Nine Washtenaw County schools are in the top 100 schools in the state in new rankings issued by the Michigan Department of Education.

The top school locally is Manchester Middle School. Ann Arbor has six of the top 10 schools in the county, according to the rankings, while Saline has three. A seventh Ann Arbor school is ranked number 11 in the county.

Manchester Middle School is the top local school in statewide rankings.

Photo courtesy of Manchester Schools

Math and English Language Arts test scores showing student achievement and academic growth from the 2007-09 school years are the basis for the rankings, the Michigan Department of Education said in a press release.

The department also said this list isn't used to identify the “lowest 5 percent,” as prescribed in the state’s new school reform laws. That list will come out later this summer.

“We wanted to show communities how their schools measure up with other schools across the state,” said state Superintendent Mike Flanagan. “We don’t want the focus of education to be just on the lowest performing schools, but also on those schools that are excelling.”

Local school officials said the rankings reflect what they’ve known all along.

"Our vision as a district is to provide 'educational excellence in a caring community,'” Manchester Superintendent Shawn Lewis-Lakin said in an e-mail to AnnArbor.com. “These rankings provide independent confirmation that the vision is a reality for our students and community. At each level - elementary, middle, and high school - the rankings show that the Manchester Community School District is among the highest achieving school districts, not only in our area, but in the state. This recognition honors the hard work of students, families, staff members, and indeed, the entire Manchester community that provides tremendous support for our schools.”

Saline schools spokesman Steve Laatsch had similar sentiments about the inclusion of Saline Middle School, Saline Hugh School and Woodland Meadows Elementary School in the top 10 in the state.

“We are very pleased about these results. To have three of our schools in the top 100 in comparison to the well over 3,000 schools across the state is very impressive," he said. "We feel these results reflect the outstanding effort of our students, staff, and community in working together to provide first rate educational opportunities.”

Ann Arbor school district spokeswoman Liz Margolis said the district had no comment on the rankings.

David Jesse covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.