Summary:
This analysis examines 8 middle schools serving grades 6 through 8 in Hialeah, Florida, all part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks 20th out of 70 districts in the state.
The standout school in Hialeah is Mater Academy Lakes Middle School, ranked 254th in Florida (79th percentile) with strong FAST scores and 100% proficiency in Geometry. A close second is Miami Lakes Middle School (383rd, 69th percentile), which excels in End-of-Course (EOC) exams with 95% proficiency in Algebra 1. In contrast, Country Club Middle School (1057th, 12th percentile) and Palm Springs Middle School (1065th, 12th percentile) are the lowest-ranked, with Country Club having the highest chronic absenteeism rate (39.8%) and lowest test scores. A notable "EOC vs. FAST" paradox appears at Palm Springs, where a small group of advanced students achieves 92-100% proficiency on EOC exams, while the majority of students struggle with grade-level FAST ELA and Math (29-42% proficiency). Lawton Chiles Middle School shows a remarkable turnaround, with Algebra 1 EOC proficiency jumping from 48% to 89% year-over-year.
Key metrics reveal an average state rank at the 35th percentile, with chronic absenteeism averaging 28.9% and 62.1% of students on free/reduced lunch. Spending per student averages $12,421, but higher spending does not guarantee success—Palm Springs spends the most ($18,608) yet performs poorly, while Mater Academy Lakes spends just $9,832 and leads the city. The student-teacher ratio averages 20.9:1, with Miami Lakes having the highest ratio (25.3:1) despite strong performance. Chronic absenteeism strongly correlates with low performance, as the top schools have the lowest rates (22.3-22.4%), while struggling schools have the highest (34.6-39.8%).
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