Blackwell Institute

Q: Is Blackwell Institute a good school?

Blackwell Institute ranks 582 nd of 897 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Blackwell Institute is a public middle school located in Detroit, Michigan, serving grades 2-8 with a student population of 213. 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. Blackwell Institute has a predominantly African American student population, with 98.12% of students identifying as such in the 2022-2023 school year.

Blackwell Institute has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 35.3% in 2020-2021 to 81.0% in 2021-2022, which is significantly higher than the state average and the surrounding schools. The school's academic performance, as measured by M-Step and PSAT proficiency rates, is generally lower than the state and district averages, with only 17.65% of 3rd-grade students proficient in English Language Arts and 18.75% of 6th and 7th-grade students reaching proficiency in math in 2023-2024. Blackwell Institute has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 90.61% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year, which is significantly higher than the state average and the surrounding schools.

While Blackwell Institute's overall academic performance is low, the school's African American students have shown some improvement in their ranking among Michigan middle schools, moving from the 343rd percentile in 2017-2018 to the 101st percentile in 2023-2024. However, the school's male students and low-socioeconomic status students continue to struggle, ranking in the bottom 10% of Michigan middle schools. Blackwell Institute's performance is generally lower than the nearby schools, such as J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy and Detroit Lions Academy, which are also part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Additionally, the school's per-student spending is higher than these nearby schools, suggesting that additional resources have not yet translated into improved academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 2-8

9330 Shoemaker St
Detroit, MI 48213-3152

(313) 866-4391

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

SchoolDigger Rank:
582^nd of 897 Michigan Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $24,404

Students who attend Blackwell Institute usually attend:

High:

Southeastern High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 213

Racial breakdown:

African American:

98.1%

Hispanic:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Blackwell Institute ranks worse than 64.7% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.56. (See more...)

Compare Details Blackwell Institute ranks worse than 64.9% of middle schools in Michigan. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked middle schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.69. (See more...)

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 (98.1%), Hispanic (1.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 90.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Blackwell Institute is 16.3. 2 middle schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Blackwell Institute employs 13 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Blackwell Institute is $24,404. 2 middle schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Blackwell Institute:

SchoolDigger ranks Blackwell Institute 962^nd of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Blackwell Institute in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Blackwell Institute 582^nd of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Blackwell Institute in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status 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 Blackwell Institute

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	33.56	962^nd	1486	35.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	8.73	1357^th	1397	2.9%
2024	45.51	709^th	1381	48.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	8.00	1385^th	1443	4.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	9.50	1345^th	1446	7.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.03	407^th	475	14.3%
2024	63.91	83^rd	348	76.1%

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

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

Rank History for Blackwell Institute

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	18.87	711^th	883	19.5%
2024	33.69	582^nd	897	35.1%

See the entire list of Michigan Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	7.20	803^rd	815	1.5%
2024	43.62	438^th	836	47.6%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	6.21	787^th	797	1.3%

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

Rank History for middle school African American students at Blackwell Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	18.00	343^rd	366	6.3%
2023	45.18	147^th	310	52.6%
2024	56.65	101^st	300	66.3%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle 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 Blackwell Institute

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2017	0	311	1	0	0	312
2018	0	303	1	0	0	304
2019	0	282	0	0	1	283
2020	1	325	0	0	0	326
2021	0	351	0	0	0	351
2022	0	297	0	0	0	297
2023	0	209	0	4	0	213

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 Blackwell Institute

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	312	17.0	18.3	87.8
2018	304	17.0	17.8	93.8
2019	283	18.0	15.7	91.2
2020	326	21.5	15.1	82.2
2021	351	23.0	15.2	86.6
2022	297	23.0	12.9	89.6
2023	213	13.0	16.3	90.6

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 Blackwell Institute

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	312	17.0	18.3	87.8
2018	304	17.0	17.8	93.8
2019	283	18.0	15.7	91.2
2020	326	21.5	15.1	82.2
2021	351	23.0	15.2	86.6
2022	297	23.0	12.9	89.6
2023	213	13.0	16.3	90.6

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 Blackwell Institute

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,680 (17.5%)	$12,615 (82.5%)	$15,296
2020	$5,695 (34.0%)	$11,035 (66.0%)	$16,730
2021	$2,390 (13.9%)	$14,862 (86.2%)	$17,251
2022	$7,812 (34.5%)	$14,856 (65.5%)	$22,669
2023	$7,411 (30.4%)	$16,993 (69.6%)	$24,404

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Blackwell Institute

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	283	213	24.7%
African American	282	209	25.9%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	0	4
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	0	0
Two or More Races	1	0	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.2%	90.6%	0.6%

