Carver Middle

Carver Middle is a public magnet middle school in Orlando, Florida, serving 635 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Orange County School District, which is ranked 32 out of 67 districts in the state. Despite its magnet status, Carver Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Florida middle schools over the past several years.

One of the key factors contributing to Carver Middle's low performance is its significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 52.9% over the past few years, compared to the district and state averages. Additionally, the school's test scores are consistently below the district and state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Carver Middle's proficiency rates were 44% in 6th grade ELA, 31% in 7th grade ELA, and 31% in 8th grade ELA, compared to the district averages of 59%, 55%, and 53%, respectively. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 78.42% to 79.2% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Carver Middle to nearby schools in the same district, such as Gotha Middle, it becomes clear that Carver Middle is an outlier in terms of academic performance, despite receiving relatively high per-student funding ranging from $9,812 to $16,417 over the past few years. This suggests that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution, and a more comprehensive approach to addressing the school's challenges may be necessary, including addressing the root causes of the high chronic absenteeism rates.