Summary:
Prevail Academy is a single K-8 charter school in Mount Clemens, Michigan, serving 534 students as its own district, with 90.6% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The school has shown a remarkable upward trajectory in state rankings, jumping from 1,160th (22nd percentile) in 2024-2025 to 841st (44th percentile) in 2025-2026—a 319-position improvement that signals recent reforms may be taking hold.
Academically, the school’s biggest success story is English Language Arts, where 3rd-grade proficiency soared from 12.9% to 34% in one year, and 5th-grade ELA (45.7%) now exceeds the state average (43.8%). Science is another relative strength, with 5th-grade proficiency at 47.8%—nearly 8 points above the state—despite the high poverty rate. However, mathematics remains a critical weakness across every grade level, with proficiency running 10-17 points below state averages. The 8th-grade PSAT math score of 15.2% (state: 33.2%) highlights a severe skills gap that accumulates by middle school, even as 8th-grade ELA on the PSAT (60.6%) approaches the state average (64.8%). Grade 5 stands out as a bright spot, while 6th grade shows a notable dip in both subjects, possibly reflecting the transition to middle school structures.
The most pressing challenge is chronic absenteeism: 47.9% of students are chronically absent—nearly double the state rate of 27.9%—which likely explains much of the achievement gap. At $14,927 per student, the school spends above the Michigan average, yet outcomes remain mixed, though the recent improvement trend suggests resources may be starting to pay off. For parents, this school offers strong momentum in reading and science, particularly in the lower grades, but math intervention and attendance support will be critical for sustaining progress. The 5th-grade cohort demonstrates that this school can achieve above-state results even with high economic disadvantage, making it a school worth watching for continued improvement.
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