Dayspring Jazz

Dayspring Jazz is a public charter elementary school serving 209 students in grades K-4 in Port Richey, Florida, which is part of the Pasco school district. This school stands out for its strong academic performance, diverse student population, and focus on reducing chronic absenteeism.

Dayspring Jazz consistently outperforms the Pasco district and the state of Florida in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, 77% of 3rd graders at Dayspring Jazz were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 53% for Pasco and 55% for Florida. In math, 79% of 3rd graders at Dayspring Jazz were proficient or better, compared to 52% for Pasco and 60% for Florida. Additionally, Dayspring Jazz has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools like Cotee River Elementary School and Hudson Primary Academy. The school has also seen a significant decrease in chronic absenteeism, from 18.7% in 2021-2022 to 10.8% in 2022-2023, which is lower than the nearby schools.

Despite having a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with 67.46% receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, Dayspring Jazz's strong academic performance suggests that the school is effectively supporting and challenging its diverse student population. This makes Dayspring Jazz an interesting case study for understanding effective strategies for supporting student success in a challenging educational environment. The school's improvement in statewide ranking and SchoolDigger rating, from 323 out of 2,240 Florida elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 706 out of 2,256 in 2023-2024, further indicates that Dayspring Jazz is moving in a positive direction and could be a model for other schools in the Pasco district to emulate.