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When a student enrolls in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) for the first time, the student's parents/guardians complete a Home Language Survey. This survey inquires whether a student's first language is a language other than English, whether a student's primary language is one other than English, and whether a language other than English is used at home. If at least one of the answers is yes, the student is tested to determine his/her English proficiency. Based on the results of this assessment, the student is either classified as an English Language Learner (ELL) or deemed proficient in English. Depending on the English proficiency levels, ELL students are enrolled in specific ESOL courses tailored to meet students' language needs. English proficiency levels for ELL students in M-DCPS range from ESOL 1 (lowest) to ESOL 4 (highest). The English proficiency levels of students are reassessed annually, and the appropriate ESOL placement is determined based on the testing results. ACCESS for ELLs is currently used as the State-mandated English Language Proficiency test. ACCESS for ELLs stands for Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners. Once it is ascertained that a student has acquired English proficiency and satisfied the State requirements for exit from the ESOL program, the student exits the program and is re-classified as formerly ELL (ESOL level 5). In this report, students' achievement in the ESOL program is disaggregated by grade and ESOL level. The academic achievement results of former ELL students disaggregated by the number of years since ESOL exit are included in this report. For comparison purposes, the performance of students who have never been classified as ELL is also included in the report.

i-Ready is an English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics instructional program for Grades K-8 students featuring an individualized plan for instruction based on each student's performance on an online, computer-adaptive diagnostic assessment. Once students complete the diagnostic assessment, i-Ready builds a unique lesson plan with a differentiated starting point for every learner based on their overall and domain-level placement. i-Ready allows teachers to add lessons and/or adjust the lesson sequence provided to individuals or groups of students. Lessons provide explicit instruction and extensive practice, offer supportive feedback, with the goal of building conceptual understanding for learners of all levels. Curriculum Associates recommends that all students using i-Ready maintain an average usage of 30-49 minutes per week and pass 70% of lessons during a school year. The purpose of this study is to separately ascertain for ELA and mathematics the extent to which increases in usage are associated with increases in achievement (Curriculum Associates, n.d.). The i-Ready Diagnostic test is administered three times per year, in the Fall (AP1), Winter (AP2), and Spring (AP3).

The Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) Program, signed into law on May 9, 2019 (1002.394, F.S.), was established to provide children of Florida's families with financial assistance to attend an eligible private school of their choosing with funding equal to 100% of a given school district's average cost per student. Eligibility is limited to students whose families have annual household incomes of up to 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL), which equates to over 125% of the average median income (Miami-Dade Economic Advisory Trust, 2021). The purpose of this report is twofold: (a) to examine the movement of students between the District's schools and the FES from October 2019 through October 2022 and (b) to explore the demographic characteristics of participating students. The population for this study consisted of students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) who participated in the FES from August 2016-17 to October 2022-23. The sample consisted of four groups of FES participants: (a) students who did not previously attend a location in M-DCPS, (b) students whose prior school indicated participation in the FES, (c) students whose prior school was a location in M-DCPS, and (d) students assigned to any non-FES location in M-DCPS whose prior school also indicated participation in the FES.

Charter schools have continued to draw an increasingly larger share of the students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), such that as of October 2022, 24.6% (n=82,635) of the District's students attended a charter school (Urdegar, 2022). This growth can be accounted for by examining changes to the proportion of the students enrolled at the charter and traditional schools in M-DCPS resulting from the withdrawal of students leaving the District, the entry of students new to the District, and/or student movement into and between the schools. The primary purpose of this report is to examine the entries into and transfers between charter and traditional schools from October 2021 to October 2022.

The Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) Program, signed into law on May 9, 2019 (1002.394, F.S.), was established to provide children of Florida families with financial assistance to attend an eligible private school of choice. Funding is equal to 100% of the district average cost per student. Eligibility is limited to students whose families have annual household incomes of up to 375% of the federal poverty level with priority given to those whose incomes do not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level. Program capacity statewide was initially 18,000 students for 2019-2020 and is set to expand annually by one percent of state public school enrollment. Presently, over 78,000 students are enrolled in the program statewide (Step Up for Students, 2022). FES recipients remain eligible until high school graduation (or age 21), regardless of income. Siblings of FES recipients are also eligible. The scholarship is administered by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and funded through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). As of October 15, 2021, 18,005 (or more than one in 19 of the District's students) are enrolled in the FES. The purpose of this report is twofold: (a) to examine the movement of students between the District's schools and the FES from October 2019 through January 2022 and (b) to explore the demographic characteristics of participating students. It should be noted that the movement into and out of the FES may have been impacted by school closures, distance learning, and other influences due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

