Miami Virtual Program, Miami AZ - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Miami Virtual Program

For any family looking at online schooling in Gila County, the Miami Virtual Program offers one clear point of entry, but the academic results available suggest the school was contending with real headwinds during the only year we have state testing data for. That data comes from the school year ending in 2022, and for a parent evaluating this option now it raises questions that are worth pursuing directly with the district.

The program serves kindergarten through twelfth grade and is operated by the Miami Unified District. The district is a rural one serving the small former copper mining town of Miami, a community that has experienced population decline. The district brief notes that the virtual program was launched and sustained as a permanent alternative to in-person school, a meaningful addition to school choice in a small district that otherwise has limited options.

On state assessments, the proficiency rates reported across grades three through eight in math and English language arts were well below what one would hope to see. In math, reported proficiency rates for grade levels that were not suppressed ran between a low and a higher rate that was still in single digits. In English language arts, the reported rates were somewhat higher, reaching roughly a third of students in one grade, but were still at a level that a parent would want to investigate. The data for science in grades five and eight has suppressed proficiency results, which is common when the tested group is very small, and the participation rates in assessments were below typical targets in many grades, something worth noting.

It is worth making a few direct observations about what this data does and does not tell you. A virtual program draws a particular group of students, and factors such as consistent engagement at home, technology access, and the reason a family chooses remote learning in the first place can all shape test results in ways that are not captured by a proficiency rate alone. A parent looking at these numbers should ask the program directly what supports are in place for students who are behind grade level, how attendance and participation are tracked, and what the graduation rate looks like for its high school students. On that last point: no four-year graduation data is available for this school, so a family with a middle or high school student will have to get that information from the district.

The Miami Unified District has, according to a brief publicly reported, made facility upgrades to its brick-and-mortar campuses using ESSER funds. The virtual program is separate from those campuses but is part of the same district, so the administration and support structure are shared.

The housing context in the area is modest. Home values in the zip code are well below state and national norms. The town itself is a small historic community with a partial downtown renovation, and the dominant employer is the Freeport-McMoRan mining operation. This is not a fast-growing market. For a family already living in the district, the virtual program removes the need to drive to a physical school building. For a family outside the district, enrollment in a virtual program is usually governed by the district's open enrollment policies and state law, so you would need to confirm availability.

The bottom line is straightforward. This is a small virtual program in a rural district that offers a full K-12 online option. The single year of test results we have is weak by state standards, and important information such as graduation rate is missing. A parent who is seriously considering this program should treat those test results as a starting point for deeper questions, not as a final verdict. The program may be a good fit for a family that needs flexibility and is prepared to be hands-on with their child's learning, but you will want hard answers about outcomes and student support before enrolling.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 1 student · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

512 schools plotted. 33 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 39%

School 9% · District 15% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median

Grade 47%

School 7% · District 6% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 37 pts below state median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 5%

▼ 37 pts below state median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 7% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 6% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 23 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 14% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 20% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 21 pts below state median

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 14% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 17% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 13% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 6% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median

This schoolMiami Unified District (4211), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.