Shenandoah Elementary School

Shenandoah Elementary School is a public school in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood serving 805 students from Pre-K through 5th grade, and it has recently achieved its highest state ranking in over a decade, jumping from the 23rd percentile to the 49th percentile in Florida.

The most exciting news for parents is Shenandoah's dramatic academic turnaround, especially in math. In the most recent school year, 85% of 3rd graders were proficient in math, which is significantly higher than the district (72%) and state (66%) averages. This score even tops nearby high-performing schools like Coral Way K-8 Center (77%) and Mater Academy Kiwanis (76%). However, the school has a unique "two-tiered" performance profile: while it excels in math across all grades, it struggles in English Language Arts (ELA), particularly in 5th grade where only 43% of students are proficient compared to the district average of 65%. This suggests the school is very effective at building foundational skills in early grades but needs to focus on maintaining that momentum as the curriculum gets harder.

Compared to other schools in the area, Shenandoah stands out as a beacon of hope. Many nearby schools like Riverside Elementary School, Citrus Grove K-8 Center, and Alpha Charter Of Excellence remain in the bottom 20% of the state, while Shenandoah has broken away from this pack. The school also has a stable chronic absenteeism rate of 29.7%, which is below the state average and much lower than nearby Citrus Grove K-8 Center (40.6%). This stability provides a solid foundation for continued improvement, and the school's recent success proves that significant academic gains are possible even in a challenging environment.