Mater Palms Academy

Mater Palms Academy is a public charter elementary and middle school located in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, serving 863 students in grades K-8. Despite being part of the Osceola school district, which is ranked 57 out of 67 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, Mater Palms Academy consistently outperforms the district and the state of Florida in various standardized test scores, including EOC exams, Statewide Science, and FAST assessments for English Language Arts and Math.

For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Mater Palms Academy had 67% proficiency in Algebra 1, compared to 53% for Osceola and 60% for Florida. In Geometry, Mater Palms Academy had 100% proficiency, while Osceola and Florida had 52% and 55%, respectively. However, the school's 5th and 8th-grade science proficiency rates are lower than the state and district averages. Additionally, Mater Palms Academy has consistently higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to the state and district averages, ranging from 28.5% to 34.9% over the past few years, and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 61.77% to 76.3%.

Compared to the nearby schools in the Miami-Dade district, such as Mater Academy and Ben Sheppard Elementary School, Mater Palms Academy appears to be outperforming them academically, particularly in EOC exams and FAST assessments. This could indicate that the school is employing effective instructional strategies or interventions that are not as prevalent in the surrounding district schools. However, the fluctuations in Mater Palms Academy's student-teacher ratio and spending per student suggest that the school may be facing resource constraints or staffing challenges, which could impact the quality of education and support provided to students.