High Schools in Riverside Academy

There is just one high school in the Riverside Academy district, Riverside Academy West Campus, a Dearborn, MI school serving grades 6-12 with 470 students, and it presents a striking paradox: exceptional student retention paired with low academic proficiency.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that this school excels at keeping students engaged and on track to graduate. The graduation rate is an impressive 96.1%, far above the state average of 84.0%, and the dropout rate is a perfect 0.0% compared to the state's 7.1%. Chronic absenteeism is also a bright spot at just 14.5%, less than half the state's 27.9%, suggesting a supportive and welcoming environment. However, this success in persistence does not translate to test scores. Proficiency rates on state assessments are consistently well below state averages across all subjects and grades. For example, in the most recent year, only 7.5% of 6th graders were proficient in ELA versus the state's 37.5%, and 11th-grade SAT math proficiency was 15.9% versus the state's 26.5%. The school also serves a high-needs population, with 100% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and has a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 21.7.

Looking deeper, the data reveals a school that prioritizes student support over academic acceleration, with per-student spending of $14,369. Test scores are volatile year-over-year, making trends hard to spot, but one relative strength is 8th-grade PSAT ELA proficiency at 46%, which is closest to the state's 64.8%. While the school's state ranking is low (1-star), its ability to graduate nearly all of its students, especially given the economic challenges, is a significant achievement. Parents should weigh this strong culture of retention and attendance against the clear need for improved academic outcomes when considering this school.