The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Math. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Iris Becker Elementary School
Iris Becker Elementary sits on Henson Street in Dearborn, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Dearborn City School District. It is a small neighborhood elementary, with a tight distribution of students across the early grades. The school serves a nearly universal share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the working-class character of the surrounding area. Its student body is overwhelmingly white, with a very small number of students identifying as Hispanic, Black, or Asian. The data did not include figures for English learners or students with individualized education programs, so those population shares cannot be characterized here.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessments, Becker's results are a genuine bright spot, particularly in mathematics. Across third, fourth, and fifth grades, the majority of tested students reached proficiency, with the share climbing steadily from third to fifth grade. English language arts results were more uneven. Third and fifth grade landed at roughly the midpoint between proficiency and non-proficiency, while fourth grade dipped below that line. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed a smaller share of students meeting the bar, and social studies, also fifth grade only, was in a similar range. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Wayne County, which is a strong standing given the county's size and mix of urban and suburban systems. Because the school does not serve high school grades, no graduation rate applies, and none is reported. Chronic absenteeism data was not available. Participation rates for the state assessments were also missing from the data provided.
Dearborn itself is a dense inner-ring suburb of Detroit with a distinct identity. It is the world headquarters of Ford Motor Company, and the River Rouge Complex remains a defining industrial presence. Other major employers include Carhartt, Hollingsworth, Corewell Health, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Henry Ford College. The city has a large small-business sector, especially along Warren Avenue, which is lined with Arab American-owned restaurants, markets, halal butcher shops, and shops. Publicly reported sources note that in 2023 Dearborn became the first Arab-majority city in the United States, with much of the population claiming Middle Eastern or North African ancestry. The city describes itself as having one of the only growing populations in Michigan, with a young age profile that the municipal government highlights as part of what it calls the Dearborn Advantage.
The built environment is largely suburban and auto-oriented, though the Warren Avenue and Michigan Avenue corridors carry pedestrian-scale commercial activity. The city has an extensive park system with multiple pools, and civic institutions are distributed across separate campuses rather than clustered in a single downtown. The Henry Ford museum complex, the Arab American National Museum, the Islamic Center of America, and the Henry Ford Centennial Library all serve as cultural anchors. Dearborn Public Schools offers a free K-14 program that lets students earn an associate degree at no cost, and the district launched a Virtual K-12 program in 2021 that is open to students across Wayne County.
The housing market around Becker Elementary is relatively affordable by national and state standards. Home values in the school's zip code sit well below the state benchmark and roughly a third of the national figure, though they have been appreciating. Rents have risen more sharply year over year. At the county level, the median listing price has eased slightly, and homes are spending a bit longer on the market than a year ago, which suggests some softening in the pace of sales even as prices hold in a modest range. The estimated monthly mortgage in the area is higher than typical rent, which may push some families toward renting.
What emerges from the assembled data is a picture of a small, high-poverty elementary school in a working-class, culturally rich suburb, producing math results that outperform most of its Wayne County peers. English language arts is solid but less consistent, and science and social studies results are softer. A parent weighing Becker may want to ask the school how it supports literacy across the upper elementary grades and what enrichment or intervention is available in science and social studies.
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