This report examines the results of the Personal Financial Literacy Curriculum Survey (PFLCS). The PFLCS was designed by Miami-Dade County Public Schools' (M-DCPS) Office of Program Evaluation and Department of Social Sciences to gain insight into a baseline measure of financial literacy proficiency by grade level and student demographics. Further, the PFLCS was also designed to assess students' attitudes towards the concepts of personal financial literacy and money management. Currently, personal financial literacy concepts and skills are incorporated into existing M-DCPS programs of study, including but not limited to, Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Career & Technical Education (CTE).

Charter schools have continued to draw an increasingly larger share of the students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), such that as of October 2021, 23.6% (n=77,662) of the District's students attended a charter school (Urdegar, 2021). This growth can be accounted for by examining changes to the proportion of the students enrolled at the charter and traditional schools in M-DCPS resulting from the withdrawal of students leaving the District, the entry of students new to the District, and/or student movement into and between the schools. The primary purpose of this report is to examine the entries into and transfers between charter and traditional schools from October 2020 to October 2021. It should be noted that this movement may have been impacted by school closures, distance learning, and other influences due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students. The fivefold purpose of the survey is to examine: (1) seniors' post-secondary plans; (2) the credentials they plan to acquire; (3) the institutions they plan to attend; (4) the fields of study they choose to pursue; and (5) their community service experiences. All twelfth-grade students enrolled in traditional and charter high schools within the district were targeted to receive the survey. A summary of the results across schools is presented, with the exception of special education centers and the juvenile justice center which elicited very few valid responses. A total of 79.4% of seniors completed the survey, of which 97.4% were eligible to graduate. Of those students, 83.9% plan to acquire a certificate, license, or degree, with over 69.6% planning to earn a Bachelor's or higher degree, either directly or after first earning an Associate's degree. Most seniors pursuing a certificate, license, or degree plan to attend an institution in Florida. Among the responding seniors eligible to receive a diploma, Business, Management, Accounting, Finance was the most popular choice of major, followed by Biology, Biochemistry, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and Nursing. [For the 2020 report, see ED619612.]

This report examines the implementation of the Securing Opportunities for Academic Recovery (SOAR) program that operated during the summer of 2020 at 31 schools. The program was designed to mitigate academic deficits that resulted from the shutdown of schools due to the Coronavirus pandemic. SOAR was implemented in two phases: Recovery and Regain. The Recovery Phase (Summer Term A, June 9 through July 10, 2020) targeted students who needed to "recover" content they may have missed, to close achievement gaps of skills that are foundational for future academic success, or to provide support for English language learners and Special Education students. Recovery was comprised of four initiatives: (1) Summer Reading Camps; (2) Credit Recovery; (3) Unengaged Learners; and (4) Extended School Year Services. The Regain Phase (Summer Term B, July 11 through August 10, 2020) targeted grade 9 Algebra students and grade 10 English Language Arts students who did not get the opportunity to take the state assessments required for graduation. Across all the components that operated in the elementary and secondary schools, fewer than 60% of students completed their studies. Among those who completed their studies, attendance was significantly better at the Summer Reading Camps but worse at Credit Recovery than was seen during Summer 2019.

This report examines the extent to which student characteristics, achievement, and postsecondary plans can predict the likelihood of college attendance. The report compares students' self-reported plans in Spring 2019 with subsequent college attendance through the 2019-2020 school year. The postsecondary plans used in this report are obtained from the Senior Exit Survey, administered annually to all graduating high school students, which explores seniors' postsecondary plans, including the credentials they plan to earn as well as the institutions they plan to attend, and the fields of study they choose to pursue. The three-fold purpose of this report is to: (1) establish the validity of the Senior Exit Survey by determining the degree to which seniors' reported postsecondary plans are predictive of college attendance, separately and in combination with student characteristics/achievement; (2) estimate the impact of individual factors on college attendance; and (3) determine the likelihood that a given senior will attend college given their postsecondary plan, achievement, and characteristics.

