Discovery Middle School

Summary:

Discovery Middle School is a public middle school located in Canton, Michigan, serving 714 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district, which is ranked 100 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Discovery Middle School has a relatively diverse student population, with 58.68% White, 17.09% African American, 6.86% Hispanic, and 10.78% Asian students. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by M-Step and PSAT test scores, is generally lower than the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (45.7% for 6th grade, 51.9% for 7th grade) and Math (27.7% for 6th grade, 39.8% for 7th grade) were below the district and state averages. Additionally, Discovery Middle School has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 9.8% in 2018-2019 to 23.0% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the nearby East Middle School (18.6%) and West Middle School (18.3%).

When comparing Discovery Middle School to other nearby schools in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district, it becomes evident that Discovery lags behind in academic performance, particularly in comparison to the highly-ranked Meads Mill Middle School and East Middle School. Additionally, Discovery Middle School has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (34.73% in 2022-2023) compared to some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as East Middle School (20.28%) and Meads Mill Middle School (8.64%), which suggests that the school may be serving a more economically disadvantaged population.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 45083 Hanford Rd
       Canton, MI  48187-2690


(734) 416-2880

District: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
227th of 897 Michigan Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,879 Help


Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually attend:

High:    Canton High School
    Plymouth High School
    Salem High School

Feeder schools for Discovery Middle School:

Elementary:    Eriksson Elementary School
    Hoben Elementary School
    Miller Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  18.9 Help
Number of students:  734

Racial breakdown:

White:
57.9%
African American:
16.1%
Asian:
11.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  33.9% Help


 See top rated Michigan middle schools

 Compare Discovery Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Discovery Middle School ranks better than 74.7% of middle schools in Michigan. It also ranks 5th among 6 ranked middle schools in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.13. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (57.9%), African American (16.1%), Asian (11%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 33.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School is 18.9, which is the 3rd best among 6 middle schools in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Discovery Middle School employs 38.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Middle School is $14,879, which is the 2nd highest among 6 middle schools in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Middle School 227th of 897 Michigan public middle schools. (See Discovery Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Plymouth-Canton Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Plymouth-Canton Community Schools 100th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Discovery Middle School?

Rank History for Discovery Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 82.99 81st 806 90.0%
2007 85.38 47th 823 94.3%
2008 85.08 57th 839 93.2%
2009 84.77 63rd 847 92.6%
2010 83.22 63rd 851 92.6%
2011 82.87 70th 858 91.8%
2012 89.65 57th 900 93.7%
2013 89.67 63rd 919 93.1%
2014 92.62 40th 921 95.7%
2015 87.56 77th 919 91.6%
2016 71.69 209th 894 76.6%
2017 59.21 280th 821 65.9%
2018 79.82 147th 838 82.5%
2019 77.48 136th 792 82.8%
2021 63.53 187th 675 72.3%
2022 70.09 170th 776 78.1%
2023 72.24 195th 883 77.9%
2024 67.13 227th 897 74.7%
See the entire list of Michigan Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 68.24 39th 163 76.1%
2024 50.81 82nd 176 53.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.65 6th 154 96.1%
2024 39.73 49th 88 44.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.89 79th 377 79.0%
2023 60.45 56th 199 71.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.99 102nd 815 87.5%
2019 79.59 64th 672 90.5%
2021 72.51 73rd 523 86.0%
2022 71.59 115th 691 83.4%
2023 72.20 139th 825 83.2%
2024 56.48 292nd 836 65.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.42 198th 794 75.1%
2019 69.67 158th 658 76.0%
2021 57.01 164th 521 68.5%
2022 65.94 164th 657 75.0%
2023 66.28 197th 770 74.4%
2024 60.86 224th 771 70.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 84.19 96th 797 88.0%
2019 77.53 108th 639 83.1%
2021 60.68 162nd 540 70.0%
2022 65.55 167th 658 74.6%
2023 70.18 175th 776 77.4%
2024 65.27 223rd 786 71.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.03 69th 104 33.7%
2019 50.82 25th 48 47.9%
2022 51.13 32nd 57 43.9%
2023 53.98 45th 87 48.3%
2024 51.08 50th 88 43.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.94 71st 366 80.6%
2019 74.33 34th 196 82.7%
2021 80.13 9th 77 88.3%
2022 69.83 38th 182 79.1%
2023 69.18 68th 310 78.1%
2024 62.15 76th 300 74.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.78 76th 266 71.4%
2021 74.89 14th 69 79.7%
2022 76.13 23rd 138 83.3%
2023 70.08 58th 246 76.4%
2024 54.68 102nd 257 60.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.49 116th 678 82.9%
2019 73.25 137th 624 78.0%
2021 57.94 201st 577 65.2%
2022 64.08 177th 638 72.3%
2023 63.62 206th 688 70.1%
2024 59.28 234th 701 66.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Middle Schools for White 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.

