This page houses data and documentation PAACT has compiled from official Birmingham Public Schools sources. Every number, every policy description, and every finding here comes from documents BPS has published or provided. Nothing is assumed or added.

The FOIA section will be updated as public records requests are fulfilled. Check back as new data arrives.

11
of 13 BPS schools represented in PAACT

The data

M-STEP — school-by-school breakdown

How to read this: Elementary schools are ranked by their average proficiency across Grades 3–5 ELA and Math. Middle schools (Berkshire, Derby) are ranked separately using Grades 6–7 data. BCS is Birmingham Covington School — a school of choice operating within the district, included here as a reference point for what is possible within the same system.
Elementary schools — 2025 ranking
Average % proficient · Grades 3–5 ELA + Math · dashed line = district average
Middle schools — 2025 ranking
Average % proficient · Grades 6–7 ELA + Math

Elementary and middle schools are shown separately — grade levels differ and direct cross-level comparison is not meaningful. BCS shown for reference in both levels.

How to read this: Each cell shows a school's Spring 2025 proficiency rate — the percentage of students who scored proficient or above — for one grade and subject. Color reflects performance — green is strong, red needs attention. Dashes (—) mean that grade is not tested at that school type. Schools are sorted by overall average within each level.
Below 55% 55–64% 65–74% 75–84% 85%+

District row = Birmingham-wide average for that measure.

Why 2022? 2022 was the first year all schools returned to full in-person testing after COVID-19. It is the fairest post-pandemic baseline. Green bars show schools that have recovered and grown since then. Red bars show schools still below where they were in 2022.

Values in percentage points gained (+) or lost (−) between Spring 2022 and Spring 2025.

Code of conduct

Violation categories

The BPS Student Code of Conduct (revised September 2024) groups prohibited behaviors into seven categories. All descriptions below are drawn directly from that document.

IWeapons

Firearms, dangerous weapons, look-alike weapons. Firearm possession in a weapon-free school zone triggers mandatory expulsion under Michigan law (MCL 380.1311). Other weapons carry suspension through permanent expulsion.

IIThreatening or abusive behavior

Coercion and extortion, fighting, inappropriate physical behavior, physical assault, threats and intimidation, verbal or written assault. The code distinguishes three levels of physical altercation by severity.

IIIHarassment and bullying

Bullying (including cyberbullying), discriminatory harassment, sexual harassment. Consequence range: administrative alternatives through expulsion.

IVSubstances

Alcohol, controlled substances, illegal drugs, look-alike substances, misuse of prescribed medication, tobacco and nicotine products. Consequences vary by specific offense.

VProperty violations

Arson, property damage, fireworks and explosives, gang activity, theft, trespassing, unauthorized use of school equipment, technology acceptable use violations.

VISafety and order

False fire alarms, gambling, gang activity, inappropriate vehicle use, non-compliance with staff directives, violations of other school rules established by the superintendent or principal.

VIIEducational dishonesty

Cheating, forgery, copyright violations, false allegations against a student, employee, contractor, volunteer, or board member. Academic consequences may apply alongside disciplinary consequences.

Source: BPS Student Code of Conduct, September 2024.

Code of conduct

Consequences

Required before any suspension or expulsion: By state law (MCL 380.1310) and Board Policy 2006, the district must consider and document seven factors before suspending or expelling a student: age, disciplinary history, disability status, seriousness of the violation, whether safety was threatened, whether restorative practices will be used, and whether a lesser intervention would be appropriate. There is a rebuttable presumption that suspension or expulsion is not justified unless all seven factors are documented.

Administrative alternatives

Detention, denial of extracurricular participation, behavioral contracts, written assignments, confiscation, work assignments at school, required community service, financial restitution for property damage, probationary status, restorative practices.

Emergency removal (snap suspension)

A teacher may remove a student from their class for up to one school day for any behavior that disrupts or interferes with the learning environment. Must be reported to the principal immediately. Student may attend other teachers' classes during the same day.

Suspension

Up to 10 days: building administrator authority. 11 to 59 days: superintendent or designee. Students excluded for 10 days or less receive course content (worksheets, handouts). Ungraded content is not averaged into final grades.

Expulsion

60 or more school days, or permanent expulsion: superintendent recommendation required. Students permanently expelled remain subject to Michigan compulsory education law until age 18. Family is responsible for finding an alternative program.

Consequence range by offense
Each bar shows the full documented range from minimum to maximum possible consequence as written in the BPS code. Actual consequence is determined by administrator discretion and the seven required factors. Source: BPS Student Code of Conduct, September 2024.
Bullying
admin alternativesexpulsion
Fighting
admin alternativesexpulsion
Physical assault
admin alternativesexpulsion
Threats / intimidation
admin alternativespermanent expulsion
Non-compliance with staff
admin alternativessuspension
Coercion / extortion
admin alternativesexpulsion
Property damage
suspensionpermanent expulsion
Inappropriate physical behavior
admin alternativessuspension

Code of conduct

Restorative practices

Directly from the BPS Code of Conduct preamble: "Our last step when there are concerns is to remove a student from the learning environment, as we know that students can best grow and learn at school." Before discipline consequences, the code directs schools to use restorative practices, school counselors, and administrator conferences as first responses.

