Pinewood Elementary School

Pinewood Elementary School in Warren, MI, is a K-5 public school serving 353 students in a suburban setting, where about 61% of families qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school is part of the Warren Woods Public Schools district and has shown remarkable progress over the past five years, climbing from a 1-star rating during the pandemic to a solid 3-star rating today—a jump from the 19th to the 56th percentile statewide.

What really sets Pinewood apart is its exceptional strength in early-grade math. In 3rd and 4th grades, roughly 60% of students score proficient in math, which is about 19 points higher than the state average. The school is also notably effective at supporting students from low-income households, earning a 4-star rating for its work with this group—a significant achievement given that over 60% of its students face economic challenges. In fact, Pinewood outperforms its nearby district counterpart, Briarwood Elementary School, by a wide margin in nearly every subject, despite the two schools being less than a mile apart with similar demographics. For example, in 4th-grade math, Pinewood achieves 58.8% proficiency versus Briarwood's 24.1%.

However, there are areas where Pinewood faces challenges. The school sees a noticeable drop-off in 5th-grade performance, with math proficiency falling to just 31.7% and science and social studies scores lagging behind state averages. Chronic absenteeism, while improving to 27.9%, still matches the state average and remains higher than some nearby schools like Wilde Elementary School. Interestingly, Frontier International Academy Elementary, a charter school serving an even higher percentage of low-income students with less funding per pupil, achieves stronger overall results—suggesting that Pinewood might benefit from examining additional strategies, particularly around attendance and upper-grade instruction, to continue its upward trajectory.