This report examines the outcomes of the Edgenuity application suites, which were widely adopted as an adjunct to virtual instruction during the shutdown of schools (fourth grading period of the 2019-20 school year) due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Edgenuity is a customizable standards-aligned video-based curriculum for middle and high school blended learning environments, which allows students to monitor their own progress while completing lessons, assessments, and interactive activities. The courses use audio, video, and text content along with different types of assignments including writing assignments and projects. Its curricular programs align with state standards and provide for secondary instruction and credit recovery in the form of either a standalone (credit bearing) or supplemental (non-credit bearing) basis. Students access the curriculum via the internet through their computer or tablet and begin the program with a pre-test followed by lecture-style lessons. Significant positive dose response was seen for middle-grade students in 84% of the English Language Arts courses/grade combinations, 53.8% of those in Mathematics, 45.5% in Science, and 38.5% in Social Science. An increase in usage of 25-35 minutes per week was generally associated with an increase of around a one-quarter to one-third of a letter grade in the middle of the grading scale. Further analysis indicated the program's benefits tended to be equally effective across all initial ability levels. The middle school students in the Cambridge and International Baccalaureate courses were least likely to have been impacted by completing Edgenuity modules, and those in the standard education and intensive courses were most consistently positively impacted.

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students. The five-fold purpose of the survey is to explore: (1) senior's postsecondary plans; (2) the credentials they plan to acquire; (3) the institutions they plan to attend; (4) the fields of study they choose to pursue; and (5) their impressions of senior year during the shutdown of schools. All twelfth-grade students enrolled in traditional and charter high schools within the district were targeted to receive the survey, except for those enrolled in special education centers, the educational alternative outreach program, the juvenile justice center, and centers for special instruction. The principal conclusions of this report state that a total of 80% of seniors completed the survey, of which 98.4% were eligible to graduate. Of those students, 83.9% plan to acquire a certificate, license, or degree, with over 71.1% plan to earn a Bachelor's or higher degree, either directly or after first earning an Associate's degree. Most seniors pursuing a certificate, license, or degree, plan to attend an institution in Florida. Among the responding seniors eligible to receive a diploma, Business Management Accounting/Finance was the most popular choice of major, followed by Nursing and Biological Sciences. Seniors' comments regarding their experiences during the closure of school due to the coronavirus were documented and reflected their regret at missing out on all the things normally associated with their senior year. [For the 2018-2019 report, see ED619668.]

This report examines the results of the pilot administration of the Distance Teaching Survey, which is designed to solicit educators' impressions of the delivery of remote instruction and students' distance learning experience while implementing the District's Instructional Continuity Plan (ICP 2.0) during the closure of schools due to COVID-19. A random sample, stratified by grade organization, of 25% of the population of teachers assigned to traditional (non-charter) and District managed charter schools who teach Foreign Language, English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science Social Studies were targeted to receive the survey in Prekindergarten through Grade 12. Data to conduct this analysis were obtained from responses to the Distance Teaching Survey, April 2020 which was administered online via Survey Gold 8.0. The survey was accessed through links provided in targeted emails between April 14-20, 2020.

This report examines the patterns of placement of Teach for America (TFA) teachers and the achievement of the students they taught during the 2018-19 school year. The length of time current and former TFA teachers continue as employees of the District is also explored. TFA is an organization that recruits recent college graduates/professionals to teach for two years in selected communities. All TFA teachers assigned to teach at participating schools within the Miami-Dade County Public Schools are included in the participation section of this report. The analysis of impact was limited to teachers assigned to teach content addressed through state- and district- wide assessments; i.e., reading/English language arts (Grades 1-10), mathematics (Grades 1-10), science (Grades 5 and 8), civics (Grade 7), biology (Grade 10), and U.S. History (Grade 11). Two separate comparisons of the students' impact scores failed to show any significant differences at any grade-level or subject area. Moreover, the size and direction of the differences were unaffected by teachers' assignments. Finally, an examination of the duration of employment of TFA teachers showed that most separate from service one to two years after completing their commitments to the program. [For the 2017-18 report, see ED599452.]

