The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Social studies. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Clippert Academy
Clippert Academy is a middle school serving grades six through eight in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, located on McKinstry Street in southwest Detroit. It is a regular public school, neither a charter nor a magnet, and it draws a predominantly Hispanic student body, with the large majority of enrolled students identifying as Hispanic and small numbers representing other racial or ethnic backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions of the surrounding neighborhoods. The school serves a moderate enrollment for its three grade levels, and the grade bands are fairly evenly distributed across sixth, seventh, and eighth. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those pieces of the student-support picture are gaps a parent may want to ask the school about directly.
On state assessments, Clippert shows a mixed but in some areas encouraging profile. English language arts results climb noticeably by eighth grade, where proficiency reaches a level well above what the earlier grades post, suggesting that students who remain at Clippert through their middle school years may be building real literacy strength. Sixth and seventh grade ELA proficiency sits lower, in the range typical of urban middle schools serving high-poverty populations. Math proficiency is modest and fairly flat across all three grades, hovering below the level a family would want to see. Science and social studies are tested only in eighth grade, and both show moderate proficiency, with social studies the stronger of the two. A parent considering Clippert may want to look into what supports the school offers in math instruction specifically, and whether the eighth-grade ELA gains reflect a program strength that carries through from earlier grades.
Compared with districts across Wayne County, Clippert's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint, which is a meaningful position given the scale and diversity of the county's district landscape. This comparison set includes districts ranging from some of the highest-performing suburbs in the region to urban districts facing similar economic conditions, so placing above the median suggests the school is doing measurable work with its population.
The surrounding community is Detroit itself, a major urban center shaped by its automotive heritage and decades of both disinvestment and, more recently, revitalization. The school sits in a residential part of the city, away from the downtown core but within a city that has seen population growth for two consecutive years and ongoing investment in housing, riverfront redevelopment, and civic infrastructure. Housing in the immediate area is very affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks, with home values far below what most Wayne County suburbs command. Rents are also low. This makes the neighborhood accessible for families but also reflects the broader economic challenges that many DPSCD families navigate.
At the district level, Detroit Public Schools Community District has announced a multi-year facilities improvement plan aimed at renovating and modernizing school buildings across the system. For Clippert families, this could mean upgraded learning environments in coming years, though it may also bring periods of disruption during construction. No data on chronic absenteeism, disciplinary incidents, staffing ratios, or course access was available for Clippert specifically, so those dimensions of school climate and program breadth remain gaps in what can be said here.
What Clippert appears to offer is a middle school experience anchored in a close-knit, predominantly Hispanic community within a large urban district, with above-midyear academic results for its context and a particular bright spot in eighth-grade literacy. A family for whom a culturally familiar school environment, affordability, and a steady public school pathway matter would find something to build on here, while also having clear questions to bring to the school about math instruction, specialized services, and how the facilities plan will affect this building.
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