Miami-DadeMethodology and data qualityeasy
Four in ten of Miami-Dade's charter schools skip the district's climate survey, so sector comparisons of school climate are not like for like
Thesis
The district's spring climate survey reaches nearly every district-run school but only part of the charter sector. Among active regular schools with students in grades 4 and up, 310 of 314 district-run schools have a 2024-25 student safety composite and 76 of 130 charters do (58%). Any comparison of student, parent or staff sentiment across sectors compares all district schools with the charters that chose to take part.
Supporting findings
- Participation by year and sector is on the climate-survey analysis page. Charter participation was near-complete in the first two survey years (87% of the same universe in 2018-19, 74% in 2019-20) and has been 49–66% every year since 2020-21, while district-run participation has stayed near 100%.
- Response rates within participating schools also vary widely: the students' rate is computed against October membership in grades 4–12 (median about 60% in 2024-25), and only some years publish an eligible count for parents and staff.
- Composites average the items asked in every year; items added later (equity, social-emotional support, career readiness) are excluded so the series is comparable.
Reporting directions
- Ask charter operators whether participation is optional and which networks opt out.
- Compare participating charters with their district-run peer groups rather than with all district schools.
Where the numbers are
Methodology & replication recipe — the queries and sources behind the findings above.