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students. The fourfold purpose of the survey is to explore: (1) senior's postsecondary plans; (2) the credentials they plan to acquire; (3) the institutions they plan to attend; and (4) the fields of study they choose to pursue. All twelfth-grade students enrolled in traditional and charter high schools within the district were targeted to receive the survey, except for those enrolled in special education centers, the educational alternative outreach program, the juvenile justice center, and centers for special instruction. Over 80% of seniors completed the survey, of which 88% plan to acquire a certificate, license, or degree. Of those, over 80% plan to earn a Bachelor's or higher degree, either directly or after first earning an Associate's degree. Most seniors pursuing a certificate, license, or degree, plan to attend an institution in Florida. Among the responding seniors eligible to receive a diploma, Business Management Accounting, Finance was the most popular choice of major, followed by Nursing. [For the 2018 report, see ED619669.]

This report examines the patterns of placement of Teach for America (TFA) teachers and the achievement of the students they taught during the 2017-18 school year. The length of time current and former TFA teachers continue as employees of the District is also explored. TFA is an organization that recruits recent college graduates/professionals to teach for two years in selected communities. TFA teachers identified for this study included all TFA teachers assigned to teach reading/English language arts (grades 1-10), mathematics (grades 1-10), science (grades 5 and 8), civics (grade 7), biology (grade 10), and U.S. History (grade 11). A comparison pool included all Non-TFA teachers assigned to teach students in the schools, subjects , and grades in which TFA teachers were deployed. Two separate comparisons of the students' impact scores (TFA vs. non-TFA teachers, matched on course content, number of students, student demographics, and baseline achievement; and TFA vs. all non-TFA teachers) failed to show any significant differences at any grade level and subject area. An examination of the duration of employment of TFA teachers showed that most separate from service one to two years after completing their commitments to the program.

This report examines the outcomes of the in-class summer programs operated in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). The Summer Programs, offered to provide supplemental instruction for students in need of remediation, are comprised of Literacy for Rising 3rd Grade Students, Algebra I End-of-Course (EOC) remediation, and Course Recovery. Not included in this report is the state-mandated summer program for retained third graders, which is addressed in a separate evaluation. Students who participated in the Literacy for Rising Third Grade component enjoyed significantly better outcomes on the iReady Diagnostic Test administered in the fall than students who did not attend the summer sessions. In addition, the Algebra I remediation significantly improved the odds of passing the End of Course exam for summer participants in Grade 11, but not at any other grade. Finally, over two-thirds of the courses attempted by students who participated in Course Recovery were completed (over 45% with a grade of C and nearly 35% with a grade of B), helping students meet promotion criteria. [For the 2017 report, see ED599458.]

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students. The threefold purpose of the survey is to explore: (1) the credentials seniors plan to acquire; (2) the institutions they plan to attend; and (3) the fields of study they choose to pursue. All twelfth-grade students enrolled in traditional and charter high schools within the District were targeted to receive the survey, except for those enrolled in special education centers, the educational alternative outreach program, the juvenile justice center, and centers for special instruction. Nearly 85% of seniors completed the survey, of which 97% plan to further their education. Of those continuing their studies, nearly 90% plan to earn a Bachelor or higher degree, representing 78.1% of seniors planning join the military (Serving) and 86.8% of those who do not (Non-Serving). Once considered mutually exclusive pursuits, nearly 80% of seniors joining the armed services planned to further their education while serving. Most seniors furthering their education, plan to attend a college in Florida. Among Non-Serving seniors, Business Management Accounting, Finance was the most popular choice of major, while among Serving seniors, Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Forensic Science was the most popular. [For the 2017 report, see ED619670.]

The primary purpose of this report is to examine the entries into and transfers between charter and traditional schools in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) from October 2017 to October 2018. The sample for the study consisted of three groups: (1) students in the M-DCPS who attended the traditional or the charter schools during both 2017-18 and 2018-19; (2) students in the M-DCPS who attended the traditional or the charter schools during 2017-18 and did not attend during 2018-19; and (3) students new to the M-DCPS in 2018-19. Only students in grades PK-12 who were active and enrolled in the District during the Fall Student Survey (October) of a given school year were included in this study. More than one in six students in the M-DCPS currently attends a charter school, a proportion that has steadily increased since charter schools were first introduced. The exchange of students between the traditional and charter schools, when added to the new entries that go directly to charter schools, has increased the percentage of disadvantaged students, decreased the academic achievement, and decreased enrollment at the District's traditional schools. [For the 2016-17 to 2017-18 report, see ED599454.]

