(The Center Square) – Test results from the Detroit Public Schools Community District show gains on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, PSAT 8, and PSAT/SAT assessments.
The district educates more than 48,000 students across 100 schools.
The assessments, administered every spring to Michigan students in grades 3 through 8 and to high school students in grade 11, measure statewide education achievement.
Results show DPSCD proficiency levels improved in M-STEP English Language Arts/PSAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing to 14.6% compared to 12.6% in 2021-22 and 14.4% in 2018-19. The state’s overall score declined 3.9 percentage points in 2021-22, which remains unchanged in 2022-23.
In Grades 3-8 Math, DPSCD’s improvement over 2021-22 was twice that of the state and is much closer to full recovery to 2018-19 than the state. Proficiency levels improved 2.5 percentage points in M-STEP/P-SAT Mathematics grade 3-8 to 9% percent compared to 6.5%. State scores overall declined 4.2 percentage points in 2021-22, recovering only 1.2 percentage points in 2022-23.
“These results are an unquestionable statement that we are back to our reform strategy and that it is improving the academic standing of our students,” DPSC Superintendent Nikolai P. Vitti, said in a statement. “We are not surprised by this improvement. A strong foundation was implemented prior to the disruption of the pandemic with clear 2018-19 improvement results.”
Scores for 11th-grade college and career readiness improved in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and SAT Mathematics exceeding 2018-19 and 2021-22. Also, scores for 11th-grade EBWR proficiency are now at 32.9%, compared to 26.9% in 2021-22 and 28.5% in 2018-19; math proficiency is now 11.7%, compared to 8% in 2021-22 and 11.4% in 2018-19.
Vitti thanked school employees, students and families for working to recover from learning loss.
“Results do not lie,” Vitti said. “We are committed to our strategy, and we are on our way to once again being the most improved large urban school district in the country, and in the years to come the highest performing large urban school district in the country.
The 7-member elected school board appointed Vitti in 2017 to implement a strategic plan. DPSC Board Chair Angelique Peterson-Mayberry welcomed the progress.
“All students are not where they need to be, and we will not rest until they are but we will certainly celebrate this improvement and continue to work hard and collaboratively to restore the greatness of this District,” Peterson-Mayberry said in a statement.
The district’s improvement stands in contrast to other Michigan districts and national performance trends post-pandemic.
For example, in Grades 3-8 ELA/EBRW, DPSCD has completely recovered and exceeded 2018-19 results, while the rest of Wayne Regional Education Service Agency without DPSCD is still 3.2 percentage points behind pre-pandemic results, and improved 0.4 points, compared to DPSCD’s 2 percentage point improvement.
