Pierce Elementary leads local schools in U.S. News rankings

Pierce Elementary School in Birmingham ranked No. 50 among 1,499 Michigan elementary schools in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Conant Elementary School on Quarton Road in Bloomfield Township placed No. 59.

Both schools earned overall scores above 96 out of 100, according to their U.S. News profiles. Pierce scored 96.66, and Conant scored 96.13. The Michigan rankings use 2023-24 state assessment data.

Pierce Elementary

Pierce’s profile lists the school at 1829 Pierce St. in Birmingham as serving pre-K through fifth grade, with 556 students and a 16-to-1 student-teacher ratio.

On state assessments, 77% of tested students scored proficient or above in math and 78% in reading. Both figures exceeded the Birmingham Public Schools elementary-school averages of 70% in math and 72% in reading.

Pierce ranked No. 19 statewide in reading proficiency and tied for No. 41 in math proficiency. It received “well above expectations” ratings in both reading and math performance.

The profile lists 34 full-time-equivalent teachers and reports that all full-time teachers were certified.

Principal Kate Trudel has led Pierce since fall 2023, according to her official school biography. She previously served as the founding principal of Avondale GATE Magnet School in Rochester Hills.

Avondale GATE ranked No. 1 among Michigan elementary schools in the 2027 U.S. News rankings.

Conant Elementary

Conant’s profile lists the school at 4100 Quarton Road as serving pre-K through fifth grade, with 504 students and a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio.

It reports that 78% of tested students scored proficient or above in math and 76% in reading. Both figures exceeded the Bloomfield Hills Schools elementary-school averages of 69% in each subject.

Conant ranked No. 28 statewide in reading proficiency and No. 36 in math proficiency. It received “well above expectations” ratings in both performance categories.

The profile lists 35 full-time-equivalent teachers and reports that all full-time teachers were certified.

Both schools exceeded the statewide comparison rates of 38% in math and 42% in reading.

How the rankings work

U.S. News ranked nearly 47,000 elementary schools and more than 24,000 middle schools for the 2027 edition. Schools receive state and district rankings, rather than a national placement.

The formula uses publicly available data from state education agencies and the U.S. Department of Education.

Math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance each receive 25% of the weight.

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 U.S. News methodology.