Mater Academy Middle/High Charter School
A Model School for the Nation
Article Submitted by:
Carmen M. Cangemi, Assistant Principal,
Mater Academy Charter Middle/High School
As you walk through the hallways of Mater Academy, you will see that their growth is linked to a strong sense of family and belonging for students, parents, faculty and staff. This year’s senior class carries a special merit as some of its graduates are truly home grown. Many of them entered the school as sixth graders when the school opened its doors in 2002. Mater Academy is a predominantly Hispanic (92%), Title I school of which, approximately 70% of it students are on free or reduced lunch. From its inception, with only five hundred students, this school has emerged to a population of over twenty eight hundred students exposed to an innovative, challenging curriculum in an environment that furthers a philosophy of respect and high expectations for all.
Mater Academy High School was recently named one of the top schools in the nation for the second consecutive year by U.S. News and World Report. The magazine uses college-ready performance data, such as AP exams scores to analyze 21,000 high schools in the United States. With a College Readiness Index of 39.5 (even higher than last year’s), Mater remains a Silver Medal School and one of the top 500 schools in the nation. This follows a long list of recent accomplishments including:
- One of the top 1,300 high schools in the USA (Newsweek Magazine)
- “A” School Designation according to the State of Florida’s “A+” Plan
- 491 students participating in the college dual enrollment program
- 19 students graduating simultaneously with both a high school diploma and an associates of arts degree from Miami-Dade College
- A Silver Knight Winner in Music
- 2008 District Champions in Volleyball
- 2008 State Champion in Track and Field
For more information about Mater Academy High School, please visit our website at http://materacademyhigh.dadeschools.net/
