Detroit district maintains growth in literacy and math on the 2026 M-STEP

September 4, 2026

The Detroit Public Schools Community District showed modest year-over-year improvements in reading, writing, and math across nearly all grades on Michigan's standardized tests, with third-grade reading and writing scores reaching a 12-year high. Despite these gains, DPSCD students still significantly trail statewide averages, with only 14. 1% of third graders scoring proficient compared to 38.

Who is affected

Students in the Detroit Public Schools Community District across grades 3-11
DPSCD families receiving wraparound services
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and the district leadership
LaTrice McClendon, chair of the district's board
Teachers and academic interventionists hired with settlement funds
Michigan public school students (for comparison)
Students in wealthier communities (contextual comparison group)

What action is being taken

The district is hiring and retaining certified teachers
Schools are using evidence-based curriculum
The district is providing student interventions and tutoring services
Academic interventionists have been hired (hundreds of positions)
The district is spending the last of its $94.4 million literacy lawsuit settlement this school year
Teachers and students are working with math curriculum focused on conceptual understanding
The district is implementing smaller class sizes and increased intervention for ninth graders as part of high school redesign
Schools are providing wraparound services for children and families

Why it matters

The improvements are significant because DPSCD is showing academic progress while students across Michigan and nationally continue to struggle or regress following the pandemic. The sustained gains across multiple grades and subjects over several years suggest a genuine systemic turnaround rather than random variation. This matters particularly for Detroit students who start far behind peers in wealthier communities due to poverty and systemic racism, as the district demonstrates that coordinated interventions can accelerate learning even when proficiency rates remain low. The results provide evidence that strategic investments in curriculum, teaching, and student support can work in high-poverty urban districts, making DPSCD a "proof of concept" for educational equity efforts.

What's next

The district anticipates more SAT growth due to interventions with current ninth graders
DPSCD will likely have to make difficult budget decisions to keep interventionists after spending the last of the literacy settlement funds this school year
The district needs to continue to "refine and scale" its success, particularly in literacy
In five years, stakeholders plan to evaluate whether the incremental changes have marked sustainable change from the literacy funds

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com