The Miami-Dade County School District (M-DCSD) proposes to significantly advance the science, mathematics, and technology education (SMT) of all K-12 students through the Miami-Dade Urban Systemic Program (M-DUSP). The M-DUSP will accomplish this task by building on the extant infrastructure that serves as the foundation for the District's Urban Systemic Program's (USP) implementation plan. This infrastructure is characterized by an exemplary leadership team, Competency-Based Curricula Standards for science and mathematics based on the Florida State Sunshine Standards, a comprehensive accountability plan. This infrastructure is also supported by policies in support of SMT education for all, the convergence of fiscal and intellectual resources for a single K-12 program for SMT, and a shared vision among all sectors of the community in support of the teaching and learning of science and mathematics, system-wide.
To accomplish the USP goals, the M-DCSD will provide all of its students with the fundamentals of mathematics and science so that their understanding, ability, and academic achievement enable them to perform at or above their peers from around the world. The M-DCSD goals are directed toward: (1) student achievement and graduation priorities; (2) equal access and equitable outcomes; (3) an enhanced curriculum, instruction, and assessment; (4) school environments that supports improved teaching; (5) enhanced support for beyond school learning; (6) increased teacher capacity through content and pedagogy; and (7) effective use of of technology in science and mathematics
The infrastructure was developed over the last ten years with support from the Urban Systemic Initiative, other federally funded programs, local partners from colleges and universities, and business and industry. Future efforts will be increasingly informed by research and guided more deliberately by state, local and international comparison data sets to advance to full scale the district's capacity to provide a standards-based science, mathematics, and technology education for all students.
