Communication and Media Arts High School

Summary:

Communication and Media Arts High School is a public high school located in Detroit, Michigan, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 306. The school is part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, which is ranked 563 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Communication and Media Arts High School performs better than some nearby schools like Henry Ford High School and Jalen Rose Leadership Academy on key metrics like graduation rates and test scores, the school still faces significant challenges. Its four-year graduation rate has declined from a high of 96.9% in 2018-2019 to 90.1% in 2022-2023, and its dropout rate has increased from 1.5% to 9.8% over the same period, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 65.2% in 2021-2022, and its performance on standardized tests, such as the M-Step and SAT, is significantly below the state averages.

These challenges are likely exacerbated by the school's high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 72.88% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023. While the school's spending per student has increased over the years, from $14,238 in 2019-2020 to $22,861 in 2022-2023, and it has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 15.3, these factors have not yet translated into significant improvements in student outcomes. Addressing the underlying socioeconomic factors and improving student engagement and attendance will be crucial for the school to better serve its predominantly African American student population and improve its overall performance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

19501 Berg Rd
Detroit, MI 48219-1714

(313) 866-9300

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

SchoolDigger Rank:
569^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,861

Student/teacher ratio: 15.3

Number of students: 306

Racial breakdown:

African American:

99.0%

American Indian:

0.7%

Hispanic:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Communication and Media Arts High School ranks worse than 76.6% of high schools in Michigan. It also ranks 3^rd among 15 ranked high schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.88. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Communication and Media Arts High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (99%), American Indian (0.7%), Hispanic (0.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Communication and Media Arts High School is 15.3. 12 high schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Communication and Media Arts High School employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Communication and Media Arts High School is $22,861, which is the 11^th highest among 15 high schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Communication and Media Arts High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Communication and Media Arts High School 569^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Communication and Media Arts High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Detroit Public Schools Community District:

SchoolDigger ranks Detroit Public Schools Community District 563^rd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Communication and Media Arts High School

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Rank History for all students at Communication and Media Arts High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2019	11.08	587^th	666	11.9%
2023	10.72	666^th	735	9.4%
2024	23.88	569^th	743	23.4%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Communication and Media Arts High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	26.47	532^nd	755	29.5%
2019	14.74	469^th	532	11.8%
2023	15.72	542^nd	614	11.7%
2024	32.13	448^th	654	31.5%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Communication and Media Arts High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	17.10	562^nd	710	20.8%
2019	9.49	503^rd	554	9.2%
2023	7.63	573^rd	611	6.2%
2024	16.49	520^th	619	16.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Communication and Media Arts High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	20.84	535^th	707	24.3%
2019	9.41	504^th	543	7.2%
2023	12.35	547^th	611	10.5%
2024	25.94	480^th	633	24.2%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Communication and Media Arts High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	43.38	113^th	254	55.5%
2019	36.12	87^th	147	40.8%
2023	33.40	105^th	170	38.2%
2024	57.28	61^st	188	67.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Communication and Media Arts High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2017	2	552	2	1	0	0	557
2018	2	575	1	2	1	0	581
2019	3	571	0	2	1	0	577
2020	2	541	0	2	2	1	548
2021	1	488	0	1	2	0	492
2022	1	358	0	0	1	0	360
2023	0	303	0	1	2	0	306

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Communication and Media Arts High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	557	24.0	23.2	79.2
2018	581	22.0	26.4	87.8
2019	577	24.0	24.0	80.9
2020	548	24.0	22.8	83.6
2021	492	23.0	21.3	79.3
2022	360	23.0	15.6	69.4
2023	306	20.0	15.3	72.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Communication and Media Arts High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	557	24.0	23.2	79.2
2018	581	22.0	26.4	87.8
2019	577	24.0	24.0	80.9
2020	548	24.0	22.8	83.6
2021	492	23.0	21.3	79.3
2022	360	23.0	15.6	69.4
2023	306	20.0	15.3	72.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Communication and Media Arts High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,790 (13.0%)	$12,032 (87.0%)	$13,822
2020	$2,090 (14.7%)	$12,148 (85.3%)	$14,238
2021	$1,616 (10.5%)	$13,806 (89.5%)	$15,422
2022	$6,292 (28.7%)	$15,666 (71.3%)	$21,958
2023	$6,897 (30.2%)	$15,964 (69.8%)	$22,861

