Six elementary schools in Dearborn Public Schools have been recognized for beating the odds with their literacy scores.
River Oaks, Maples, Nowlin, Miller, Oakman and Howard elementary schools were recently recognized with Bright Spot Top School awards. Each school surpassed expectations when looking at the number of third grade students proficient in reading and factoring in the number of low-income students in the building.
The awards were announced by The 74, a nonprofit newsroom that covers education across the country.
“These exceptional schools are in the top 5 percent of their state in terms of outscoring their expected reading proficiency,” according to the award website. Data on the website also recognized Lindbergh and Becker elementary schools for exceeding expectations.
The analysis was based on figures from the 2023-24 school year and compared the percentage of students proficient on the third grade M-STEP and the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch at that school.
Bright Spot Top School awardees were announced just before National Reading Day on Sept. 8, 2026.
“We always appreciate recognition for turning students into readers, and we want to applaud students, staff, and families for this success,” said Superintendent Mike Esseily. “But we also know we need to do more to improve our literacy rates. That is why we are proud to be a state leader in implementing the Science of Reading across all of our elementary schools this year. ”