The primary purpose of this report is to examine the entries into and transfers between charter and traditional schools from October 2016 to October 2017. The sample for the study consisted of three groups: (1) students in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) who attended the traditional or the charter schools during both 2016-17 and 2017-18; (2) students in the M-DCPS who attended the traditional or the charter schools during 2016-17 and did not attend during 2017-18; and (3) students new to the M-DCPS in 2017-18. Only students classified as "Active" and "Other" who were enrolled during the Fall Student Survey (October) of a given school year were included in this study. The study finds that the exchange of students between the traditional and charter schools, when added to the new entries that go directly to charter schools, has increased the percentage of disadvantaged students, decreased the academic achievement, and decreased enrollment at the District's traditional schools.

This report examines the outcomes of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) in-class Summer Programs operated in the M-DCPS. The Summer Programs, offered to provide supplemental instruction for students in need of remediation, are comprised of Literacy for Rising 3rd Grade Students, Algebra I End-of-Course (EOC) remediation, and Course Recovery. Not included in this report is the state-mandated summer program for retained third graders, which is addressed in a separate evaluation. Overall, the Summer Programs were designed to provide remedial support to students who require it, and while that goal was met, student outcomes were mixed. Students who participated in the Literacy for Rising Third Grade component did not enjoy significantly better outcomes on the iReady Diagnostic Test administered in the first two months of the school year than students who did not attend the summer sessions. In addition, the Algebra I remediation did not significantly improve the odds of passing the End of Course exam for summer participants. However, over two thirds of the courses attempted by students who participated in Course Recovery were completed, half with grades of A or B, helping students to meet promotion criteria. [For the 2016 report, see ED599457.]

The purpose of this paper is to tabulate the usage and analyze the impact of Reading Plus on the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) students who used it during the 2016-2017 school year. Reading Plus is an online application comprised of a series of modules that bolster word recognition and recall, teach phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and support reading comprehension and analysis. Reading Plus continues to be used by students in grades 3 to 10. However, despite the beneficial impact of the software, the number of users in those grades has declined by 79% in the past three years. Overall, the results from this report indicate that using Reading Plus for the developers' specified amount of time has a beneficial impact on the reading achievement of lower performing 3rd, 4th, and 10th graders and on students across ability levels in grade 7-9. The software had a positive impact on both status and growth, with the amount of growth associated with the recommended usage of this supplemental educational software ranging from 1 to 4.6 months.

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students, pursuant to state requirements. The Senior Exit Survey in its eighth administration replaces the Graduate Exit Interview. The fourfold purpose of this study is to explore seniors': (1) postsecondary plans; (2) the credentials they plan to acquire; (3) the institutions they plan to attend; and (4) the fields of study they choose to pursue. All twelfth-grade students enrolled in traditional and charter high schools within the District were included, except those enrolled in special education centers, the educational alternative outreach program, the juvenile justice center, and centers for special instruction. More than 80% of graduating seniors completed the survey and more than 95% of Non-Serving and 75% of Serving respondents reported planning to complete an Associate or higher degree. Once considered mutually exclusive pursuits, more than 80% of seniors joining the armed services reported they would be furthering their education while serving. Most Non-Serving and Serving seniors who reported they would be furthering their education reported planning to attend a college in Florida. Among Non-Serving seniors, Business Management Accounting, Finance was the most popular choice of major of students who reported they would be furthering their education, while among Serving seniors, Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Forensic Science was the most popular. [For the 2015-2016 report, see ED619672.]

This report examines the outcomes of the Summer Programs, a two-pronged initiative developed by the Superintendent to provide supplemental instruction for students in need of remediation and access to selected digital application for practice outside the regular school context. The Summer Programs are comprised of seven in-class components and one out-of-class component. Four of the in-class components targeted the elementary grades and focused on strengthening reading comprehension and stimulating readiness skills. The other two in-class components targeted the secondary grades and focused on advancing progression/promotion and increasing opportunities for graduation. The out-of-class component provided students with access to a variety of Internet-based software applications outside of the regular school setting through hypertext links available on the Student Portal. Access to the Reading Plus application was also made available to students during the summer on an ongoing basis. Overall, the results for the Summer Programs were mixed. The finding for the Literacy for Rising Third-Grade Students program is consistent with that one found for the "Third Grade Summer Reading Camps"; the most struggling rising third graders were helped the most from having attended the sessions. However, Algebra I remediation did not significantly improve the odds of passing the End of Course exam for summer participants.

