Summary:
This analysis examines 21 elementary schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving grades PK-8, which include a mix of traditional public schools, charter schools, and academies, with the vast majority belonging to the Broward County School District.
The standout school in the area is Bayview Elementary School, which ranks 9th out of 2,240 schools in Florida (99.9th percentile) and has earned a 5-star rating for three consecutive years, with nearly all students proficient in Math and ELA. Other top performers include Virginia Shuman Young Elementary School (92nd percentile) and Floranada Elementary School (86th percentile). The most improved school is North Side Elementary School, which jumped from the 42nd to the 73rd percentile, while Dillard Elementary School and Rock Island Elementary School also showed remarkable improvement. Conversely, Meadowbrook Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 25% of the state, and Riverland Elementary School has been on a downward trend.
Key metrics reveal that chronic absenteeism is the single most powerful indicator of a school's struggles, with top schools having rates between 0% and 18.2% and struggling schools exceeding 38%. The data also shows a "money vs. performance" paradox, where higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes, as the highest-spending schools like Bennett Elementary School ($21,025 per student) rank in the bottom half of the state. Additionally, charter schools are not a monolithic solution, as Charter School of Excellence ranks in the 39th percentile while traditional public schools like Bayview lead the city. The data highlights a stark geographic divide, with high-performing schools located in more affluent coastal areas and struggling schools clustered in central and northwestern parts of the city.
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