The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Bradford Academy
Bradford Academy operates as a single-school charter district in Southfield, Michigan, within Oakland County. It serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade on one campus, which gives it the feel of a continuous pathway rather than a system of separate buildings. The enrollment is modest for a district spanning all thirteen grade levels, meaning each cohort is small and students may stay with the same peer group from early childhood through graduation.
The student body is almost entirely Black. A parent considering Bradford Academy would be choosing a school where their child learns alongside peers who share a similar racial and cultural background, and where the school's identity is closely tied to serving that community. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, so the economic profile of the student body cannot be characterized from what was provided. Information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was also missing.
On Michigan's state assessments, Bradford Academy's results are weak across nearly every tested grade and subject. In math, proficiency rates sit at the very bottom of the state's reporting range for grades three through eight, with only a handful of students reaching proficiency in the earliest grades. English language arts shows somewhat more variation. The eighth-grade ELA result stands out as the one relative bright spot, with a meaningfully larger share of students meeting proficiency than in the earlier grades, suggesting some students gain ground as they move through the upper grades. Science and social studies results mirror the math pattern, with proficiency at the floor of the reporting range in most tested grades.
Against its comparison set, labeled "among Oakland County's districts," Bradford Academy sits in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The county's districts span a wide range of performance, and Bradford Academy is at the lower end of that spectrum. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking what instructional supports and interventions are in place and how the school plans to strengthen outcomes in the core subjects.
Chronic absenteeism is a concern the data makes plain. Bradford Academy's rate is above the county midpoint, meaning a substantial share of students miss enough school to affect their learning. Given the small cohort sizes, even a few students with attendance struggles can move the rate, but the level is high enough that a parent would want to understand the school's attendance policies and what supports exist for families facing barriers to consistent attendance. Per-pupil spending falls in the middle range of the county's districts but in the lower half, so the school is not the most resourced in Oakland County, nor the least.
The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes or initiatives. The search found only static directory and program information, with nothing dated that clears a lasting-impact threshold. A parent looking for evidence of new academic programs, leadership transitions, or facility investments would need to contact the school directly, as nothing of that kind surfaced in the available data.
Housing values and rental information were not provided, so this narrative cannot speak to what it costs to live near the school or what the residential market looks like in Southfield. The community and economic context section was also empty. A family weighing a move to the area would need to look elsewhere for that picture.
What the data does say is this. Bradford Academy is a small, single-campus charter serving a nearly all-Black student population from pre-kindergarten through senior year in Oakland County. State assessment results are low across math, science, and social studies, with ELA showing occasional pockets of stronger performance, particularly in eighth grade. Chronic absenteeism runs above the county midpoint. Per-pupil spending is moderate but below the county median. No recent district-level changes, housing data, or program offerings were available in the provided material. For a parent whose priority is a close-knit, single-campus environment with a shared cultural peer group, Bradford Academy may fit. For a parent whose priority is strong academic outcomes as measured by state tests, the current results suggest a careful conversation with school leadership before enrolling.
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