The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Social studies. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Edison Elementary School
Edison Elementary School sits on Grand River Avenue in Detroit, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. It is a regular public school in a neighborhood-based setting, one of many DPSCD schools spread across the city rather than clustered on a single campus. The school's enrollment is small for its grade band.
The student body is nearly entirely Black, with only a handful of students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions in the surrounding neighborhood. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those populations cannot be described here.
On the most recent Michigan state assessments, Edison's results paint a mixed picture across subjects and grade levels. Third-grade math proficiency was the strongest math result, with roughly a third of tested students reaching proficiency. Fifth-grade math was somewhat lower, and fourth-grade math was quite weak, with only a small fraction of students demonstrating proficiency. English language arts followed a similar pattern: third grade was modest, fifth grade somewhat stronger, and fourth grade showed essentially no students reaching proficiency. Science results for fifth graders were low. The standout was fifth-grade social studies, where more than half of tested students were proficient, a genuinely strong result for this school and subject. Across all tested subjects and grades, Edison's overall proficiency lands above the midpoint among the Wayne County district comparison set, which is a reasonable showing given the challenges many Detroit schools face.
Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. A parent may want to ask the school directly about year-to-year patterns and what interventions are in place, particularly for fourth-grade math and English language arts, where the current results are weakest.
Because Edison serves only elementary grades, it has no graduation rate, and that metric does not apply here. Chronic absenteeism data was not reported for this school, and information on discipline, course access, staffing, and attendance was not available in the provided data. No specific program offerings were listed, so parents would need to inquire directly about any enrichment, tutoring, after-school, or specialized academic programs the school may provide.
The surrounding community is on the west side of Detroit, along the Grand River commercial corridor. Housing in this area is very affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. Home values here are far below the Michigan and national medians, and rents are modest as well. For families looking to buy, the estimated monthly mortgage cost is lower than typical rent, which means ownership may be within reach for working families in this neighborhood. The broader Wayne County housing market has seen a recent increase in active listings and a slight pullback in median listing prices, giving buyers somewhat more inventory to work with than in the prior year.
Detroit itself is a major urban center, historically anchored by the automotive industry and culturally known for its music, design, and architecture. The city has seen two consecutive years of population growth as of recently reported estimates, reversing decades of decline, with new housing development concentrated in areas like Midtown, Corktown, and the East Riverfront. The neighborhood around Edison is more residential and car-dependent than Detroit's downtown core, though Grand River Avenue is a major commercial artery. Walkability in this part of the city is limited compared with downtown and Midtown.
At the district level, DPSCD has announced a multi-year facilities improvement plan aimed at renovating and modernizing school buildings across the city, funded through capital projects and grants. For Edison families, this could mean building improvements in coming years, though it may also involve temporary disruptions during renovation work.
Edison is a small, community-rooted elementary school serving a predominantly Black student population in a high-need Detroit neighborhood. Its state test results are uneven, with a genuine strength in fifth-grade social studies offset by very low fourth-grade performance in core subjects. The school sits above the midpoint among Wayne County districts on overall proficiency, which gives it a credible academic footing relative to its peer set. Families considering Edison should look closely at what support structures and enrichment opportunities the school offers, and ask directly about plans for the grades where proficiency is currently weakest.
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