Detroit Service Learning Academy Campus

Detroit Service Learning Academy Campus is a public charter school in Detroit, MI, serving 847 students in grades PK-8, where nearly all students (99.76%) come from low-income households. This school is part of the Detroit Service Learning Academy district and currently ranks in the 1st percentile statewide, placing it among the very lowest-performing elementary schools in Michigan.

Academic proficiency rates are critically low across nearly every subject and grade level. For example, only 5.3% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 38.2%, and math proficiency sits at just 4.35% for 3rd graders and 3.36% for 7th graders. These numbers are far below nearby schools like Cooke STEM Academy and Beech Elementary. Perhaps the most striking comparison is with its sister campus, Redford Service Learning Academy Campus, which serves a similarly high-poverty population yet achieves 18.8% ELA proficiency and 20.8% math proficiency in 3rd grade—more than three times the rates at this Detroit campus. This gap suggests the challenges here are not simply about demographics or district policy, but may relate to school-specific factors like leadership or climate.

A major barrier to learning is chronic absenteeism: 60.3% of students missed 10% or more of the school year, more than double the state average of 27.9% and higher than nearby Emerson ElementaryMiddle School and Weston Preparatory Academy. The student-teacher ratio of 17.1 is also higher than most peers, meaning larger class sizes. One bright spot: 8th graders showed relative strength, with 23.1% proficient in ELA on the PSAT, matching the district average. Notably, the school spends $16,803 per student—more than its sister campus—yet outcomes remain far lower, indicating that additional funding alone is not addressing the root causes of low achievement.