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students, pursuant to state requirements. The Senior Exit Survey in its sixth administration replaces the Graduate Exit Interview. The purpose of this study is fivefold: (1) examine seniors' attitudes toward high school; (2) explore seniors' postsecondary plans; (3) investigate seniors' chosen fields of study; (4) determine the credentials they plan to attempt; and (5) ascertain their immediate employment expectations. All twelfth grade students enrolled in traditional and charter high schools within the District were included in the state-developed survey of post-secondary plans, except those enrolled in special education centers, the educational alternative outreach program, the juvenile justice center, and centers for special instruction. Almost 85% of graduating seniors completed the survey, of which nearly all reported planning to further their education upon completing high school. Most students rated personal growth, college information, and advanced course offerings as helpful in preparing them for life after graduation. The vast majority of seniors reported planning to attend a public college in Florida. Business and related fields; and Nursing were the two most popular fields of study chosen by the seniors who reported planning to further their education. [For the 2014-2015 report, see ED619673.]

This report examines the results of the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults. The YRBS, conducted biennially at the national and state/local levels, monitors the following four risk categories: (1) unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; (3) sexual behaviors; and (4) dietary behaviors and physical activity. Specifically analyzed is the relationship between representative at-risk behaviors reported by senior high students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) who participated in the YRBS. Student characteristics were found to be predictive of key risk behaviors (substance use, attempted suicide, sexual activity, and obesity) with substance use in almost every case, predicting a greater likelihood of engaging in the other key risk behaviors.

This report examines the outcomes of the Summer Programs, a two-pronged initiative developed by the Superintendent to provide supplemental instruction for students in need of remediation and access to selected digital application for practice outside the regular school context. The Summer Programs are comprised of seven In-Class components and one Out-of-Class component. Four of the In-Class components targeted the elementary grades and focused on strengthening reading comprehension and stimulating readiness skills. The other two In-Class components targeted the secondary grades and focused on advancing progression/promotion and increasing opportunities for graduation. The Out-of-Class component provided students with access to a variety of Internet based software applications outside of the regular school setting through hypertext links available on the Student Portal. The six applications that comprise the Links to Learning suite were also made available to students during the summer on an ongoing basis. The results for the Summer Programs indicate that the in-class reading components did not have a beneficial impact on the achievement of the students who used them. The finding for the Literacy for Rising Third Grade Students program is consistent with that found for the Third Grade Summer Reading Camps. Algebra I remediation significantly improved the odds of passing the End of Course exam for participants. The paucity of usage and outcome data precluded any impact assessment of the out-of-class software programs, but nearly 200 students per day made used of these resources in summer 2015.

Imagine Learning is a computer-based instructional program used with English Language Learners (ELLs) in the District. It is designed to provide instruction specifically to ELLs. During the 2014-2015 school year, the Imagine Learning (IL) program was implemented across the District, mostly for students at the initial level of participation in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. Students who started participating in the program no later than November of 2014 and accumulated at least 20 hours of program participation were selected for potential inclusion in the Program Sample. Not all schools started participating in it at the beginning of the school year. This fact and the almost universal implementation of the program presented a challenge in selecting acceptable samples of students participating and not participating in the program. The results of the statistical analyses indicate that program students did not outperform comparison students (in the sense of statistically significant differences) in any of the comparisons.

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students, pursuant to state requirements. The Senior Exit Survey in its fifth administration replaces the Graduate Exit Interview. The purpose of this study is fourfold: (1) examine seniors' attitudes toward high school; (2) explore seniors' postsecondary plans; (3) investigate seniors' chosen fields of study and the credentials they plan to attempt; and (4) ascertained their immediate employment expectations. All twelfth grade students enrolled in traditional and charter high schools within the District were included in the state-mandated survey of post-secondary plans, except those enrolled in special education centers, the educational alternative outreach program, the juvenile justice center, and centers for special instruction. Over 80% of graduating seniors completed the survey, of which more than 90% reported planning to further their education upon completing high school. While most students gave their high schools high marks and rated college information/advanced course offerings as helpful in preparing them for life after graduation, many students also found their high school experience lacked training in life skills and financial literacy. The vast majority of seniors reported planning to attend a college in Florida. Nursing was the single most popular field of study chosen by seniors who reported planning to further their education. [For the 2013-2014 report, see ED619674.]

