The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy
Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy operates as a single-school district in Berrien County, Michigan, serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The enrollment is small for its grade band, and the student body is almost entirely Black, with a tiny number of Hispanic and white students. Because the district stops at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the state does not test kindergarten through second grade, so results begin at third grade.
State assessment results from the most recent year paint a difficult academic picture. In math, third grade showed the highest proficiency, with roughly a quarter of tested students meeting the bar. From fourth grade onward, math proficiency fell into the lowest reported range across every grade, with no students reaching proficiency in several grade levels. English language arts followed a similar pattern in the elementary grades, with third and fourth grade results in the lowest range. The bright spot came in the upper grades: seventh grade ELA rose above the floor, and eighth grade ELA reached a level where more than a third of tested students were proficient. Science and social studies, tested in fifth and eighth grade, both landed in the lowest reported range. Taken together, the district's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint among Berrien County's districts. A parent weighing this school may want to look into the school's approach to math instruction and early literacy support in particular, and ask what interventions or curricular changes are underway.
Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern here. The district's rate places it in the bottom quartile among Berrien County's districts, well above the county median. High absenteeism and low proficiency often reinforce each other, and families considering this school would want to understand what the school is doing to improve daily attendance.
Per-pupil spending sits in the lower range compared with neighboring districts. No data was available on free or reduced-price lunch rates, special education enrollment, or English learner counts, so those pieces of the student support picture are missing from what we can see. We also looked for the district's strategic priorities or recent changes a family would weigh and found little publicly reported, so we left that out rather than guess. No locale brief was available for the surrounding community, and no program offerings data was provided, so we cannot characterize extracurriculars, dual-credit pathways, or specialized academic programs.
The district's civil-rights data, staffing ratios, and course-access information were also not available in the provided material. Without those, we cannot speak to teacher experience, disciplinary patterns, or advanced course availability.
What the data does show is a small, homogenous elementary-and-middle school serving a predominantly Black student body in Berrien County, with academic results that trail most of its county peers and attendance challenges that compound the academic picture. The eighth-grade ELA result suggests some students find their footing as they approach high school, but the broader pattern across math, science, and social studies is one of low proficiency. Families considering this school should ask direct questions about the school's academic improvement plan, attendance interventions, and what supports exist for students working below grade level.
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