Avondale Gifted and Talented Education in Rochester Hills earned the No. 1 ranking among Michigan elementary schools in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Elementary Schools rankings.
The school, known locally as Avondale GATE, topped all 1,499 ranked elementary schools statewide. It placed first in both reading proficiency and math proficiency, according to its U.S. News profile. Its reading and math performance were both rated “well above expectations.”
Avondale GATE serves grades 2-8 at 1435 W. Auburn Road and is part of the Avondale School District. Its U.S. News profile lists 381 students.
Ninety-five percent of tested students scored at or above the proficient level in reading, and 94% did so in math. Those figures exceeded the statewide comparison rates listed in its profile: 41% in reading and 34% in math.
The profile lists 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, reports that all full-time teachers were certified and gives a 16-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
The school’s website describes a magnet program for gifted students with accelerated instruction and deeper study of core subjects. It serves district residents and students admitted from outside the district through Schools of Choice.
In a general statement on the district’s website, Superintendent Catherine “Cathy” Kochanski says she looks forward to working with the community to “build upon the district’s strong foundation and continue providing outstanding opportunities for every learner.”
Rochester Community Schools rankings
Other ranked schools in the Rochester Community School District include Musson Elementary School in Rochester Hills, which ranked No. 49 with a score of 96.8 out of 100.
Eighty percent of Musson’s tested students scored proficient or above in math, and 77% did so in reading. Its profile lists 505 students.
Delta Kelly Elementary School in Oakland Township ranked No. 248, with 73% math proficiency and 65% reading proficiency. Its profile lists 643 students.
Baldwin Elementary School on Bannister Road ranked No. 298, with 65% math proficiency and 69% reading proficiency.
The Rochester Community School District’s elementary-school averages were 66% proficient in reading and 65% proficient in math, according to U.S. News. Its profiles list 13 ranked elementary schools among 21 total schools.
How the rankings work
The U.S. News rankings weigh four factors equally: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance.
Half the formula uses subject performance indexes that account for results across proficiency levels. The other half compares results with expectations based on students’ socioeconomic backgrounds, according to the ranking methodology.
Only public schools are included because they participate in common statewide assessments.
U.S. News ranked 46,713 elementary schools and 24,756 middle schools in the 2027 edition. Schools receive state and district rankings, rather than a national placement. The Michigan rankings use 2023-24 state assessment data.
Michigan’s top 10 elementary schools
The highest-ranked elementary schools statewide, according to the U.S. News Michigan rankings, are:
- Avondale Gifted and Talented Education, Rochester Hills
- Webster Elementary School, Livonia
- Brown Elementary School, Byron Center
- Amerman Elementary School, Northville
- Martin Luther King Elementary School, Ann Arbor
- Jeffers Elementary School, Spring Lake
- Countryside Elementary School, Byron Center
- Hemmeter Elementary School, Saginaw
- Marshall Elementary School, Byron Center
- Novi Woods Elementary School, Novi
