Summary:
The Cesar Chavez Academy district in Detroit, Michigan, operates four schools: two elementary schools (Cesar Chavez Academy Elementary and Cesar Chavez Academy Intermediate), one middle school (Cesar Chavez Middle School), and one high school (Cesar Chavez High School). While the schools serve a predominantly low-income student population, they consistently perform below state averages on key metrics such as test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism.
Across all grade levels and subjects, the Cesar Chavez Academy schools lag behind state averages in academic proficiency. For instance, in 2024-2025, the high school's proficiency rates ranged from 10.5% in SAT Math to 31.6% in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, compared to state averages of 27.5% and 55.4%, respectively. The middle school and elementary schools show similarly low proficiency rates, with the highest being 49.5% in 8th grade PSAT English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 65.3%. Additionally, the high school's 4-year graduation rate of 82.8% in 2023-2024 was lower than the state average, and its dropout rate of 7.6% was higher than desirable.
Despite the low performance, the Cesar Chavez Academy schools appear to have relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $12,087 to $14,593 in 2023-2024, and low student-teacher ratios, ranging from 15:1 to 18.5:1. This suggests that the issue may not be a lack of resources, but rather how those resources are being utilized and targeted to address the specific needs of the student population. With the right strategies and interventions, the Cesar Chavez Academy schools have the potential to improve and provide a better educational experience for their students.
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