High Schools in Jackson Preparatory & Early College

Jackson Preparatory Early College is the sole high school within the Jackson Preparatory & Early College district in Jackson, Michigan, serving grades 6 through 12 with a total enrollment of 260 students. This small public charter school has experienced a significant decline in its state ranking over the past three years, falling from the 83rd percentile (4 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 54th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026—a drop of 245 positions that places it squarely in the middle of Michigan high schools.

The school shows a striking split between literacy and mathematics achievement. Students consistently outperform state averages in English Language Arts across nearly every grade level, with 8th graders exceeding state proficiency by 9.4 points on the PSAT and 7th graders beating the state by 10 points. Middle school science and social studies are standout areas, with 8th grade proficiency rates nearly 20 points above state averages. However, math performance is critically weak: 7th grade math proficiency sits at just 9.68% (23.6 points below the state), 11th grade SAT math is only 11.9% proficient, and 6th and 9th grade math also trail state averages by 7-10 points. This pattern suggests strong literacy instruction but a fundamental breakdown in math curriculum or instruction that persists from middle school through high school.

Student engagement metrics raise serious concerns. The graduation rate is 77.7% (6.3 points below the state average), the dropout rate is 11.1% (4 points higher than the state), and chronic absenteeism affects 40.8% of students—nearly 13 points above the state average. Despite serving a relatively advantaged population (only 29.62% free/reduced lunch) and spending $11,177 per student, the school struggles to keep students engaged and on track. The dramatic year-over-year volatility in math scores (7th grade fell from 34.8% to 9.68% proficiency in one year) highlights how small cohort sizes can skew results, but the consistent pattern of high absenteeism, below-average graduation rates, and collapsing high school math performance suggests systemic challenges that likely require targeted intervention in both math instruction and student engagement strategies.