Chandler Park Academy

Chandler Park Academy is a public charter school district in Harper Woods, Michigan, serving about 2,019 students across three schools: Chandler Park Academy Elementary (PK-5), Chandler Park Academy Middle School (6-8), and Chandler Park Academy High School (9-12). The district serves a predominantly low-income population, with free/reduced lunch rates between 86% and 94%, and currently ranks in the 5th percentile statewide.

The most encouraging news comes from the middle school, which has shown real momentum. Its state ranking jumped from the 2nd to the 10th percentile in two years, and 8th grade PSAT English proficiency surged from 26.5% to 39.1% — a 12.6-point gain. Social studies proficiency more than doubled to 25.9%. The high school also stands out for its graduation rate of 87.5%, which beats the state average of 84.0%, despite very low test scores. The elementary school, with 817 students, has the best attendance by far — only 6.8% chronic absenteeism versus 46.0% at the middle school and 40.4% at the high school — suggesting strong family engagement at that level.

However, academic proficiency is critically low across all three schools. Math is the most severe crisis: 4th grade proficiency is 4.31%, 6th grade is 4.55%, and 9th grade PSAT math is just 1.59% — meaning fewer than one student per classroom meets grade-level standards. Reading and science scores also trail state averages by 20-35 points. The high school spends $15,157 per student — 29% more than the elementary school — yet outcomes remain similarly poor, raising questions about resource allocation. The disconnect between the high graduation rate and low academic readiness (only 18.9% proficient in SAT reading) suggests diplomas may not reflect college or career preparedness. With all three schools in the bottom 10% statewide, this district needs systemic intervention in curriculum and instruction, not just piecemeal fixes.