Summary:
The University Preparatory Science and Math (PSAD) district in Detroit, Michigan operates a single elementary school, University Preparatory Science and Math Elementary, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 469 students. The school's student population is predominantly African American, with 98.51% of students identifying as such.
University Preparatory Science and Math Elementary faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates on the M-Step standardized assessment well below state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 20.5% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 39.6%. The school's math proficiency rates are particularly low, with just 17.9% of 3rd graders, 11.8% of 4th graders, and 16.9% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better, compared to state averages of 43.4%, 39.1%, and 32.6%, respectively. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism, with a rate of 51.6% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the state average.
Despite the school's higher-than-average per-student spending of $11,600 and a student-teacher ratio of 19.5, which is slightly higher than the state average, the academic performance remains poor. This suggests that simply increasing funding and resources may not be enough to improve student outcomes, and that the school may need to focus on more targeted, evidence-based strategies to address the root causes of its academic challenges, which may be exacerbated by the high percentage of students (73.13%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant economic disadvantages within the student population.
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