Detroit schools are making real gains in reading and math: 4 strategies that are working

May 15, 2026

Detroit Public Schools Community District has shown significant academic improvement following a 2016 lawsuit settlement that provided $94. 4 million to address students' denied right to literacy education. The district has used these funds to hire 267 reading interventionists working specifically with younger students, implement daily 120-minute literacy blocks, and address chronic absenteeism through various programs including controversial attendance incentives.

Who is affected

Detroit Public Schools Community District students, particularly K-2 students and English learners
The 18 academic interventionists at Munger Elementary-Middle School (including Aja Penick and Greg Burris)
The 267 K-2 reading interventionists across Detroit schools
Detroit families, especially Spanish-speaking and Latino families (73% of Munger students are English learners)
Teachers like Samantha Ciaffone, Lisa VanLandschoot, and Hayley Burroughs
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and Principal Donnell Burroughs
Parents in the Munger community, some of whom have been detained by immigration enforcement
Mayor Mary Sheffield and city administration
Students who were part of the original 2016 lawsuit against the state

What action is being taken

Reading and multilingual interventionists like Penick and Burris are delivering instruction during daily 120-minute literacy blocks
Attendance agents are making calls to homes of absent students and showing up at their doors
A parent engagement coordinator is working to encourage parents to attend after-school events
District administrators are monitoring assessment data and state testing results to identify schools needing more intervention
The district is having conversations with parents about returning students to neighborhood schools if they have missed 45 or more days
Teachers are posting student progress data on classroom bulletin boards
Staff at Munger are sharing messages that students are safe amid immigration enforcement concerns

Why it matters

This improvement is significant because Detroit represents a "bright spot" during what researchers call a "reading recession" nationally, demonstrating that struggling urban districts can make measurable progress with targeted interventions. The district's success challenges decades of poor educational outcomes that resulted in students graduating without basic literacy skills and deplorable school conditions including rodents, textbook shortages, and unqualified teachers. Mayor Sheffield highlighted that educational improvements are critical to Detroit's population growth, as families cite the educational system as a major factor in deciding whether to locate in or leave the city. The interventionist model funded by the lawsuit settlement shows how targeted resources can help close literacy gaps, particularly for English learners and early elementary students.

What's next

The literacy lawsuit settlement money that has funded reading interventionists will soon dry up
Vitti stated the district's next challenge is "continuing to motivate, inspire, and change things, tweaking things" to expand proficiency and growth levels
The district is working toward matching or exceeding achievement levels of similar-sized districts across the country
School administrators will continue setting goals around key metrics every school year

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com