Summary:
Zip code 33139 in Miami Beach, Florida, is home to three public schools within the Miami-Dade school district, serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, and presents a complex educational landscape where a single elementary school stands out as a clear academic leader.
Miami Beach South Pointe Elementary School is the standout performer in the area, consistently earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 71st to 81st percentile statewide. Its test scores frequently exceed district and state averages, with 79% of 5th graders proficient in ELA compared to the state's 61%, and its chronic absenteeism rate of just 8.5% is remarkably low. In stark contrast, Miami Beach Senior High School faces significant challenges, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 51.8%—nearly double the district average—and test scores in core subjects like Algebra 1 (37% proficient) that lag behind. Miami Beach Feinberg/Fisher K-8 presents a unique paradox: it has the lowest overall state ranking (9th percentile) yet achieves perfect or near-perfect scores in advanced coursework like Geometry and Biology, while struggling with foundational literacy in early grades, where only 19% of 4th graders were proficient in ELA.
Key takeaways for parents include that chronic absenteeism is the defining issue separating these schools, and that higher spending per student does not guarantee better outcomes—Feinberg/Fisher spends the most ($13,313 per student) but has the lowest ranking, while South Pointe achieves the best results with middle-of-the-pack spending. Despite its struggles, Miami Beach Senior High shows a notable strength in US History, with proficiency rates exceeding district and state averages. This creates a challenging pipeline for students, where a strong start at South Pointe Elementary may be followed by a dip in performance at Feinberg/Fisher unless a student is in the advanced track, and then entry into a high school with significant attendance issues, though the graduation rate remains high at 93.6%.
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