Miami-Dade Students Outperform Past Results On Florida Tests

CORAL GABLES, FL — Calling it the culmination of a decade of "laser-focused, data-driven work," Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho announced Friday that the county's once floundering school district had demonstrated what he described as "unparalleled success" on statewide tests, across all content areas and grade levels.

“Our students continue to soar academically as evidenced by the results of the Florida Standards Assessment,” Carvalho said. “The exemplary gains achieved in subject matter proficiency are phenomenal, but not surprising."

Standardized testing results released Thursday by the Florida Department of Education show that Miami-Dade students outperformed prior results from the district as well as other school districts throughout the state, according to the district's Jackie Calzadilla.

Carvalho said that the results are particularly impressive given that nearly a quarter of the district's more than 350,000 students came to the United States from other countries.

Here are highlights of the results:

• Miami-Dade students in grades 3 through 10 outscored the state and other large districts, both in terms of the percentage scoring levels 3 and above and in terms of growth on the FSA ELA assessment.
• Students in all grades 3 through 8 outpaced or matched the state in terms of gains from 2017 to 2018 with respect to the FSA mathematics assessment.
• Students outscored and outpaced other large districts in mathematics, including Broward, Duval, Hillsborough and Orange counties. They met the gains made by students in Palm Beach County.
• The percentage of students passing the Grade 10 FSA ELA graduation test increased from 50 percent in 2017 to 54 percent in 2018, also outpacing the state's passing rate.
• The percentage-of students passing the algebra 1 graduation test increased from 59 percent in 2017 to 60 percent in 2018.
• On the FCAT 2.0 Science assessment, the percentage of grade 5 students passing increased by five percentage points from 2017 to 2018, also outpacing the state in proficiency and growth.
• Miami-Dade student performance on the End-of-Course (EOC) assessments also improved in Geometry, Biology, Civics and U.S. History.

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Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho discusses the results with school board members. Photo courtesy Miami-Dade County Public Schools.