Discovery Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1.3)
0%

0%

0%

33%

67%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Thursday, May 9, 2019

Open Quote i go to this school and the teachers there do not listen to you when you tell them a problem and the schools lunch is so bad the cheese on the cheeseburgers is basically plastic, they say they have pizza everyday its true but it will make you throw up. they care more about oranges on the ground at lunch than a kid being bullied (some kid was being bullied and they yelled at the victim for dropping an orange on the ground.) They teach you stuff you will never learn and they dont care if a kid is stressed about all the tests and homework they have. when you ask the teachers a question they answer by yelling at you for not knowing the answer. the teachers always take one side of a problem and not listen to the other. the assistant principle is a massive jerk. i have learned more about history and science looking on the internet than i ever have at this school. overall pick any other school in pccs to put your child in Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Open Quote This is the worst school I have ever dealt with. Every single parent or student I speak with has a horrific story of how they have been treated here. Many people were transferred to this school when they redistricted and both the parents and the students are equally miserable. The staff (not all but many) treat the students like they are total delinquents and threaten them constantly. The band teacher is by far the worst, he is absolutely unprofessional and very verbally abusive. It's a nightmare. Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, March 16, 2015

Open Quote This is my second child to go through Discovery, and things have not changed. I have a 6th grader who was physically assaulted and because my son pushed the child away to protect himself he was suspended for 3 days. My son is an honor roll student and has never been in an altercation. I find the principal does not bother to get involved with disciplinary actions and the assistant principal does not bother to look at both sides of an altercation. His immediate response is to suspend everyone for 3 days. Textbook. He is not there to protect his students just himself. There needs to be a change in administration fast! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Discovery Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1995 643 25 32 4 1 n/a n/a 0 705
1996 643 25 32 4 1 n/a n/a 0 705
1997 657 36 42 7 1 n/a n/a 0 743
1998 651 33 51 10 3 n/a n/a 0 748
1999 631 39 57 9 5 n/a n/a 0 741
2000 641 39 75 17 4 n/a n/a 0 776
2001 665 47 82 16 6 n/a n/a 0 816
2002 783 36 98 12 9 n/a n/a 0 938
2003 783 36 98 12 9 n/a n/a 0 938
2004 751 45 116 13 8 n/a n/a 0 933
2005 732 35 118 10 6 n/a n/a 0 901
2006 713 66 151 9 2 n/a n/a 0 941
2007 740 75 173 13 2 n/a n/a 0 1003
2008 718 89 188 16 2 n/a n/a 7 1020
2009 700 97 170 13 2 n/a n/a 14 996
2010 704 107 151 17 3 n/a n/a 0 982
2011 707 95 126 31 1 1 29 0 990
2012 722 92 125 38 2 0 26 0 1005
2013 701 97 113 31 2 0 24 0 968
2014 679 103 107 34 0 0 27 0 950
2015 646 106 91 35 1 0 29 0 908
2016 543 102 79 36 8 0 38 0 806
2017 503 116 78 42 7 0 29 0 775
2018 494 125 84 36 5 0 35 0 779
2019 474 114 79 40 3 0 31 0 741
2020 448 132 80 48 1 0 38 0 747
2021 429 116 76 58 0 1 33 0 713
2022 383 106 65 62 1 0 41 0 658
2023 419 122 77 49 0 0 47 0 714
2024 425 118 81 54 1 1 54 0 734

