Bates Academy, Detroit MI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Bates Academy

Bates Academy sits on Wyoming Street in Detroit, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade as part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is sizable for a single K-through-8 building. The student body is almost entirely Black, and roughly half the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Information on special-education enrollment and English-learner counts was not available in the data provided, so those population details remain unstated here.

On state assessments, Bates posts some of the strongest results in its context. Across math, English language arts, science, and social studies, the school lands in the top quartile of overall proficiency relative to districts in Wayne County. The read by subject is uneven but mostly strong. English language arts is a clear standout. From third grade onward, most tested grades show a majority of students reaching proficiency, and several grades are well above that threshold, with fifth and eighth grade particularly high. Math starts strong in the earliest tested grades and holds through middle school at a solid level, though eighth-grade math dips below half of students proficient. Science results are mixed, with fifth grade performing well above the state midpoint and eighth grade lower. Social studies follows a similar pattern, with eighth grade stronger than fifth. The eighth-grade math and science results are areas a parent may want to look into further with the school, since the transition to the PSAT-based assessment in eighth grade appears to coincide with a drop in measured proficiency.

The school does not have a graduation rate, and that is expected. Bates tops out at eighth grade, so the four-year graduation metric that applies to high schools does not apply here. Chronic absenteeism and attendance data were not reported in the available materials, and discipline, staffing, and course-access details were not provided either. Title I status was not available. These gaps mean the picture is built mainly from assessment results, enrollment, and the surrounding community context.

The surrounding neighborhood is in Detroit, a major urban center with a deep industrial and cultural history. Publicly reported sources describe Detroit as the historic center of the American automotive industry, with the Big Three automakers maintaining headquarters or major operations in the metropolitan area. The city has seen revitalization concentrated in downtown, Midtown, and Corktown, with restored theaters, new sports venues, and riverfront redevelopment. Schools in the district are distributed across the city's neighborhoods rather than on a single campus, and Bates sits within that pattern. The district has announced a multi-year facilities improvement plan to renovate and modernize school buildings, which could affect the physical environment at Bates in coming years, though specifics for this school were not available.

The housing market near Bates is affordable by nearly any standard. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit well below the state and national benchmarks, and rents are modest. Wayne County's broader market shows a large inventory of active listings and a median listing price that remains low relative to the state. Homes in the area tend to sell within a moderate window, and the market shows more supply than demand pressure. For a family considering a move near the school, this means entry-level housing costs are low, though the surrounding area reflects decades of disinvestment alongside more recent reinvestment.

Bates Academy fits a family looking for a Detroit public school with strong academic outcomes, particularly in reading and in the early and middle elementary grades. The peer environment is a predominantly Black student body with a moderate share of students from economically disadvantaged households. The school's position in the top quartile of Wayne County districts for overall proficiency sets it apart from many of its neighbors, and its ELA results are a genuine strength. The dips in eighth-grade math and science are worth asking about. For families already in Detroit or considering the city, Bates represents one of the stronger academic options within the district at this grade band.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 371%

School 71% · District 16% · ▲ 56 pts above district

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

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 13% · ▲ 49 pts above district

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

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 9% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 656%

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

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

Grade 759%

School 59% · District 13% · ▲ 46 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 10% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 13% · ▲ 39 pts above district

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

Grade 469%

School 69% · District 15% · ▲ 54 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 17% · ▲ 66 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 54 pts above county median

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 17% · ▲ 57 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 52 pts above county median

Grade 772%

School 72% · District 16% · ▲ 56 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

Grade 880%

School 80% · District 31% · ▲ 49 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Science

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 13% · ▲ 60 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 51 pts above county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 17% · ▲ 27 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 10% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 21% · ▲ 42 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income63%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income68%Higher-income72%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income83%Higher-income82%1 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income74%Higher-income72%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income71%Higher-income73%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income74%Higher-income86%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income68%Higher-income79%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income63%Higher-income61%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income54%Higher-income64%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income53%Higher-income64%11 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income51%Higher-income70%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income44%Higher-income39%5 pp gap