The Education Compact (“Education Compact”) with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), was established on January 16, 2008, and includes the outcome to increase academic support and achievement.  At the January 31, 2014 Commission Retreat, the City’s Key Intended Outcomes to Achieve PreK-12 Educational Excellence was prioritized in the Strategic Plan and continues to be a priority as reflected in the current Strategic Plan.

The graduation rate at Miami Beach Senior High School was 94% in 2021, a 16.9% increase from 2015, is 3.9% above the overall M-DCPS graduation rate of 90.1% in 2021. M-DCPS climate survey data for the 2018-19 school year reflects 78% of parents agree or strongly agree that children are receiving a good education at Miami Beach Senior High School, a 3.7% decrease when compared to the 2010-11 school year, and 56% of students agree or strongly agree that they are receiving a good education, a 21.7% increase from the 2010-11 school year.

An activity included in the Education Compact to increase academic support and achievement is to identify and pursue the implementation of best practice strategies to increase the graduation rate at Miami Beach Senior High School (MBSH).  Dual Enrollment programs enrich the course opportunities for outstanding high school students and saves students and parents money.  Dual Enrollment is a program that allows eligible high school students currently attending accredited Miami-Dade County public or private high schools, or home schools, to enroll in a college course and high school course simultaneously. The credits that students earn must be used toward both a high school diploma and are acceptable towards a college Associate or Baccalaureate degree, or Technical Certificate.  Students in the 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades that are enrolled in M-DCPS are eligible to participate in the Dual Enrollment programs and must meet specific criteria.

The city has partnered with Florida International University and Miami-Dade College since 2004 to increase the number of dual enrollment courses at Miami Beach Senior High School and Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School.  As of 2020-21 school year, the number of classes offered at Miami Beach public schools was 170 impacting 3,766 Miami Beach youth, for an estimated savings to families of $2,771,539.26 since program inception and an estimated cost to the City of $90,000 annually.

The University of Florida (UF) currently offers dual enrollment courses across the State of Florida and no courses in any of the 65 Miami-Dade County Public High Schools in Miami-Dade County. Due to state funding changes for dual enrollment courses in July 2013, individual high schools are responsible for reimbursing colleges for instructor and administrative fees.   As such, the number of courses offered is limited due to available funding, along with credentialing limitations of instructional school staff.

To support our efforts to increase educational opportunities for Miami Beach youth and to increase our city’s attraction to families as a place to live and raise a family, we propose a Memoranda of Understanding with UF to increase dual enrollment options for Miami Beach youth which will make the City of Miami Beach the only City offering dual enrollment through University of Florida at a Miami-Dade County public high school in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.  The partnership with UF would provide for the City to fund the instructor cost of approximately $6,716. per course per semester not to exceed two (2) Dual Enrollment courses in the 2022-23 school year, with the expectation to increase the number of Dual Enrollment courses offered each subsequent school year. 

Below is a listing of the dual enrollment courses the City anticipates to offer and fund for the 2022-2023 school year at both Miami Beach Senior High School and Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School at an estimated cost of $68,506.   The City's budget for dual enrollment is currently $90,000 per school year, which will allow for additional courses to be added beyond those listed below: