Summary:
University Preparatory Science and Math (PSAD) is a Detroit charter district serving a single middle school, University Prep Science and Math Middle School, which enrolls 513 students in grades 6-8, with nearly 65% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
As the only middle school in the University Preparatory Science and Math (PSAD) district, all attention falls on this one campus. The school is showing clear momentum, climbing from a 698th state ranking in 2023-2024 to 597th in 2025-2026, earning its first 2-star rating. The most striking improvement came in 6th-grade English Language Arts, which jumped 12.2 percentage points in one year to 33.9% proficiency. Math remains the biggest concern, with proficiency stuck between 16% and 20% across all grades—far below state averages and particularly troubling for a STEM-focused school. The 8th-grade PSAT math score of 16% is the weakest area, sitting 17 points below the state average. Social studies is a relative bright spot at 41.1% proficiency, just 9 points behind the state.
Parents should note a clear pattern: younger students perform closer to state averages than older ones. While 6th graders trail the state by only 3.6 points in ELA, 7th graders fall 14.9 points behind, and 8th graders lag by 17.3 points. This suggests recent instructional changes may be helping younger cohorts, but older students continue to struggle. Chronic absenteeism affects 38% of students—10 points above the state average—which likely compounds academic challenges. With a 19:1 student-teacher ratio and $12,155 per-student spending, the school has modest resources relative to its needs. Despite persistent gaps, the upward trajectory in rankings and the significant 6th-grade ELA gains offer genuine hope that the school is moving in the right direction, even as math achievement demands urgent attention.
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