Schools Near Blackwell Institute

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)				M-Step Math (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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Blackwell Institute	Public	2-8	9330 Shoemaker St	Detroit	48213	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 866-4391	213	13	16.3	90.6%	0 (0.0%)	209 (98.1%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.7	582^nd of 897 public middle schools	35.1%		18.9	711^th of 883 public middle schools	19.5%	129	25.0		17.7		50.0		35.3	22.2		18.8	18.8					$24,404	$7,411	$16,993
Detroit Lions Academy	Public	6-8	10101 E Canfield St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 852-9677	123	10	12.3	92.7%	1 (0.8%)	117 (95.1%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)								(n/a)																$24,814	$8,453	$16,361
Oakland International Academy Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	8228 Conant St	Detroit	48211	Wayne County	Oakland International Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 925-1000	216	12	18.3	99.1%	192 (88.9%)	16 (7.4%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.5	586^th of 897 public middle schools	34.7%		18.9	709^th of 883 public middle schools	19.7%	123	51.5	21.1			29.6	25.4				30.6	26.3		28.2		11.8	$13,499	$3,390	$10,109
Bridge Academy West	Public, Charter	6-8	3105 Carpenter St	Detroit	48212	Wayne County	Bridge Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 462-6200	406	16	25.3	100.0%	350 (86.2%)	12 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18.2	726^th of 897 public middle schools	19.1%		14.2	757^th of 883 public middle schools	14.3%	31	39.3	12.5			19.1	20.2				14.5	18.4		20.5		13.4	$11,843	$3,701	$8,142
Kosciuszko School	Public	7-8	2333 Burger St	Hamtramck	48212	Wayne County	Hamtramck School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 591-7405	326	21	15.6	87.7%	164 (50.3%)	48 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	111 (34.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	18.7	718^th of 897 public middle schools	20.0%		14.3	755^th of 883 public middle schools	14.5%	37	40.3	13.9				28.9					13.7		16.9		12.8	$00	$00	$00
University Preparatory Academy PSAD Middle	Public, Magnet, Charter	6-8	5310 Saint Antoine St	Detroit	48202	Wayne County	University Preparatory Academy (PSAD)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 831-0010	361	31	11.6	75.1%	0 (0.0%)	354 (98.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	10.6	819^th of 897 public middle schools	8.7%		11.6	790^th of 883 public middle schools	10.5%	29	35.8	5.1			15.6	20.8				4.6	3.3		15.8		5.8	$15,210	$3,415	$11,795
J E Clark Preparatory Academy	Public	2-8	15755 Bremen St	Detroit	48224	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 417-9340	260	15	17.3	95.4%	2 (0.8%)	256 (98.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	28.6			15.4		12.5										$22,597	$6,033	$16,564
Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	2985 E Jefferson Ave	Detroit	48207	Wayne County	Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 259-1744	377	6	62.8	97.3%	1 (0.3%)	375 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8	849^th of 897 public middle schools	5.4%		5.6	862^nd of 883 public middle schools	2.4%	13	30.0	5.5			16.0	11.1				3.8	2.8		14.4		2.7	$14,962	$5,263	$9,699
University Preparatory Science and Math PSAD Middle School	Public, Magnet, Charter	6-8	5100 John R St	Detroit	48202	Wayne County	University Preparatory Science and Math (PSAD)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 832-8400	487	34	14.4	79.3%	5 (1.0%)	478 (98.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	20.4	698^th of 897 public middle schools	22.2%		20.8	684^th of 883 public middle schools	22.5%	14	58.5	12.6			17.5	26.7				3.1	11.9		21.6		9.3	$11,820	$2,746	$9,074
Pierce Middle School	Public	5-8	15430 Kercheval Ave	Grosse Pointe Park	48230	Wayne County	Grosse Pointe Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(313) 432-4700	529	31	17.1	15.1%	428 (80.9%)	36 (6.8%)	22 (4.2%)	9 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.2%)	94.6	31^st of 897 public middle schools	96.5%		95.7	23^rd of 883 public middle schools	97.4%	8	87.8	66.4		78.9	55.8	67.8			73.2	61.0	74.6	77.7	57.1	56.1	61.1	$19,008	$1,420	$17,588

Frequently Asked Questions about Blackwell Institute

What high school do graduates of Blackwell Institute attend?

Students who attend Blackwell Institute usually go on to attend Southeastern High School

How many students attend Blackwell Institute?

In the 2022-23 school year, 213 students attended Blackwell Institute.

What is the racial makeup of Blackwell Institute?

Students at Blackwell Institute are 98% African American, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Blackwell Institute in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

Is Blackwell Institute a good school?

Blackwell Institute ranks 582^nd of 897 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.