The ACES Network

Strategic Objective: Identify the 100 U.S. communities with the highest transformation potential through sports-media-education integration, creating the definitive target list for maximum GPP™ impact and revenue generation.

Communities ranked by crisis score (0-100, lower = higher priority). Data based on 2024 NAEP scores, graduation rates, sports investments, and media analysis.

Maximum Crisis Tier (Score 0-25) - CRITICAL PRIORITY

Rank Community Population Grad Rate Sports Investment Revenue Potential Implementation    

1 Baltimore City, MD 8 593,490 68.7% $1,400M $1,050K 30-60 days   

2 Detroit Public Schools, MI 12 670,031 72.9% $2,200M $1,050K 30-60 days   

3 Cleveland Municipal, OH 15 385,525 74.6% $1,200M $1,050K 30-60 days   

4 Camden City, NJ 18 73,562 47.7% $400M $962K 30-60 days   

5 East St. Louis, IL 20 18,469 65.2% $200M $875K 30-60 days   

6 Milwaukee Public Schools, WI 22 577,222 65.0% $1,100M $962K 30-60 days   

7 Buffalo Public Schools, NY 25 276,807 70.2% $1,600M $875K 30-60 days

Tier 1 Revenue Potential: $17.5M annually (95% conversion rate expected)

High Crisis Tier (Score 26-45) - HIGH PRIORITY

Rank Community Score Population Grad Rate Sports Investment Revenue Potential Implementation     

8 Gary Community Schools, IN 26 75,486 71.8% $150M $687K 60-90 days   

9 Chicago Public Schools, IL 28 2,716,000 85.0% $3,500M $825K 60-90 days   

10 Flint Community Schools, MI 29 95,943 73.4% $120M $687K 60-90 days   

11 Memphis-Shelby County, TN 32 651,073 83.4% $450M $687K 60-90 days   

12 Philadelphia School District, PA 35 1,584,000 78.5% $2,800M $750K 60-90 days   

13 Kansas City Public Schools, MO 38 508,090 77.8% $1,200M $687K 60-90 days   

14 New Orleans Public Schools, LA 41 383,997 79.2% $650M $687K 60-90 days   

15 Youngstown City, OH 44 60,068 68.5% $200M $550K 90-120 days

Tier 2 Revenue Potential: $15.6M annually (85% conversion rate expected)

Educational Crisis Highlights (2024 Data)

Baltimore City:

• Only 10% of 4th graders proficient in reading
• $18,272 per-pupil spending (13th highest nationally)
• 13 schools with zero math proficiency

Detroit Public Schools:

• Consistently ranks last among major cities on NAEP
• Only 5% math proficiency, 7% reading proficiency
• $2.2B total sports facility investment vs. educational crisis

Cleveland Municipal:

• Fewer than 10% of students proficient on all four NAEP exams
• Bottom 3 nationally in NAEP performance
• Over 50% chronic absenteeism rate

Algorithm Overview

Total Score = 100 - (Educational Crisis Points + Sports-Media Gap Points + Economic Crisis Points)

Lower scores indicate higher transformation priority and revenue potential

Weighted Scoring Components

Educational Crisis Score (Maximum 40 Points)

• NAEP Reading/Math Proficiency (30% weight) 4th and 8th grade scores vs. national averages
  Proficiency rate calculations
  Achievement gap analysis
  
• Graduation Rates (20% weight) 4-year graduation rate
  5-year extended graduation rate
  Dropout rate considerations
  
• Chronic Absenteeism (20% weight) Students missing 10%+ of school days
  Attendance trend analysis
  Regional comparison metrics
  
• Schools with Zero Proficiency (15% weight) Number of schools with 0% proficiency in core subjects
  Percentage of district schools affected
  Severity of crisis indicator
  
• Per-Pupil Spending Efficiency (15% weight) Spending per student vs. outcomes achieved
  Resource allocation effectiveness
  Return on investment analysis
  

Sports Investment Gap Score (Maximum 25 Points)

• Total Lifetime Sports Investment (40% weight) Stadium and arena construction costs
  Renovation and upgrade investments
  Training facility developments
  
• Public Funding Percentage (35% weight) Taxpayer contribution to sports facilities
  Municipal bond allocations
  State and federal funding portions
  
• Annual Operations Cost (25% weight) Ongoing public subsidy requirements
  Maintenance and operational support
  Lost tax revenue calculations
  

Media Coverage Gap Score (Maximum 20 Points)

• Sports vs Education Coverage Ratio (50% weight) Daily hours of sports vs education coverage
  Print and digital media analysis
  Story count and prominence comparison
  
• Social Media Engagement Disparity (30% weight) Sports vs education social media mentions
  Engagement rate comparisons
  Influence metric analysis
  
• Sports Personality Influence (20% weight) Number of major sports personalities
  Community involvement levels
  Educational advocacy participation
  

Economic Crisis Score (Maximum 15 Points)

• Poverty Rate (60% weight) Percentage of population below poverty line
  Child poverty rates
  Regional poverty comparison
  
• Unemployment Rate (40% weight) Current unemployment statistics
  Long-term unemployment trends
  Economic opportunity availability
  

Data Sources and Validation

Federal Data Sources:

• National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2024
• U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection
• U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
• Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data

State and Local Sources:

• State education department assessment results
• Municipal budget documents and reports
• Sports authority financial statements
• Local media coverage analysis

Validation Process:

• Cross-reference minimum 3 sources per data point
• Annual data refresh and verification
• Community stakeholder validation reviews
• Independent audit verification for accuracy