Called “an Oasis of Promise,” Detroit’s Dove Academy is the first school in Michigan and second charter public school in the nation to become a No Excuses University School. Dove, chartered through Oakland University, earned the recognition by demonstrating a commitment to college readiness and through efforts to ensure all children meet standards in reading, language arts, and math, no matter their challenges. Dove now is part of a growing No Excuses network of schools across the country.

Inside Dove Academy, 400+ children in kindergarten through sixth grade proudly proclaim their graduation year — not from Dove or high school, but rather from college: “2025!” “2020!”

Students are greeted by university flags hung above their classroom doors. They study maps between Dove and the college adopted in their classrooms, and they cheer wildly during “College Call” each Friday, when they wear college colors and recite the college-bound pledge during morning announcements.

“We’ve always focused on results, but No Excuses University creates a powerful culture of universal achievement,” Principal Frank Nardelli said. “We introduced it to families at our Open House last August, and the enthusiasm was immediate.

“I heard a second-grader walking down the stairs saying, ‘Mom! Did you know I’m graduating from college in 2023?!’ A first-grade parent started crying, saying she’d always wanted her child to go to college, but she didn’t know how to make it happen. We’re her answer.”

No Excuses University and TurnAround Schools started in California in 2006, by Damen Lopez and Jeff King. The initiatives embrace two simple principles: 1) Every child has the right to be prepared to attend college, and 2) it is the responsibility of adults in the school to develop exceptional systems that make that dream a reality.

Dove offers a pervasive character education program; more than two hours a day of reading, writing and language arts, including 40 minutes daily of intervention or enrichment for every child; and Parent University meetings during each marking period that show parents how to help their children to excel.

Dove is recognized by the Michigan Department of Education for Beating the Odds, achieving 80% proficiency on the state math test and nearly 70% proficiency in English Language Arts — even though nearly 60% of its students are economically disadvantaged. It is a Skillman Foundation “Good School” and was one of six “High Performing” elementaries in the program in 2007. Dove is accredited by the North Central Association, and all of its teachers are highly qualified and certified.

The No Excuses University network currently includes 38 schools, each chosen not only for its college readiness and academic achievement, but also for its ability to share successful learning strategies with other schools.

To learn more, contact Frank Nardelli, 313.366.9110.