Frank Crawford Martin K-8 Center

Frank Crawford Martin K-8 Center in Miami, FL, is a public school serving 611 students in grades PK through 8, part of the Miami-Dade district, and sits in a competitive neighborhood where it offers a solid, average option compared to nearby high-performing schools.

This school has several standout strengths. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 12.6% is impressively low—less than half the district and state averages—and is among the best in the area, comparable to Somerset Preparatory Academy Sunset (12.1%) and Devon Aire K-8 Center (12.9%). Upper-grade English Language Arts (ELA) performance is a clear bright spot, with 8th-grade proficiency at 77%, well above the district (65%) and state (60%). Additionally, students taking high school-level courses excel, with 100% proficient in Biology 1 and strong scores in Algebra 1 and Geometry. The school also maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.2, suggesting efficient use of its moderate per-student spending ($14,418) to keep class sizes manageable.

However, the school faces a significant challenge with middle school math. While 3rd-grade math proficiency is strong at 72%, it drops sharply to 49% by 6th grade and 48% by 8th grade—well below district and state averages. This "middle school math cliff" is the main reason the school has declined from a top-tier ranking (86th percentile before 2020) to a solidly average 3-star rating (53rd-61st percentile) in recent years. In the neighborhood, it is outperformed by nearby K-8 centers like Leewood K-8 Center (89th percentile) and Ben Gamla Charter School (91st percentile), but it significantly outperforms struggling elementary schools like Pine Lake Elementary School (29th percentile) and Miami Heights Elementary School (27th percentile). The school’s future success hinges on addressing this math gap to ensure all students benefit from the strong foundation seen in its advanced programs.