M-DCPS: A Legacy of ChoiceGiving our Students a World of Choices
For more than 60 years, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has been at the forefront of the choice movement in education, having established Henry S. West Laboratory School in 1954, as an experimental school of choice associated with the School of Education at the University of Miami. This initiative was followed in 1963 by the development and implementation of a dual-language program at Coral Way Elementary School. Magnet programs began in M-DCPS in 1973 with the opening of a center for the Expressive Arts in the heart of the inner city at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School. Since then, M-DCPS has implemented a broad variety of Magnet programs now totaling 115 schools with 374 programs, and over 1000 Choice programs (Magnet and non-Magnet) district wide. As of the 2021-2022 school year, 73% of Pre-K through 12th grade students in M-DCPS have made an active choice in the school or program in which they are enrolled.
Vision
To be the recognized leader in the achievement of academic excellence through educational choice.
Mission
To create and implement innovative educational programs to give parents and students an active voice in choosing learning opportunities that foster student diversity, academic excellence, school-to-career pathways, and real-world learning.
Core Value
We deliver the highest quality services and support within an environment of open communication, professionalism, dedication, and commitment to integrity.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is listening to you.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is known for innovation in education. We have been a leader in Choice programs for decades and continue to develop and implement cutting-edge models for delivery of curriculum that will prepare our students for the businesses of tomorrow while utilizing emerging technologies. These models include non-traditional grade configurations, commuter schools that do not restrict students and parents to boundaries, virtual instruction, single-gender instructional environments, as well as educational models housed within various business settings through unique partnerships. Included here is a brief overview of some of those models.
Offering the Most Choices in Florida
Total Students Selecting Choice Options (255,645)
Based on M-DCPS total enrollment of 347,069
Offering a Wide Variety of Curriculum Choice Programs
Magnet Schools
These programs offer specialized courses of study that satisfy student educational interest and mandated learning goals while promoting diversity.
Parent Choice Programs
Parent Choice programs are different from Magnet programs in that Parent Choice Programs are designed for and first offered to students who are assigned to the school site boundary.
Career Academies
Academic courses that meet high school graduation and college entrance requirements are linked with technical courses that focus on the academy’s theme and are aligned directly to priority workforce needs of the community.
Public/Private Partnerships
Satellite Learning Centers and Charter Schools are public and private partnerships that bring varied resources together in order to support the educational success of all students.