David Ellis Academy West

David Ellis Academy West is a public charter school in Redford, MI, serving 725 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, with over 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

This school shows a striking split between two subjects. In English Language Arts (ELA), there are real signs of progress—for example, 4th-grade reading proficiency jumped from 19.2% to 42.3% in just one year, and 5th graders are now close to the state average. However, math is a serious concern. Proficiency rates are extremely low across all grades, with only 3.9% of 5th graders and 10.7% of 7th graders meeting state standards, compared to state averages above 32%. This isn't a new issue; math scores have remained in the single digits or low teens for several years. The contrast suggests literacy efforts are working, but math instruction needs a major overhaul. Chronic absenteeism is also higher than the state average (33.8% vs. 27.9%), though it has improved significantly from a peak of 46.9% and is better than nearby alternatives like Bradford Academy (59.8%) and Lighthouse Connections Academy (51.3%).

An interesting comparison comes from the school's sister campus, David Ellis Academy, just 5.9 miles away. That smaller school (206 students) achieves far stronger results—for instance, 60% of its 7th graders are proficient in ELA versus 21.4% at West, and 35% are proficient in math versus 10.7%. This shows the challenges at West aren't baked into the school model itself. The school spends $13,987 per student, slightly above the state average but less than some peers like Bradford Academy ($16,135). While West outperforms some local alternatives, it lags behind AGBU Alex-Marie Manoogian School, which serves a wealthier population. The bottom line: this is a school with clear pockets of progress in reading, but an urgent, data-driven focus on math is needed to give all students a solid foundation.