This report examines the placement of Teacher for America (TFA) teachers and examines their impact on the learning gains of their students during the 2013-14 school year. Sets of eligible TFA teachers were identified in 2013-14 from which the subset of teachers assigned to teach language arts and/or mathematics to students in grades 3 through 10 were included. The comparison pool included all Non-TFA teachers assigned to teach students in grades 3 through 10 in schools with TFA teachers, who did not previously participate in the TFA program. In both reading and mathematics, the bulk of TFA teachers in FCAT-tested grades were assigned to teach standard education courses. When the learning gains made by students of TFA teachers are compared with those made by students of their Non-TFA counterparts who were assigned to similar courses, a consistent impact was only found for senior high school mathematics courses. No consistent impact was found for other grade levels or subject areas. The vast majority of TFA teachers do not continue teaching in the district after completing their commitments with the program, with over 80% leaving at the end of their two year commitment. [For 2012-13 report, see ED618697.]

Changes to the proportion of the students enrolled at the charter and traditional schools in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) result from the entry of students new to the District and/or student movement into and between schools. As of October 2015, 16.6% of all M-DCPS students attended a charter school. The principal purpose of this report is to examine the entries into and transfers between charter and traditional schools from October 2014 to October 2015. The exchange of students between the traditional and charter schools, when added to the new entries that go directly to charter schools, has increased the percentage of disadvantaged students, decreased the academic achievement, and decreased enrollment at the District's traditional schools. The loss has tended to cluster in specific neighborhoods and is most pronounced in middle schools. Transfers between governance structures are highest in August and decline thereafter, except for a brief spike in January and February, regardless of type, with transfers from traditional to charter school representing the smallest proportion of the student membership.

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students, pursuant to state requirements. The Senior Exit Survey in its fourth administration replaces the Graduate Exit Interview. The purpose of this study is fourfold: (1) to examine students' attitudes toward high school; (2) to explore students' postsecondary plans; (3) to investigate students' career/vocational choices; and (4) to understand their immediate wage earning aspirations. The sample for state-mandated postsecondary-plans included all twelfth grade students enrolled in traditional and charter high schools within the District. The sample for all other items included only those students who indicated they were graduating and were also eligible to receive a diploma or certificate of completion. Students enrolled in special education centers, the educational alternative outreach program, the juvenile justice center, and centers for special instruction were excluded from both samples. Over 80% of graduating seniors completed the survey, of which more than 85% reported planning to attend college. While most students gave their high schools high marks and rated college information/advanced course offerings as helpful in preparing them for life after graduation, many students also found their high school experience to lack training in life skills and financial literacy. The vast majority of seniors reported planning to attend a college in Florida. Health related professions were the most popular major of college-bound seniors.

This report examines the placement of Teach for America (TFA) teachers and examines their impact on the learning gains of their students during 2012-13. TFA is an organization that recruits and trains recent college graduates/professionals to teach for two years in selected communities. Sets of eligible TFA teachers were identified in 2012-13 including all TFA teachers assigned to teach language arts and/or mathematics to students in grades 3 through 10. The comparison pool included all non-TFA teachers assigned to teach students in grades 3 through 10 in schools with TFA teachers, who did not previously participate in the TFA program. Data used in this analysis were obtained from archival records supplemented by data from the student database system and weighted student learning gains computed by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and described in Florida Department of Education (2012). When the learning gains made by students of TFA teachers are compared with those made by students of their non-TFA counterparts who were assigned to similar courses, a consistent impact in senior high mathematics was found, that manifested when weighted learning gains were compared. No consistent benefit in reading was found. As weighted learning gains assign extra bonus points for growth seen among students who are already proficient, this finding supports the notion seen in that TFA teachers are more effective teaching proficient students in standard education and advanced mathematics courses. [For the 2011-12 report, see ED618698.]