The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Dave Thomas Education Center West
Dave Thomas Education Center West is a public alternative school in Coconut Creek, operated by the Broward County School District, serving grades six through twelve. Understanding what this school is matters before weighing any of its data points, because alternative schools exist to serve students outside the traditional school pathway, often those who have faced barriers, need a different pace or structure, or are working toward recovery of credits. The enrollment tells the story clearly: the vast majority of students are enrolled at the eleventh and twelfth grade levels, with a relatively small number in the middle grades. That distribution is typical of a credit-recovery or re-engagement program rather than a school where students spend all six years together.
A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school is predominantly Black and Hispanic. No data on English learner rates or students with IEPs was available in the records we reviewed.
On state assessments, the picture is limited. Florida FAST results are available only for eighth graders, since the other grade bands either had suppressed results due to small group sizes or are not assessed at those grade levels under Florida's testing framework. Among eighth graders, math proficiency was in a range that sits below what most traditional middle schools report statewide, and ELA and science proficiency came in even lower. A parent looking at these figures should understand they reflect a specific tested group within a school designed around a population navigating real academic challenges. The suppressed seventh-grade results mean those cohorts were too small to report publicly. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether performance has shifted over time.
A graduation rate was not reported in the data we received. That gap is worth noting, and a parent would be right to ask the school directly about completion outcomes and what pathways students follow after leaving.
No information on program offerings, course access, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, or discipline data was provided. These are exactly the things a family considering this school should ask about directly: what does the daily structure look like, what supports exist for students who are behind, and what does the school consider a successful outcome for a student who enrolls. The school's address on Coconut Creek Parkway places it within the broader Broward County system, but no district-level strategic updates were confirmed in the research conducted.
The surrounding community gives some context. Coconut Creek is a planned, largely residential suburb in Broward County, with sidewalk-lined streets, parks, and a free local transit system that includes the Butterfly Express trolley and community bus routes connecting to the county transit network. That free transit is a practical consideration for students and families without a car. Housing costs in the immediate zip code have dipped modestly over the past year, though rents consume a significant share of local household income based on available affordability measures. The larger economic picture for the area involves healthcare, retail, and hospitality as dominant employment sectors, with the Seminole Casino and the Promenade shopping center as commercial anchors. A large mixed-use development called Mainstreet at Coconut Creek, publicly reported as a multi-phase project on former farmland along Lyons Road, is expected to reshape the city's commercial and residential landscape over the coming years.
Families considering Dave Thomas Education Center West should come in knowing this is a school built for students who need something different from a conventional setting. The low tested-proficiency results are real and should not be minimized, but they exist in the context of a population that traditional schools have often not served well. Asking the school about individual student supports, credit-recovery structures, and post-completion outcomes would give a far clearer picture than state test scores alone.
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