Elementary Schools in Reach Charter Academy

Reach Charter Academy is a single K-8 charter elementary school in Roseville, Michigan, serving 528 students in a high-poverty suburban Detroit community where nearly 87% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school has shown modest improvement over the past two years, moving from the 14th to the 21st percentile in state rankings, though it remains in the bottom quarter of Michigan schools with a 1-star rating. The most striking finding is a "6th grade anomaly"—these students achieved 38.7% proficiency in English Language Arts, actually exceeding the state average of 37.5%, and improved by an impressive 21.2 percentage points from the prior year. Seventh graders also showed strong ELA gains (+16.1 points). However, performance is highly volatile across grade levels and subjects, with 5th grade ELA dropping 12.3 points and 4th grade falling 9.5 points year-over-year, suggesting cohort effects rather than systemic improvement. Math remains the school's most critical weakness, with proficiency rates ranging from just 7.27% in 5th grade to 28.9% in 3rd grade—all far below state averages. The 8th grade PSAT math results are particularly alarming at only 5.56% proficiency compared to 33.2% statewide.

The single biggest barrier to success appears to be chronic absenteeism, which stands at 55.9%—exactly double the state average of 27.9%. Over half of students are missing enough school to significantly impact learning. Science scores also declined sharply (5th grade fell from 23.3% to 14.5%, 8th grade from 24.5% to 12.7%), even as overall rankings improved, indicating gains are driven primarily by ELA. The school spends $15,483 per student, above the state average, yet achieves bottom-quartile results. Despite these challenges, there are encouraging signs: 3rd grade math improved by 14.6 points, and the school has shown two consecutive years of ranking improvement. For parents, the key takeaway is that this school serves a very high-needs population and faces serious attendance and math challenges, but specific grades show that meaningful progress is possible with the right interventions.