Is Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School a good school?

Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School ranks in the bottom 0.3% of Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 501 students attended Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School.

What is the racial makeup of Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School?

Students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School are 99% African American.

What schools do graduates of Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School attend?

Students who attend Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School usually go on to attend: High : Northwestern High School

Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Summary:

Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School is a public school in Detroit, Michigan, serving 501 students in grades PK-8. The school is part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, which is ranked 563 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. With over 98% of students identifying as African American, Thirkell faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, very low academic performance, and a student population that is predominantly from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Thirkell's chronic absenteeism rates have consistently ranged from 43.2% to 84.3% over the past 5 years, significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which have rates ranging from 25.9% to 81.9%. Academically, the school's performance is extremely low, with only 4.55% of 3rd graders proficient in Math in 2023-2024, compared to 43.4% statewide and 15.1% in the district. While Thirkell has relatively high spending per student, ranging from $14,839 to $21,041 over the past 4 years, this does not appear to be the primary driver of the school's poor performance, as nearby schools like Edmonson Montessori and Golightly Education Center perform slightly better on academic measures, though still below state averages.

Addressing the root causes of Thirkell's struggles, such as attendance, family engagement, and instructional quality, will be crucial to improving outcomes for the school's students. While the school's funding and staffing levels are comparable to or higher than nearby schools, the school's performance lags far behind, suggesting that deeper systemic issues may be at play. Continued efforts to support and invest in Thirkell's students and community will be essential to ensuring they receive the high-quality education they deserve.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

7724 14th St
Detroit, MI 48206-2644

(313) 596-0990

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1481^st of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,967

Students who attend Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School usually attend:

High:

Northwestern High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 501

Racial breakdown:

African American:

98.6%

Hispanic:

0.6%

White:

0.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91.2%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School ranks worse than 99.7% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 62^nd among 64 ranked elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.92. (See more...)

Compare Details Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School ranks worse than 99.7% of middle schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.24. (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 (98.6%), Hispanic (0.6%), Asian (0.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School is 16.8. 41 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School employs 29.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School is $20,967. 35 elementary schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School 1481^st of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School 894^th of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School 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 Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	3.92	1481^st	1486	0.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	7.08	1377^th	1397	1.4%
2024	5.00	1375^th	1381	0.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.48	1440^th	1443	0.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	7.73	1385^th	1446	4.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	18.74	450^th	475	5.3%
2024	12.23	342^nd	348	1.7%

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

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

Rank History for Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2022	11.43	707^th	776	8.9%
2023	9.46	809^th	883	8.4%
2024	4.24	894^th	897	0.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	12.03	753^rd	815	7.6%
2022	19.38	593^rd	691	14.2%
2023	12.66	750^th	825	9.1%
2024	4.32	835^th	836	0.1%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	7.46	758^th	794	4.5%
2023	19.40	637^th	770	17.3%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	13.81	697^th	797	12.5%
2019	15.02	569^th	639	11.0%
2023	9.43	726^th	776	6.4%

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

Rank History for middle school African American students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	25.01	284^th	366	22.4%
2022	30.71	126^th	182	30.8%
2023	26.25	228^th	310	26.5%
2024	12.08	294^th	300	2.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary 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 Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	2	581	2	5	0	1	591
2018	5	547	0	3	0	3	558
2019	2	546	0	3	0	1	552
2020	2	575	0	4	0	0	581
2021	1	558	0	4	0	0	563
2022	2	490	0	4	0	0	496
2023	1	494	1	3	1	1	501

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 Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	591	32.0	18.4	84.4
2018	558	28.7	19.4	92.1
2019	552	30.0	18.4	91.5
2020	581	33.0	17.6	89.5
2021	563	35.5	15.8	90.4
2022	496	33.0	15.0	91.1
2023	501	29.8	16.8	91.2

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 Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	591	32.0	18.4	84.4
2018	558	28.7	19.4	92.1
2019	552	30.0	18.4	91.5
2020	581	33.0	17.6	89.5
2021	563	35.5	15.8	90.4
2022	496	33.0	15.0	91.1
2023	501	29.8	16.8	91.2

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 Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,737 (12.3%)	$12,408 (87.7%)	$14,145
2020	$4,115 (27.7%)	$10,724 (72.3%)	$14,839
2021	$2,182 (13.2%)	$14,330 (86.8%)	$16,512
2022	$6,572 (31.2%)	$14,470 (68.8%)	$21,041
2023	$6,590 (31.4%)	$14,376 (68.6%)	$20,967

