Oakland International Academy Middle, Detroit MI

Original Research by School Decision on Oakland International Academy Middle

Oakland International Academy Middle sits on Conant Street in Detroit, a charter school serving grades six through eight. It is part of the Oakland International Academy district, which spans grades two through eight across multiple campuses. The middle school enrollment is modest, with students spread fairly evenly across the three grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with small Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial populations. Just over half the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school did not report counts or rates for English learners or students with individualized education programs, so those pieces of the picture are missing here.

On state assessments, the most recent results show a mixed academic profile. In English language arts, the middle grades land in a moderate range on the M-STEP, with sixth and seventh grade proficiency sitting below the statewide midpoint. Eighth grade ELA, measured through the PSAT, stands out as a clear strength: a strong majority of eighth graders reached proficiency, well above what the earlier grades show and a result that suggests the school's literacy work compounds over time. Math tells a different story. Proficiency across the middle grades sits in the lower range, and eighth grade math is the weakest point, with fewer than a quarter of students reaching proficiency on the PSAT. Science and social studies results, where they are reported for eighth grade, are also low. A parent weighing this school may want to look into the math support structures directly with the administration, since the gap between ELA and math performance is wide.

The proficiency data also includes third through fifth grade results, which appear to come from the broader Oakland International Academy campus rather than this middle school alone. Those lower-grade numbers follow a similar pattern, with math modestly higher than ELA in the elementary years and science and social studies lagging. Trend data across years was not available, so there is no way to read whether these results are improving or declining over time.

Among Wayne County districts, the school's overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint. That positioning reflects the strong eighth grade ELA result pulling the average up alongside the more modest math and science scores. No graduation rate applies here, since the school does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism data was not reported.

The surrounding community is Detroit itself, a major urban center and the historic heart of the American automotive industry. Publicly reported sources describe a city that has seen two consecutive years of population growth as of the most recent census estimates, reversing decades of decline. Revitalization has concentrated in Midtown, Corktown, and the East Riverfront, with new residential construction and rehabilitation of historic buildings. The zip code where the school sits carries home values far below both the state and national benchmarks, and those values have been declining further. This makes the area one of the most affordable housing markets in the region, but it also reflects the disinvestment that has affected many Detroit neighborhoods outside the downtown core. Renter data was not available.

At the district level, Oakland International Academy has publicly reported a shift in its school improvement approach, moving to the MCIP platform and adopting the Marzano model with a dedicated language acquisition component. The district has pointed to its English language learner population as a reason for this focus, noting that language proficiency directly affects assessment outcomes. The district has also reported that its graduation rate, measured at the high school level, has risen over five school years and ranks favorably among Michigan districts. That high school trajectory does not reflect this middle school directly, but it speaks to the district's longer-term academic pathway.

For a parent, this school offers a charter option in a Detroit neighborhood where housing is inexpensive and the broader city is in a period of renewed growth. The English language arts results, especially in eighth grade, are a genuine bright spot. Math is the area where a family would want to ask the most questions. The missing data on English learners, special education, and absenteeism means the picture is incomplete, and a visit or call to the school would help fill in who the school serves and how it supports them.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 30%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 28%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 62%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 17%

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolOakland International Academy, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income19%Higher-income42%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income41%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income17%Higher-income37%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income47%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income59%42 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income51%Higher-income79%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income32%Higher-income36%4 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income29%Higher-income38%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income36%Higher-income20%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income31%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income20%Higher-income50%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income16%Higher-income31%15 pp gap