Miami-Dade sets high school graduation record

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) achieved the highest graduation rate in history at 90.3% for the 2022-2023 school year.

The figure was 2.1 percentage points higher than the county's highest rate, which was 88.2% for the 2021-2022 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education, citingLocal 10.

"Florida's graduation rate continues to rise because our educators focus their attention solely on academics in the classroom," said Governor Ron DeSantis.

"Whether Florida students choose a four-year university or non-traditional post-secondary learning, they will have built a solid foundation to prepare them for success," he stressed.

Education officials in the county, with a very high Latino population, also celebrated that graduation rates for all demographics increased over the past five years.

Likewise, there was a 0.9 percentage point increase in graduation rates for economically disadvantaged students, a 1.7 percentage point increase for African American or African American students, and a 0.9 percentage point increase for Hispanic students compared to 2018 and 2019.

Additionally, for the second year in a row, M-DCPS exceededgraduation rate general of the state.

Among the highlights are:

-"An impressive graduation rate, surpassing the state's overall rate of 88 percent. This notable achievement was evident across all subgroups, includingstudents Hispanics, whites, blacks, English language learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students, outperforming their counterparts across the state," officials said at a conference Tuesday.

-"African American students experienced a 4 percent increase compared to 2021-22, rising from 82.4 percent to 86.4 percent, surpassing the state rate of 83.2 percent."

-"The graduation rate for students with disabilities increased by 2.1 percentage points compared to 2021-22, going from 86 percent to 88.1 percent, exceeding the state rate of 85.5 percent."

-"Economically disadvantaged students experienced a 2.7 percent increase compared to 2021-22, rising from 86.6 percent to 89.3 percent, exceeding the state rate of 83.8 percent."

-"English language learners showed a notable growth of 5 percent compared to 2021-22, going from 75.1 percent to 80.1 percent, surpassing the state rate of 76.1 percent."

In 2023, more than 22,000 new immigrant students began the school year in Miami-Dade County public schools, in an unprecedented enrollment increase in two decades.

Currently, the county has a shortage of teachers and although they have hired more than 600, they have about 300 vacancies due to the increase in enrollment.