Every year, newspapers across the state print the report card that the state of Michigan gives its public schools for parents to see how well their children’s schools are doing.

But what the articles don’t tell readers is that many districts with failing marks in student achievement are allowed to give themselves a score of 100 percent for completing a report on how it plans to improve itself. In many cases, that self-reported “A” inflates would-be grades of “F” to a passing grade.

Schools across the state get an automatic “A” for filling out a report on “indicators of school performance.” The report focuses on the school’s plans for self-improvement. The automatic “A” accounts for one-third of the school’s Education YES! state report card grade.

In August, the Lansing State Journal published all the EducationYes grades for the schools in Lansing Public Schools.

The newspaper article cites Sheridan Road School with a grade of “C.” However, Sheridan Road School had an “F” in Reading and an “F” in Mathematics in its only grades on student achievement. But with the help of the automatic “A,” the school ended up with a “C.”

Newspapers across the state publish the report cards with the inflated grades. MLive listed the grades of hundreds of schools.

In the Grand Rapids School District, Congress Elementary was given a “C.” It got that passing grade despite getting “F”s in Reading and Mathematics — the only two areas of student achievement that were measured.

"Who is helped by this?” said Michael Van Beek, director of education policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Van Beek said the system only helps districts that are failing in student achievement hide their grades.

"Parents aren’t helped by this because they don’t get an accurate assessment of how their school is performing,” Van Beek said.

Although plans for self-improvement are important, they should not carry nearly the same weight as student achievement when it comes to determining a report card grade, Van Beek said.

Two years ago, Michigan Capitol Confidential reported on a similar problem. At the time, a Michigan Department of Education spokesman said the automatic 100 percent grade was only for one year and that a new system would change it.

The MDE spokespeople didn’t return requests for comment on why a new system hasn't been implemented. The superintendents in the Lansing and Grand Rapids schools didn’t return emails seeking comment.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm often spoke of using “green energy” to turn around the state’s economy, but instead Michigan has become the epicenter of government-subsidized failures.

Four of the nation’s top eight “green energy” companies that have filed for bankruptcy had operations in Michigan and received state and federal subsidies.

The Heritage Foundation put together a list of the 19 federally supported green energy companies that filed for bankruptcy and Michigan was represented significantly.

The companies with Michigan operations included A123 Systems, Azure Dynamics, United Solar Ovonics and Evergreen Solar.

Federal, state and local governments were willing to put up as much as $874 million for those four companies, but they still could not avoid bankruptcy. The government aid figure includes tax credits, loans, loan guarantees, grants and other financial incentives, according to The Heritage Foundation.

The companies were part of President Barack Obama’s effort to stimulate the economy. Granholm also trumpeted many of the failed companies as big-time job creators.

"This week’s developments show that an economic strategy we devised five years ago is continuing to produce results," Granholm said in a December 2009 speech announcing the Michigan companies receiving money from the federal stimulus program. "In that time, Michigan has invested more than $1 billion to help nurture the growth of green manufacturing in our state, from advanced batteries and electric vehicles to solar panels and wind turbines. … We want Michigan to be a center for advanced manufacturing and the jobs that come with it."

It’s not dumb luck that Michigan has hosted some of the biggest green energy collapses.

“We made a concentrated effort to attract these businesses regardless of their business prospects,” said James Hohman, a fiscal policy analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. “Michigan taxpayers have been paying the costs but reaping few of the benefits.”

Azure Dynamics in Oak Park developed hybrid electric technology. It was supposed to create 40 jobs within five years (2014). According to a company website, Azure Dynamics liquidated its assets.

Evergreen Solar has a facility in Midland that made solar power products. It was projected to create 101 jobs within five years (2013). Evergreen also liquidated its assets and no jobs exist.

A123 Systems had a plant in Livonia that made advanced batteries for hybrid electric vehicles. It was projected to create 844 jobs within five years (2014). Seven jobs exist at the company, according to federal records.

United Solar Ovonics developed technology for solar cells. It had facilities in Battle Creek and Greenville that were to create a projected 700 jobs. The company sold off its assets this summer, according to news reports.