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Communication and Media Arts High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 587^th of 666 High schools	Ranks 666^th of 735 High schools	2.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Communication and Media Arts High School)	28.7	14.1	14.6%
11th Grade Social Studies (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	17.7	15.4	2.3%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Communication and Media Arts High School)	27.8	29.5	1.7%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	28.5	32.9	4.4%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	577	306	47%
African American	571	303	46.9%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	2	1	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	0	100%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.9%	72.9%	8.1%

Schools Near Communication and Media Arts High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step Science (2024)	M-Step Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Communication and Media Arts High School	Public	9-12	19501 Berg Rd	Detroit	48219	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-9300	306	20	15.3	72.9%	0 (0.0%)	303 (99.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.9	569^th of 743 public high schools	23.4%		10.7	666^th of 735 public high schools	9.4%	97	38.1		20.3	21.9	$22,861	$6,897	$15,964
Henry Ford High School	Public	9-12	20000 Evergreen Rd	Detroit	48219	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7567	712	37	19.5	86.5%	2 (0.3%)	709 (99.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.5	698^th of 743 public high schools	6.1%		2.3	733^rd of 735 public high schools	0.3%	35	11.3		7.1	15.3	$21,055	$7,479	$13,575
Southfield Regional Academic Campus	Public, Magnet	9-12	21705 Evergreen Rd	Southfield	48075	Oakland County	Southfield Public School District	No	Yes	No	No	(248) 746-8606	112	7	16.0	75.9%	0 (0.0%)	108 (96.4%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)								(n/a)					$23,738	$1,447	$22,290
Redford Union High School	Public	10-12	17711 Kinloch	Redford	48240	Wayne County	Redford Union Schools District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 242-4200	736	34	21.9	70.1%	103 (14.0%)	557 (75.7%)	33 (4.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.6%)	10.7	662^nd of 743 public high schools	10.9%		5.5	705^th of 735 public high schools	4.1%	43	21.6	6.5	14.2	20.2	$22,860	$2,577	$20,283
Redford Union Virtual Learning	Public, Virtual	6-12	18255 Kinloch	Redford	48240	Wayne County	Redford Union Schools District No. 1	No	No	Yes	No	(313) 242-3700	83	0		85.5%	11 (13.3%)	61 (73.5%)	3 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.6%)								(n/a)					$11,995	$2,064	$9,931
Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology	Public, Magnet	9-12	24675 Lahser Rd	Southfield	48033	Oakland County	Southfield Public School District	No	Yes	No	No	(248) 746-8606	1,208	67	18.1	61.4%	23 (1.9%)	1,137 (94.1%)	19 (1.6%)	13 (1.1%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	12 (1.0%)	6.3	701^st of 743 public high schools	5.7%		7.8	681^st of 735 public high schools	7.3%	20	17.9		8.1	11.5	$25,422	$4,127	$21,294
Veritas	Public	9-12	18255 Kinloch	Redford	48240	Wayne County	Redford Union Schools District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(313) 242-3250	48	1	48.0	72.9%	0 (0.0%)	46 (95.8%)	2 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					$12,397	$1,600	$10,797
Old Redford Academy High	Public, Charter	9-12	8001 W Outer Dr	Detroit	48235	Wayne County	Old Redford Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 543-3080	381	11	34.6	85.8%	2 (0.5%)	375 (98.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)								(n/a)	8.3				$12,868	$5,010	$7,857
Clarenceville High School	Public	9-12	20155 Middlebelt Rd	Livonia	48152	Wayne County	Clarenceville School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 919-0408	674	35	19.3	63.6%	261 (38.7%)	312 (46.3%)	31 (4.6%)	16 (2.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (7.6%)	21.4	592^nd of 743 public high schools	20.3%		19.7	593^rd of 735 public high schools	19.3%	1	26.5		21.9	26.5	$13,216	$1,918	$11,299
Jalen Rose Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	15000 Trojan St	Detroit	48235	Wayne County	Jalen Rose Leadership Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 397-3333	411	16	25.0	96.4%	0 (0.0%)	410 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8	684^th of 743 public high schools	7.9%					(n/a)	21.8		8.0	13.8	$13,535	$3,925	$9,611

Frequently Asked Questions about Communication and Media Arts High School

What is the racial makeup of Communication and Media Arts High School?

Students at Communication and Media Arts High School are 99% African American.

Is Communication and Media Arts High School a good school?

Communication and Media Arts High School ranks in the bottom 23.4% of Michigan high schools.

What district is Communication and Media Arts High School in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

How many students attend Communication and Media Arts High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 306 students attended Communication and Media Arts High School.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.