Clague Middle School, Ann Arbor MI

Original Research by School Decision on Clague Middle School

Clague Middle School sits on Ann Arbor's northeast side, serving grades six through eight as part of Ann Arbor Public Schools. It is a regular public school in a city shaped heavily by the University of Michigan, whose campus intermingles with a walkable downtown of sidewalk cafes, bookstores, and civic institutions. Ann Arbor functions as both a college town and a tech hub, with startup activity drawn by university research and offices for major employers spanning automotive, software, and food delivery. The city has an extensive park system and the Nichols Arboretum, and growth driven by high-tech development is a live subject of local political debate. Housing in the school's zip code runs well above state and national benchmarks, with typical home values roughly double the national figure and rents moderately above the state level. Mortgage costs at current rates exceed typical rents, so families moving into the attendance area face a relatively expensive market compared with much of Michigan.

Academically, Clague is a strong performer. Across all tested grades and subjects, proficiency rates sit comfortably above most of the county, placing the school in the top quartile among Washtenaw County districts on an overall proficiency index. In math, a clear majority of sixth and seventh graders reach proficiency on the state M-STEP, with seventh grade slightly ahead of sixth. Eighth grade math, assessed through the PSAT, shows a somewhat lower but still solid share of students proficient. English language arts follows a similar pattern, with the standout being eighth grade, where the proportion of students scoring proficient jumps to a very high level. Eighth graders also post strong results in science and social studies. No prior-year trend data was available for comparison, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement or a plateau. Participation rates were also missing from the data set.

The school's enrollment is moderate for a middle school, with each grade band close in size. The student body is diverse. White students form the largest group, followed by a substantial Asian population, with Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students each representing smaller but meaningful shares. The proportion of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is low relative to typical public school figures, which reflects the generally affluent surrounding community. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those populations cannot be characterized here.

Ann Arbor Public Schools is in a period of visible transition. Voters approved a large, long-span bond funding a new elementary school, classroom renovations, and facility improvements, with construction ongoing. A renewed operating millage passed in late 2023, preserving a major annual funding stream for day-to-day operations. At the same time, the district approved budget reductions for the current year and has signaled further cuts ahead to address structural deficit spending, a pressure that could affect class sizes, programs, or services over multiple years. The district is also exploring a small, project-based New Tech High School that would add an alternative pathway at the secondary level, though that would not directly affect Clague's middle school program.

Clague does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and the school's program and course access details were not available in the provided data. Civil-rights and discipline data was also absent. What the data does show is a middle school where most students are reaching state proficiency benchmarks at rates well above county norms, set in a prosperous, education-rich city where housing costs reflect that desirability. Families weighing Clague are looking at a strong academic environment in a district managing growth and financial pressure simultaneously, and a parent may want to ask the school how the district's budget reductions are affecting middle school staffing and electives before committing.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 52% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 55% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 866%

School 66% · District 52% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 672%

School 72% · District 58% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 766%

School 66% · District 59% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 885%

School 85% · District 81% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 61% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 66% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

This schoolAnn Arbor Public Schools, 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 6Lower-income41%Higher-income77%36 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income69%27 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income56%Higher-income90%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income49%Higher-income77%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income48%Higher-income79%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income71%33 pp gap