Marion Law Academy, Detroit MI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Marion Law Academy

Marion Law Academy is a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade regular public school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, located on Cliff Street in the 48234 zip code of northeast Detroit. It serves a student body that is almost entirely Black, with a very small number of students from other racial backgrounds. The overwhelming majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school firmly in the category of a high-poverty serving institution. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status was not available, so those population details remain unknown.

On state assessments, Marion Law Academy's results are low across most subjects and grades. In mathematics, proficiency rates were in the single digits or near zero for every tested grade from third through seventh, and the eighth-grade PSAT math results showed no students reaching proficiency. English language arts fared somewhat better but still modestly, with the highest proficiency rates appearing in fifth and eighth grades, where roughly one in five tested students met the benchmark. Other grades in ELA were lower, with seventh grade particularly weak. Science was the relative bright spot: fifth-grade science had the highest proficiency rate in the building, and eighth-grade science also showed a somewhat stronger result than math or ELA. Social studies results were mixed, with fifth grade lower and eighth grade matching the ELA eighth-grade rate. When the school's overall proficiency is compared against districts in Wayne County, Marion Law Academy lands in the bottom quartile, well below the county median. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what academic supports and interventions are in place, and how the school and district plan to address these proficiency levels.

Because Marion Law Academy does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available, so the narrative cannot speak to attendance patterns.

The school sits in a Detroit neighborhood where housing values are far below both the state and national benchmarks. Typical home values in this zip code are a fraction of the statewide figure, and rents are also low relative to broader metropolitan norms. The Wayne County housing market as a whole shows a large inventory of active listings, with a median listing price well below the state benchmark, and homes spending roughly a month and a half on market. For a family considering this area, housing affordability is a real feature of the landscape, though the low values also reflect decades of disinvestment that the city has been working to reverse.

Detroit itself is a major urban center with a deep industrial and cultural identity. It is the historic heart of the American automotive industry, with General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis all maintaining major operations in the metro region. The city has been designated a UNESCO City of Design and carries a strong legacy in music, architecture, and the visual arts. After decades of population decline, Detroit has recently posted two consecutive years of population growth, driven by immigration and new housing development concentrated in areas like Midtown, Corktown, and the East Riverfront. Major projects, including the Hudson's site redevelopment and the Gordie Howe International Bridge, signal continued investment. Walkability varies sharply by neighborhood, with downtown and Midtown more pedestrian-friendly and outer areas more car-dependent.

At the district level, Detroit Public Schools Community District has announced a multi-year facilities improvement plan to renovate and modernize school buildings, funded through capital projects and grants. For a parent at Marion Law Academy, this could mean building upgrades in coming years, though it may also bring disruptions during construction. The district's schools are spread across the city's neighborhoods rather than clustered on a single campus, and the headquarters sits in the New Center area north of downtown.

Marion Law Academy offers a neighborhood-based elementary and middle school pathway in a city undergoing visible revitalization. Its academic results, as currently reported, are weak, and a family considering this school should ask direct questions about instruction, support services, and the district's plans for improvement.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 310%

School 10% · District 16% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 9% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 15% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 17% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 17% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 77%

School 7% · District 16% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 31% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 13% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 17% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 10% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 21% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolDetroit Public Schools Community District, 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.