Taylor Exemplar Academy, Taylor MI

Original Research by School Decision on Taylor Exemplar Academy

Taylor Exemplar Academy is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade on Goddard Road in Taylor, a mixed-use suburb in the Downriver section of metropolitan Detroit. The school sits in a community shaped by wide arterial roads, strip commercial development along Eureka Road and Telegraph Road, and separated civic and recreational campuses rather than a walkable downtown core. Heritage Park, described as the jewel of the city, sits nearby with its botanical gardens, splash pad, and sports fields. The surrounding neighborhood is auto-oriented by design, with freeway access via I-75 and I-94.

The school enrolls a mid-sized student body for its grade band. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding community. The student population is predominantly Black, with a smaller white population and representation from students identifying as two or more races, Hispanic, and Asian. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those figures are left out rather than estimated.

Academically, the most recent state assessment results tell a mixed story. In English language arts, proficiency is moderate in the elementary grades and rises sharply by middle school, with seventh and eighth grade showing the school's strongest results. Eighth-grade ELA proficiency is the single highest mark across all reported subjects and grades. Math performance is more uneven, hovering in a modest range across grades, with fifth and seventh grade being the weakest. Science and social studies are tested only in fifth and eighth grade. Fifth-grade science and social studies results are the lowest proficiency figures the school reports, while eighth-grade results in both subjects are markedly stronger. The pattern of older students outperforming younger ones is consistent across subjects.

Against its comparison set, Taylor Exemplar Academy's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among Wayne County districts. This is a reasonably positive position given the county's large number of districts and wide range of outcomes. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and that absence reflects the grade band, not a gap in performance. Chronic absenteeism data was not available in the provided materials.

The housing market around the school is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code sit well below the Michigan statewide figure and further below the national one, and rents are similarly modest. Both home values and rents have been rising modestly year over year, with rents increasing at a faster clip. The broader economic context includes a thirty-year mortgage rate in the mid-six percent range and a national unemployment rate holding steady. Taylor's housing stock ranges from starter homes to newer high-end subdivisions and golf course-adjacent properties, which gives families options across price points, though everything is oriented around car travel.

Publicly reported material on recent district-level changes was not found. The search for parent-relevant developments at the charter district level returned general operational information but nothing meeting the bar of lasting impact, so that space is left blank rather than filled with speculation.

For a parent weighing this school, the academic signal is one of growth from elementary into middle school. Students who stay through the upper grades appear to reach stronger proficiency levels, particularly in reading and writing. The weaker spots are concentrated in the elementary years, especially in math, science, and social studies at the tested grades. A parent may want to look into how the school supports students in those earlier grades and whether the upward trajectory in the middle grades reflects instruction, curricular sequencing, or other factors. The charter structure means this school operates as its own district, which can mean more direct governance relationships for parents to engage with than a traditional district school. The surrounding community offers suburban amenities, parks, and healthcare access, all reached by car, at housing costs that are among the more affordable in the metropolitan region.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 38%

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

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 34%

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

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 35%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 723%

School 23% · District 23%

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

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

even with state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 32%

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

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 37%

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

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 34%

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

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 56%

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

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 19%

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

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 35%

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

Social studies

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 13%

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

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

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

This schoolTaylor Exemplar 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-income31%Higher-income38%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income44%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income25%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income62%39 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income80%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income50%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income29%Higher-income50%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income22%Higher-income33%12 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income52%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income16%Higher-income53%37 pp gap