The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Dove Academy of Detroit
Dove Academy of Detroit is a single-school charter district serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Wayne County, Michigan. It operates as one school under a charter authorized by Oakland University, with its most recent charter renewal in 2021 and the next review coming in 2027. The district sits within the Detroit metro area, though the available data did not include a community or economic profile for its immediate surroundings, so there is little to say here about neighborhood character or housing conditions.
The enrollment is small for a district spanning nine grade levels, and the student body is almost entirely Black. The data does not include free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, special education rates, or English learner figures, so it is hard to gauge the full scope of student need from what is reported. A parent looking into the school may want to ask directly about these supports, since the absence of the figures here leaves a real gap in the picture.
On Michigan's M-STEP and PSAT assessments from the 2024-25 school year, proficiency rates are low across nearly every tested grade and subject. In math, results hovered in the single digits for most grades, with one grade reaching a somewhat higher level. English language arts shows a similar pattern, with most grades landing in the low-to-mid teens, though eighth grade stands out with a comparatively stronger result on the PSAT. Science and social studies proficiency rates are also low. Taken together, the overall proficiency index places Dove Academy in the bottom quartile among Wayne County's districts. These are challenging numbers. A parent considering this school would want to understand what instructional approaches and interventions are in place, and how leadership plans to move proficiency upward.
Chronic absenteeism sits above the midpoint among Wayne County districts, which is worth attention. Absenteeism at that level can compound academic difficulties, and a parent may want to look into what the school is doing to improve daily attendance and whether there are barriers families face getting children to school consistently.
Per-pupil current spending falls in the middle range among Wayne County's districts, in the lower half. The spending level is not unusual for the area, and the data does not break out how funds are allocated, so there is nothing more to say about resource use.
Because Dove Academy does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. That is simply a function of the grade band, not a missing measure. The same applies to high school-level course access data, which was not available and would not apply here.
We looked for recent district-level changes such as curriculum overhauls, facility investments, or shifts in pedagogy, but found nothing on record with lasting parent-relevant impact. The charter renewal cycle appears to be the main administrative milestone, and that is routine rather than a signal of change.
No program offerings, extracurriculars, or specialized academic pathways were listed in the data, so there is nothing to describe on that front. A family would need to contact the school directly to learn what enrichment, intervention, or after-school options exist.
What the data shows is a small, nearly homogeneously Black elementary-and-middle school in Wayne County with academic results that are well below county medians and absenteeism that runs above the midpoint. For a parent weighing options, the questions worth bringing to the school are direct ones about academic improvement plans, attendance strategy, and the supports available to students across the grade span.
See more original research from School Decision →