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thirkell ElementaryMiddle 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School)	6.3	10.3	4%
3rd Grade Math (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	16	13.9	2.1%
3rd Grade Math (Michigan)	46.7	42.9	3.8%
7th Grade Math (Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School)	12.8	7.1	5.7%
7th Grade Math (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	8.8	7.9	0.9%
7th Grade Math (Michigan)	35.7	31	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School)	36.7	28.9	7.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Detroit Public Schools Community District)	24.5	24	0.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	61.9	59.7	2.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	552	501	9.2%
African American	546	494	9.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	3	3
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	2	1	50%
Two or More Races	1	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.5%	91.2%	0.3%

Schools Near Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

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 4th 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
Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	7724 14th St	Detroit	48206	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 596-0990	501	30	16.8	91.2%	1 (0.2%)	494 (98.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	3.9	1481^st of 1486 public elementary schools	0.3%					(n/a)	11.8			14.0	5.8	4.7		4.6					5.8	10.8			$20,967	$6,590	$14,376
University Preparatory Academy PSAD Elementary	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-5	957 Holden St	Detroit	48202	Wayne County	University Preparatory Academy (PSAD)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 874-9800	415	26	15.9	87.2%	0 (0.0%)	410 (98.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	10.3	1338^th of 1486 public elementary schools	10.0%		11	1299^th of 1470 public elementary schools	11.6%	39			8.7	12.5	19.5			7.2	11.3	15.9			20.7		8.5		$11,892	$3,494	$8,398
University Preparatory Academy PSAD Elementary	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-5	435 Amsterdam St	Detroit	48202	Wayne County	University Preparatory Academy (PSAD)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 309-0552	461	30	15.3	75.9%	4 (0.9%)	449 (97.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	16.9	1224^th of 1486 public elementary schools	17.6%		15.7	1227^th of 1470 public elementary schools	16.5%	3			26.3	32.9	22.0			23.8	22.8	7.3			13.4		8.5		$11,980	$2,844	$9,136
George Crockett Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4851 14th St	Detroit	48208	Wayne County	George Crockett Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 896-6078	355	26	13.9	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	353 (99.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.4	1336^th of 1486 public elementary schools	10.1%		10.2	1310^th of 1470 public elementary schools	10.9%	26	41.2		15.6	14.7	20.0	16.1	22.2	12.5		7.5			20.0	8.8			$14,223	$5,177	$9,046
University Preparatory Art Design Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	10225 3rd St	Detroit	48202	Wayne County	University Preparatory Art & Design	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 826-1159	394	28	14.0	84.3%	5 (1.3%)	386 (98.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	13.6	1271^st of 1486 public elementary schools	14.5%		12.3	1271^st of 1470 public elementary schools	13.5%				21.9	19.1	23.1			17.2	16.2	18.2			15.2				$12,385	$2,906	$9,479
Durfee ElementaryMiddle School	Public	PK, KG-8	2425 Tuxedo St	Detroit	48206	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 252-3070	593	32	18.6	90.7%	1 (0.2%)	583 (98.3%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5.7	1446^th of 1486 public elementary schools	2.7%		5	1446^th of 1470 public elementary schools	1.6%		27.3		9.3	7.2	6.3	9.3	11.6	18.9	7.4					12.1		10.8	$20,703	$6,649	$14,053
SampsonWebber Leadership Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	4700 Tireman St	Detroit	48204	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 596-4750	350	23	15.3	94.9%	0 (0.0%)	337 (96.3%)	12 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8.5	1372^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	7.7%					(n/a)	32.1	14.3	12.1					11.8			9.8			13.8			$22,238	$7,622	$14,616
Edmonson Montessori	Public	PK, KG-8	1300 W Canfield St	Detroit	48201	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 873-7441	192	14	14.2	38.5%	34 (17.7%)	149 (77.6%)	5 (2.6%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	50.6	687^th of 1486 public elementary schools	53.8%		56.4	598^th of 1470 public elementary schools	59.3%	89			41.4	77.8	45.8	27.3		35.7	51.9	12.5			37.5		16.7		$20,330	$7,457	$12,873
Keidan Special Education Center	Public	PK, KG-8	4441 Collingwood St	Detroit	48204	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	No	(313) 873-9400	98	18	5.5	85.7%	14 (14.3%)	71 (72.4%)	13 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																	$30,734	$9,997	$20,737
Golightly Education Center	Public	PK, KG-8	5536 Saint Antoine St	Detroit	48202	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-2538	351	27	12.9	81.2%	2 (0.6%)	347 (98.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18.4	1193^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	19.7%		21.6	1121^st of 1470 public elementary schools	23.7%	72	56.7	19.4	18.4	19.5	34.4	22.7	38.7	18.4	22.5	25.0	9.1	22.6	21.9	16.1	9.4	22.6	$20,728	$6,525	$14,203

Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Detroit Public Schools Community District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for all elementary school students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for all middle school students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for middle school Female students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for middle school Male students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Rank History for middle school African American students at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Enrollment information for Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Thirkell ElementaryMiddle School

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