Summary:
This analysis examines five middle schools (grades 6-8) located in the 33143 zip code of Miami, Florida, which includes schools from both the Miami-Dade and Broward school districts, offering a diverse range of academic environments for families.
The standout school in the area is Somerset Academy Charter Middle School (South Miami Campus), a top-tier institution ranked in the 99th percentile with a 5-star rating and exceptional proficiency rates in the mid-to-high 90s across all core subjects. In contrast, Somerset Academy Key Middle School is the lowest-ranked school in the zip code (46th percentile, 2 stars), but it has shown the most dramatic improvement, jumping 19 percentile points in two years. Mater Lakes Collegiate Academy Middle School is a high-achieving school with a 4-star rating and strong math and science scores, despite having the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students (67.17%). International Studies Academy Middle School is a consistent 4-star performer that achieves high proficiency in advanced subjects like Algebra 1 (99%) and Biology (96%) with the lowest per-student spending in the area, making it a model of efficiency. South Miami Middle School is the largest school with 720 students and the highest per-student spending ($10,070), but it ranks slightly lower than International Studies Academy.
A key finding is that higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes, as the highest-spending school (South Miami Middle) does not outperform lower-spending schools like International Studies Academy. Additionally, chronic absenteeism is a critical issue at Somerset Academy Key, where a staggering 39.4% absenteeism rate correlates with low test scores despite a very low poverty rate (2.97%). The two highest-ranked schools (Somerset Charter South Miami and International Studies Academy) are in different districts, showing that school-level factors are more decisive than the district label in this zip code.
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