The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in Math. The lowest is 12% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Roberto Clemente Learning Academy
Roberto Clemente Learning Academy is a regular public elementary school in southwest Detroit, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Detroit Public Schools Community District. It sits on Beard Street in the 48209 zip code, a predominantly residential area of the city. The school draws a largely Hispanic student body, with a small share of Black, white, and multiracial students. A substantial majority of enrolled children qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the economic conditions of the surrounding neighborhood rather than any characteristic of the school itself. The school does not operate as a charter or magnet school. No Title I status was reported in the data available to us.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessment in the most recent school year, proficiency results were low across every tested subject and grade. In math, roughly a quarter of third and fourth graders reached proficiency, while fifth grade results were lower. English language arts results followed a similar pattern, with third grade showing the weakest performance and fourth grade the strongest among the three tested grades. Fifth grade science and social studies results were also low. The school's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint relative to districts in Wayne County, a comparison set that includes well over a hundred districts. These are straightforward results that a parent may want to discuss with school leadership, asking what instructional supports and interventions are in place and how growth is measured for individual children between testing windows.
Several data points that would help round out the picture were not available. Participation rates for state testing were missing, so it is unclear whether all eligible students were assessed. Individualized education program rates and English learner rates were not reported, which means we cannot characterize the share of students receiving special education or language support services. Chronic absenteeism figures were absent as well. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report; that metric simply does not apply here. No multi-year trend data was available, so we cannot say whether results are improving or declining over time. Discipline, staffing, course access, and attendance details were also not provided.
The surrounding community is part of a city undergoing visible change. Detroit is a major urban center, historically anchored by the American automotive industry, with General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis all maintaining major operations in the metro area. The city has seen recent population growth after decades of decline, with publicly reported estimates showing two consecutive years of increase through 2025. Revitalization has been concentrated in areas like Midtown, Corktown, and the East Riverfront, including historic building renovations, new construction, the Hudson's site downtown development, and the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor. Walkability and transit access vary considerably across the city, with downtown and Midtown more navigable without a car and outer neighborhoods more car-dependent.
Housing in the school's zip code is among the most affordable in the region. Typical home values sit far below both the statewide and national benchmarks, and rents are similarly modest. The broader Wayne County housing market shows signs of a buyer-leaning environment, with a high supply of active listings and softer demand relative to a year ago. Median listing prices across the county have drifted downward slightly, and homes are spending a bit longer on the market than they were the previous spring. For a family considering this neighborhood, the cost of living is low relative to the metro area, though the tradeoff is a community still working through the effects of long-term disinvestment and uneven redevelopment.
Detroit Public Schools Community District has publicly reported a multi-year facilities improvement plan aimed at renovating and modernizing school buildings, funded through capital projects and grants. For parents at Roberto Clemente, this could mean updated facilities in coming years, though it may also bring temporary disruptions during construction. The district headquarters sits in the New Center area, and schools are distributed across neighborhoods rather than on a centralized campus, which keeps this school rooted in its immediate community. Civic and cultural resources like the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Public Library main branch, and the Riverwalk are clustered in and around downtown and Midtown, a short drive from the school's southwest location.
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