Summary:
The University Preparatory Academy (PSAD) district in Detroit, Michigan, is home to a single high school, University Preparatory Academy PSAD High School, which serves grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 571 students. This public magnet charter school faces significant challenges, including consistently ranking in the bottom half of Michigan high schools, a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger, and low academic performance with only 14.8% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in M-Step/Science, compared to the state average of 37.5%.
The school's student population is predominantly African American (98.25%), and a large majority (77.58%) of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. Despite the relatively high spending per student ($14,083) and a low student-teacher ratio of 14:1, the school's academic outcomes remain poor, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving performance. One of the most concerning issues is the school's extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 62.1%, which is likely a significant factor in the low academic achievement.
Overall, the data paints a picture of a struggling high school facing significant challenges in terms of academic performance, student engagement, and socioeconomic factors. Addressing these issues will likely require a multifaceted approach that addresses both the school-level and systemic factors contributing to the school's underperformance. The high percentage of African American students and the economic disadvantages faced by the student population also raise important questions about equity and access to educational opportunities within the broader educational system.
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