Star International Academy, Canton MI

Original Research by School Decision on Star International Academy

Star International Academy is a public charter school in Canton, Michigan, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It sits on Geddes Road in Wayne County, positioned in a suburb roughly equidistant between Detroit and Ann Arbor. Canton is a large charter township dominated by residential subdivisions and commercial corridors along Ford Road and Michigan Avenue, with limited walkability outside a few nodes like the Cherry Hill new urbanist neighborhood. The township ranks among the higher-income communities in the country for its population size, and its top employers include the local school district, an automotive wire harness manufacturer, and several big-box retailers. Housing values in the school's zip code run well above the state benchmark, and rents are moderately above the state level as well. The housing market has appreciated modestly year over year, keeping pace with broader regional trends.

The school itself draws a student body that looks quite different from the surrounding affluent township. Enrollment is modest for a school spanning nine grade levels, and an overwhelming majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly white, with small numbers of Asian and Black students and no reported Hispanic, multiracial, American Indian, or Pacific Islander students. The school does not report data on English learners or students with individualized education programs, so those gaps stand as missing information rather than zero values. A parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and English learner services, since neither appears in the available data.

Academically, the most recent state assessment results present a mixed but generally encouraging picture. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile relative to districts in Wayne County, which is a real strength given that the county contains a wide range of school systems. English language arts results tend to be the school's strongest area. Seventh grade ELA proficiency reaches a solid level, and eighth grade ELA on the PSAT stands out as particularly high. Lower elementary ELA is more modest, with third grade proficiency sitting below a third of tested students. The middle grades show some inconsistency, with sixth grade ELA dipping before seventh and eighth grade rebound sharply.

Mathematics follows a less even pattern. Fourth grade math is the clear bright spot, with half of tested students reaching proficiency. Third, fifth, sixth, and eighth grade math proficiency all sit below that level, with sixth grade being the weakest. Seventh grade math lands in a middle range. Science and social studies results are available only for fifth and eighth grades. Fifth grade science reaches about a third proficient, while eighth grade science is quite low. Social studies shows the reverse pattern, with fifth grade quite low and eighth grade reaching a higher level, though the eighth grade tested group is small, which can amplify year-to-year swings.

Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. That gap reflects the grade band served, not a missing or weak result. The same is true for college readiness measures and advanced coursework data, none of which apply to a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade configuration. Program offerings, staffing details, attendance figures, and discipline data were not available in the provided materials, so those aspects of the school environment could not be assessed here. A family considering this school would benefit from asking about enrichment programs, intervention supports, and teacher retention directly.

No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these proficiency levels are improving, declining, or holding steady over time. The comparison fact set does position the school well within Wayne County, and the eighth grade ELA result in particular suggests that some students are leaving the school well prepared for high school coursework. The weaker math and science results in certain grades are areas a parent may want to look into further with the school, asking how instruction is structured and what support systems exist for students who are not yet proficient.

Canton itself offers families a suburban setting with strong civic infrastructure, including a farmers market at Preservation Park, community festivals like Canton Liberty Fest, and recreational trails. The township has experienced decades of growth that has slowed in recent years, with a slight population decline in the most recent census estimate. Major employers are concentrated in education, automotive manufacturing, and retail. The broader region benefits from proximity to both Detroit and Ann Arbor, expanding access to cultural institutions, healthcare, and higher education. For families drawn to a charter option in this area, Star International Academy offers a small school environment with above-county-average academic outcomes, a strong showing in upper-grade English language arts, and a student body that is predominantly economically disadvantaged despite its affluent surrounding community.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 29%

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

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 38% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 33% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 25% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 30% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 24% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 26% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 34% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 38% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 34% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 34% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 69% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 37% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 34% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 22% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 44% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

This schoolStar 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.