K-2 reading growth slowed last year in the Detroit district. Here’s what administrators say caused it.

September 29, 2026

Detroit Public Schools Community District is experiencing stalled progress in early literacy improvements during the second year of implementing a $94. 4 million lawsuit settlement aimed at boosting reading proficiency. While the district saw significant gains in kindergarten through second-grade reading scores during the first year of the program, which funded interventionists and tutoring, growth plateaued in the most recent school year with only a minimal increase in proficiency rates.

Who is affected

Detroit Public Schools Community District K-2 students (approximately 73% not proficient in reading)
DPSCD students in all grades (receiving interventionists, tutoring, and resources)
Third-grade students (only 14.1% at or above proficiency)
Students with undiagnosed disabilities waiting for special education evaluations
English language learners
Chronically absent students
Teachers and 267 literacy academic interventionists hired through the settlement
Families participating in Parent Academy sessions
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and district administrators
Board members including Chair LaTrice McClendon and member Monique Bryant
Principals observing K-2 classrooms

What action is being taken

The district is using settlement funds to employ 267 additional literacy academic interventionists working in small groups with K-2 students
Class sizes are being reduced in K-3 grades
After-school tutoring is being offered and expanded
Educator merit pay is being provided for schools and classrooms meeting literacy goals
Newcomer centers for English language learners are operating
Parent Academy sessions are being conducted to help families encourage reading
Principals are visiting K-2 classrooms, observing, and providing feedback to teachers more frequently
The district is increasing staff to reduce wait times for special education evaluations

Why it matters

This situation matters because Detroit students remain significantly behind state averages in reading proficiency, with systemic inequities rooted in years of state underfunding that created deplorable school conditions. The 2016 federal "right to read" civil rights lawsuit exposed how funding inequities denied children access to proper education, and the $94.4 million settlement represents a critical opportunity to address historical injustices tied to poverty and racism. With this being the final year of settlement funding and 80% of K-2 students still not proficient in reading, the urgency is heightened because early literacy forms the foundation for all future academic success. The stalled progress threatens to perpetuate educational disparities that have long disadvantaged Detroit's predominantly low-income students compared to peers in wealthier communities.

What's next

The district plans to provide more individualized interventions for students who are just below grade level in the 2025-26 school year
Discussions are ongoing about implementing mandatory summer school for students significantly behind grade level on a case-by-case basis
Board members are considering paying students to attend summer school
The board wants to expand and refocus summer programming to center academics instead of enrichment
Potential decisions regarding universal student retention are being discussed
The district needs to determine how to continue literacy efforts after settlement funding runs out this year

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com