Summary:
Zip code 32307 is home to a single school, Florida A&m University Developmental Research School, a K-12 alternative school serving 519 students within the Famu Lab School district, where every student faces economic disadvantage.
This school presents a compelling paradox: it achieves a perfect 100% graduation rate while serving a student body where 100% qualify for free or reduced lunch, significantly outperforming the state average of 92.2%. However, this success is tempered by a 34.7% chronic absenteeism rate, which exceeds the state average of 31.4% and likely contributes to inconsistent academic performance. Test scores reveal a mixed picture: the school excels in 7th grade math (69% proficient vs. 53% state) and 9th grade ELA (69% vs. 60%), but struggles in critical gateway subjects like Algebra 1 (33% vs. 63%) and 8th grade science (29% vs. 52%). Year-over-year data shows volatility, with 5th grade math dropping from 91% to 63% proficiency, while 9th grade ELA jumped from 51% to 69%.
As a developmental research school affiliated with Florida A&M University, this institution employs a unique educational model that appears highly effective at retaining students through graduation, even if standardized test scores in math and science lag behind state averages. The school spends $9,729 per student and maintains an 18.5:1 student-teacher ratio. For parents, the key takeaway is that this school excels at supporting students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to graduation, but families should be aware of the high chronic absenteeism rate and the need for additional support in Algebra 1 and science subjects to ensure college and career readiness.
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