Summary:
The city of West Palm Beach, Florida is home to 12 high schools serving students in grades 9-12, including a mix of public, public charter, and specialized schools. The schools in this area show a wide range of academic performance, with some standout institutions like Alexander W Dreyfoos Junior School Of The Arts ranking among the top 3% of Florida high schools, while others like Worthington High School and Florida Futures Academy are in the bottom 10%.
The top-performing schools, such as Dreyfoos and G-Star School Of The Arts, demonstrate that students in West Palm Beach can achieve at exceptionally high levels, with 80-97% proficiency in core subjects and graduation rates over 90%. In contrast, the struggling schools have single-digit proficiency rates and graduation rates below 50%, along with alarmingly high chronic absenteeism. The wide range in school spending, from $7,773 per student to $17,133, does not appear to directly correlate with outcomes, suggesting that factors beyond funding, such as school leadership, curriculum, and teaching quality, play a key role.
Overall, the high schools in Palm Beach County present a diverse landscape, with both high-achieving and underperforming institutions. Identifying the factors that contribute to these performance differences could help inform strategies to raise the bar across the district and ensure all students in West Palm Beach have access to a quality education.
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