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 Discovery Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 705 31.9 22.1 5.4
1996 705 31.9 22.1 5.4
1997 743 30.0 24.8 7
1998 748 35.0 21.4 5.9
1999 741 36.0 20.6 3.8
2000 776 38.8 20.0 7.9
2001 816 41.0 19.9 4.8
2002 938 46.7 20.1 4.6
2003 938 46.7 20.1 4.6
2004 933 44.7 20.9 4.4
2005 901 44.3 20.3 5.2
2006 941 47.6 19.8 5.5
2007 1003 49.8 20.1 7.7
2008 1020 49.9 20.4 7.5
2009 996 49.0 20.3 8.6
2010 982 48.0 20.4 12.4
2011 990 45.2 21.9 15.2
2012 1005 46.8 21.4 14.6
2013 968 43.6 22.1 14.3
2014 950 46.8 20.2 14.1
2015 908 45.0 20.1 15.2
2016 806 42.0 19.1 24.7
2017 775 39.2 19.7 23.7
2018 779 36.4 21.4 30
2019 741 38.0 19.5 33.3
2020 747 38.8 19.2 29.6
2021 713 38.2 18.6 28.1
2022 658 38.6 17.0 32.1
2023 714 39.0 18.3 34.7
2024 734 38.8 18.9 33.9

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 Discovery Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 705 31.9 22.1 5.4
1996 705 31.9 22.1 5.4
1997 743 30.0 24.8 7
1998 748 35.0 21.4 5.9
1999 741 36.0 20.6 3.8
2000 776 38.8 20.0 7.9
2001 816 41.0 19.9 4.8
2002 938 46.7 20.1 4.6
2003 938 46.7 20.1 4.6
2004 933 44.7 20.9 4.4
2005 901 44.3 20.3 5.2
2006 941 47.6 19.8 5.5
2007 1003 49.8 20.1 7.7
2008 1020 49.9 20.4 7.5
2009 996 49.0 20.3 8.6
2010 982 48.0 20.4 12.4
2011 990 45.2 21.9 15.2
2012 1005 46.8 21.4 14.6
2013 968 43.6 22.1 14.3
2014 950 46.8 20.2 14.1
2015 908 45.0 20.1 15.2
2016 806 42.0 19.1 24.7
2017 775 39.2 19.7 23.7
2018 779 36.4 21.4 30
2019 741 38.0 19.5 33.3
2020 747 38.8 19.2 29.6
2021 713 38.2 18.6 28.1
2022 658 38.6 17.0 32.1
2023 714 39.0 18.3 34.7
2024 734 38.8 18.9 33.9

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 Discovery Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $344 (2.8%) $11,955 (97.2%) $12,298
2020 $399 (3.6%) $10,767 (96.4%) $11,166
2021 $2,582 (21.3%) $9,534 (78.7%) $12,116
2022 $1,189 (8.3%) $13,178 (91.7%) $14,367
2023 $1,467 (9.9%) $13,411 (90.1%) $14,879

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Middle 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 136th of 792 Middle schoolsRanks 195th of 883 Middle schools
 4.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)4744.9
 2.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools)58.558.2
 0.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)41.737.5
 4.2%
6th Grade Math (Discovery Middle School)45.733.3
 12.4%
   6th Grade Math (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools)59.453.3
 6.1%
   6th Grade Math (Michigan)35.129.6
 5.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)59.741.6
 18.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools)64.257.9
 6.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)42.736.9
 5.8%
7th Grade Math (Discovery Middle School)55.538.4
 17.1%
   7th Grade Math (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools)60.249.4
 10.8%
   7th Grade Math (Michigan)35.731
 4.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Discovery Middle School)3135.7
 4.7%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools)43.643.2
 0.4%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)2826.7
 1.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)75.369.9
 5.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools)79.678.5
 1.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)61.959.7
 2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle School)63.257.9
 5.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools)68.665.5
 3.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)41.436.3
 5.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students741714
 3.6%
African American114122
 7%
American Indian30
 100%
Asian7977
 2.5%
Hispanic4049
 22.5%
Pacific Islander00
White474419
 11.6%
Two or More Races3147
 51.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients33.3%34.7%
 1.4%


Schools Near Discovery Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Middle School

Discovery Middle School ranks 227th of 897 Michigan middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually go on to attend Canton High School

Students at Discovery Middle School are 58% White, 16% African American, 11% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

In the 2023-24 school year, 734 students attended Discovery Middle 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.





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