Restorative practices — the definition

Practices that emphasize repairing the harm to the victim and the school community caused by a student's misconduct. All BPS schools have staff trained in restorative practices. They can be used as an alternative or in addition to suspension or expulsion.

School counselors

Every BPS school has a counselor who provides both academic and social-emotional support. Counselors are also able to connect families to outside resources where necessary.

Administrator conferences

Administrator conferences are used at the first tier to determine the reason behind a student's behavior. Administrators work with staff and families so students can have a positive classroom and school experience.

Teacher snap suspension

A teacher may remove a student from class for up to one school day for any behavior that disrupts or interferes with the learning environment. The teacher must immediately report to the principal and ask the parent or guardian to attend a conference.

Source: BPS Student Code of Conduct, September 2024.

Safety

Bullying — what the code says

Definition of bullying

Any written, verbal, or physical act, or any electronic communication including cyberbullying, that is intended to harm or that a reasonable person would know is likely to harm one or more students — by substantially interfering with their education, placing them in reasonable fear of physical harm, causing substantial emotional distress, having a detrimental effect on physical or mental health, or causing substantial disruption to the school.

Discriminatory harassment

A separate prohibition covers harassment based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national origin, religion, age, height, weight, familial status, marital status, or disability. Harassment means threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gestures, technology use, or written, verbal, or physical conduct that places a student or employee in reasonable fear of harm.

Sexual harassment

A student shall not intentionally engage in sexual harassment of another student or school employee. The district prohibits unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile educational environment.

Consequence range

Bullying is listed as one offense category among many in the BPS code. The documented consequence range is administrative alternatives through expulsion. There is no separate severity tier for bullying. The same range applies to fighting, physical assault, and most other serious offenses.

What happens after a bullying complaint is filed
Process as described in the BPS Student Code of Conduct, September 2024.
1
Complaint filed
Parent or student reports to building administrator
2
Investigation
Principal investigates. If inconclusive, escalates to designated district investigator
3
Decision
Investigator concludes whether bullying occurred. Both families notified of results
4
Action
Superintendent considers restorative practices and/or disciplinary action. Results reported to superintendent

If a complaint is found not valid: both families are notified, the code's anti-retaliation prohibition is restated, and investigation files are retained for at least three years. If a complaint is determined by clear and convincing evidence to be intentionally false, the person filing may face disciplinary action.

Safety

How to report a concern

Retaliation is prohibited. Submission of a report made in good faith will not affect a student's grades, learning environment, or standing. The district prohibits retaliation against any witness or support person who participates in an investigation.

Step 1 — building administrator

Report bullying or safety concerns to your school's principal or assistant principal. Parents and students may request a meeting with the principal at any time. You do not need to exhaust informal options before filing a formal complaint.

Step 2 — district escalation

If the building-level response is unsatisfactory, contact the district office. Academic concerns that remain unresolved after speaking with the teacher and school counselor may be escalated to the principal and then district administration.

For academic concerns

Contact the teacher first. If unresolved, contact the school counselor or principal. Each school has an intervention system in place to support students who are struggling academically.

Contact PAACT

If you feel your concern has not been adequately addressed by the district, PAACT wants to hear from you. We document patterns and advocate alongside families through the appropriate channels.

paact.birmingham@gmail.com

paact-birmingham.com

Public records

FOIA data

Status: PAACT filed a Freedom of Information Act request on April 1, 2026 for discipline, suspension, expulsion, and safety data from Birmingham Public Schools. This section will be updated as data is received. We expect to publish suspension counts by school and year, incident breakdowns by offense category, bullying complaint data, and reported safety incidents.

Suspension data

Total suspensions by year, by school, and by offense category. Will include snap suspensions, short-term, and long-term suspensions separately.

Expulsion data

Expulsions and permanent expulsions by year and by school. Will include offense type for each expulsion.

Bullying complaints

Number of formal bullying complaints filed, number substantiated, and documented outcomes per year.

Safety incidents

Reported safety incidents including physical altercations, threats, and incidents referred to law enforcement.

Restorative practice usage

How frequently restorative practices were used as an alternative or supplement to formal discipline, by school and year.

Teacher removal data

Frequency of snap suspensions (teacher-initiated emergency removals) by school, if tracked and available.

FOIA request filed: April 1, 2026. All data on this page is drawn exclusively from official BPS documents and public records. Source documents available upon request: paact.birmingham@gmail.com