Koehler, professors at Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

, includes an intense professional development component centered on maximizing the relationship between technology, course content and teaching practices. !gnite teachers engage in discussions, discourse and activities that stretch the boundaries of traditional learning as they work to design lessons that transform and redefine the role of technology in education.

Character Education

In 2011, the Character Education Partnership awarded three BPS schools the title of National School of Character. Pierce Elementary School, Bingham Farms Elementary School and Pembroke Elementary School joined Birmingham Covington School, Beverly Elementary School and Greenfield Elementary School as National Schools of Character within the district. As of 2011, the district holds the following Character Education awards:

Number	Award
6	National Schools of Character
6	National Schools of Character Finalists
1	National Profiles in Character Winner
2	National Honorable Mention Schools of Character
7	State Schools of Character (2 repeat winners)
40	Promising Practice Awards

Character Education is an integral part of the Birmingham Public Schools community, culture, and curriculum. The district incorporates a program guided by the 11 Principals of Character Education . The principles include the understanding and demonstration of core ethical and performance values in the lives of students, teachers, families, and community members. BPS District traits are Positive Attitude; Honesty and Integrity; Respect & Kindness; and Responsibility & Accountability. Teachers use everyday situations and the core curriculum to expand upon teachable moments for all students. One of the most visible aspects is through district wide, school wide, and classroom community service projects. These core values are imbedded into curriculum, discipline, pedagory, and relationships to create a culture of caring and excellence that is visible in each one of the schools.