Miami Community Charter Middle School

Miami Community Charter Middle School in Florida City, FL, is a small Title I-eligible charter school serving 323 students in grades 6-8, with over 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, placing it in a high-poverty area within the Miami-Dade school district.

This school presents a striking contrast in performance. On one hand, it excels in advanced coursework, outperforming both district and state averages on End-of-Course exams like Algebra 1 (77% proficient vs. 69% and 63%), Geometry (64% vs. 60% and 56%), and Biology (80% vs. 75% and 74%). This is a remarkable achievement for a school with such a high poverty rate. On the other hand, the school struggles significantly with standard grade-level assessments. For example, only 10% of 8th graders were proficient in Science, compared to 49% in the district and 52% statewide, and just 36% of 6th graders met ELA standards, versus 67% district-wide. This creates a "barbell" profile where top students thrive, but the majority are not reaching grade-level proficiency. A major factor is chronic absenteeism, which at 33.3% is higher than the district (28.2%) and state (31.4%) averages, likely hindering foundational learning.

Compared to nearby schools, the challenges are clear. Just 12 miles away, Herbert A. Ammons Middle School is a 5-star school with 99% proficiency and only 6.9% chronic absenteeism, serving a much lower-poverty population (33% free/reduced lunch). This highlights the immense hurdle Miami Community Charter faces. However, there is a slight upward trend, with the school's percentile rank improving from the 8th to the 10th percentile over recent years. The school's per-student spending ($9,534) is in the middle of the pack, suggesting that resources alone aren't the issue—addressing absenteeism and replicating the success seen in advanced courses for all students are key priorities.