Miami Dade College’s (MDC) dualenrollment high school, School for Advanced Studies (SAS), is among the nation’s best public high schools, according to Newsweek.
The highly respected magazine’s 2013 Best High School list ranked SAS No. 6 in the nation, and No. 2 in Florida, compared with 2,000 other public high schools across the country. SAS was the only high school within Miami- Dade and Broward counties to make the coveted list.
This year’s distinction highlights those schools that have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready grads. The findings are based on components such as graduation and college-acceptance rates, and the average SAT/ACT scores, among other factors.
“It is truly a privilege to be associated with a high school which has a rich tradition of providing exceptional educational services to students in this community,” said SAS principal Dr. Omar Monteagudo. “This recognition, coming on the heels of our silver anniversary, is a testament to the degree of professionalism exhibited by our faculty and staff and the dedication and resilience of our remarkable students. This is one more example that opportunity truly changes everything.”
SAS is no stranger to superior distinctions. Last year, it clinched the No. 12 spot, and was voted among the top 100 Best High Schools in the nation by the Washington Post.
SAS is a full-time, dual-enrollment high school initiated in the 1988-89 school year as a combined effort between Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) and Miami Dade College.
Students attending SAS complete their last two years of high school while attending MDC and, in many cases, simultaneously graduate with both a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree from MDC. The school, fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, is located on four of the college’s campuses: Homestead, Kendall, North and Wolfson.
Students receive free tuition and fees, free textbooks, and, if eligible, school bus and Metrorail transportation funded by MDCPS. Each semester, students enroll in a minimum of three college dual enrollment courses, taught by MDC faculty, and four high school courses, taught by SAS faculty. All high school courses are Advanced Placement courses except for Pre-Calculus and Research. The SAS population consists of 500 students — 100 at the Homestead Campus, 200 at the Kendall Campus, 100 at the North Campus, and 100 at the Wolfson Campus.
The opportunity for acceleration and enrichment attracts motivated and academically talented students who wish to advance their studies. One hundred percent of students graduate and continue their academic studies at top colleges and universities in Florida, throughout the nation, or at foreign universities. School for Advanced Studies provides a unique transition between secondary and post-secondary education.
