Detroit Prep, Detroit MI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Detroit Prep

Detroit Prep is a charter school on Detroit's east side, serving kindergarten through eighth grade under the Detroit Achievement Academy district. The school sits on Sylvester Street in the 48214 zip code, a part of the city where housing values run far below both state and national benchmarks, and where rents remain modest. For families rooted in Detroit or considering a move into the city, the cost of living near the school is relatively low, and the surrounding neighborhood reflects the layered history of a city that has seen decades of disinvestment followed by active revitalization.

The school serves a student body that is predominantly Black, with a substantial white population and smaller multiracial, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American cohorts. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Total enrollment is moderate for a K-through-8 charter, with class sizes that thin as students move into the upper grades, which gives the middle school years a smaller, more intimate feel.

On state assessments, Detroit Prep's results place it in the top quartile for overall proficiency relative to districts in Wayne County. English language arts is the school's strongest area. Third graders score well above half proficient, and while fourth grade dips, the upper grades climb steadily. By seventh and eighth grade, ELA proficiency reaches levels that are genuinely strong, with seventh grade near seven in ten and eighth grade clearing that mark. Math is more uneven. Third grade opens above half proficient, but fourth grade drops to about a third. Middle grades recover somewhat, with fifth and sixth grade in the low forties and seventh grade back above half. Eighth grade math lands in the mid-forties on the PSAT. Science and social studies follow a similar pattern, with fifth grade results softer and eighth grade results stronger, suggesting the school may be doing better at consolidating learning by the time students prepare to exit.

The district's most recent school performance report, publicly reported by the state's charter school office, shows Detroit Prep's parent district exceeding standards in both academic growth and academic achievement across ELA and math, as well as in financial reporting. That growth designation matters here, because it signals the school is moving students forward regardless of where they start, which aligns with the proficiency pattern of weaker early-grade math followed by stronger upper-grade results across subjects.

Several data gaps are worth naming. No graduation rate applies, because the school tops out at eighth grade. Individualized education program rates and English learner rates were not reported, so the picture of special population services is incomplete. Chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, staffing, and attendance data were also absent from what was available. A parent weighing this school may want to ask directly about special education services, English learner support, and attendance culture, since those pieces are not visible in the public data.

Detroit itself is a city in a period of visible transition. After decades of population decline, the city has recently recorded modest growth for two consecutive years, driven partly by immigration and new housing development. Major projects include the Hudson's site mixed-use tower downtown, the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, and continued riverfront expansion. The city's employment base still centers on the automotive industry, with General Motors downtown and Ford and Stellantis in nearby suburbs, alongside large health systems and financial services firms. Walkability and transit access vary widely by neighborhood, with downtown, Midtown, and Corktown offering more pedestrian-friendly environments and outer areas more car-dependent. Detroit Prep's location on the east side places it in a residential corridor where families will likely rely on cars or school-provided transportation.

The district has grown from a single school to two, and publicly reported enrollment figures suggest that expansion has changed the scale of the operation. For a family looking at Detroit Prep, the combination of strong upper-grade academic outcomes, a growth designation from the state, and an intentionally small middle school cohort makes this a school where the later years may be the strongest selling point. The softer early-grade math results are the area most worth probing with the school directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 32% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 27% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 30% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 40% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 44% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 33% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 36% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 40% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 46% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 55% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 768%

School 68% · District 53% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 71%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Science

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 35% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 46% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 25% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 43% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

This schoolDetroit Achievement 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 5Lower-income32%Higher-income75%43 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income67%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income31%Higher-income85%54 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income60%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income54%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income67%38 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income77%33 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income20%Higher-income75%55 pp gap