2008 TAKS scores, 30 districts, ranked by score and ranked by low income percentage (Dallas: homes, neighborhood)

[FarNorthDallas]

From the Dallas Morning News today where they listed the average score for each test in all grades (27 tests, except in Lovejoy they had 23 since they don't have 11th grade yet). I averaged them together into one score. DMN only looked at 30 districts. The TEA doesn't release all the scores until Aug. 1 so I couldn't add any districts. Plenty are missing - Prosper, Red Oak, Midlothian, Anna, Crandall, Forney, etc. But for what it's worth....

TAKS average/District/% low income
99.03 Highland Park 0%
97.18 Carroll 1%
96.37 Coppell 8%
95.69 Lovejoy 2%

94.77 Allen 14%
93.74 Frisco 11&
93.22 Grapevine/Colleyville 16%
92.29 Plano 16%
92.29 Celina 26%

91.44 Keller 15%
90.88 Lewisville 22%
90.74 Hurst/Euless/Bedford 41%
90.44 McKinney 24%
90.55 Rockwall 20%

89.37 Richardson 49%
87.55 Wylie 25%
85.00 Denton 38%
84.85 Garland 46%
84.59 Mansfield 30%
84.22 Carrollton/Farmers Branch 54%
81.03 Mesquite 53%

79.22 Arlington 54%
78.25 Irving 73%
78.11 Duncanville 64%
77.96 Cedar Hill 49%
77.66 Grand Praire 65%

74.40 Dallas 85%
70.29 Fort Worth 69%
70.14 DeSoto 53%
64.29 Lancaster 76%

% Low Income/District/TAKS Average
0 Highland Park 99.03
1 Carroll 97.18
2 Lovejoy 95.69
8 Coppell 96.37

11 Frisco 93.74
14 Allen 94.77
15 Keller 91.44
16 Plano 92.29
16 Grapevine/Colleyville 93.22

20 Rockwall 90.55
22 Lewisville 90.88
24 McKinney 90.44
25 Wylie 87.55
26 Celina 92.29

30 Mansfield 84.59
38 Denton 85.00

41 Hurst/Euless/Bedford 90.74
46 Garland 84.85
49 Cedar Hill 77.96
49 Richardson 89.37

53 Mesquite 81.03
53 DeSoto 70.14
54 Carrollton/Farmers Branch 84.22
54 Arlington 79.22

64 Duncanville 78.11
65 Grand Priaire 77.66
69 Fort Worth 70.29

73 Irving 78.25
76 Lancaster 64.29
85 Dallas 74.40

[PlanoGirl]

(the obsession with TAKS testing makes me want to homeschool )

Thanks for the sharing though!!! It was interesting to see where the districts fell, especially with the low income aspect.

[jpeagle21]

Thanks for posting! It is amazing that cities like Mesquite and Carrollton have over 50% low income, yet they still got higher than 80% average TAKS scores. That is quite an accomplishment when you consider how many of those students speak English as a second language and may have only been in the Country a few years before being required to sit for the TAKS test.

[loves2read]

thanks for posting this info
CHECK OUT HEB ISD--that is where I live and teach--that % shows what quality education is about--they get results from their teachers/programs/admin
Coppell did well--but what goes with Wylie--I though just from driving in that area there would be a higher % of low income...

The difference between Keller and HEB in scores is less than 1% but HEB has way more low income than Keller whose score should be about 94%--that says buckets as far as I am concerned about the problems Keller has been facing and not solving...

Arlngton should be doing better--there is enough money in that ISD to get better results and so should Mansfield and Denton

thanks again...

[Lakewooder]

Although actually Coppell High was ranked 'academically unacceptable' a year or two ago and appealed.

I would not put too much stock in these scores. Besides low-income there are scores by different ethnic groups, ESL/LEP and Special Education. All groups have to have a certain pass percentage or the whole school is sullied by an often-undeserved ranking.

[needsomeinfo]

speaking of heb, I can't believe it now has so many lower income students. Back in my day (80s), it was a very good district but not nearly as many low income. I am glad the quality education has continued there.

[PennyGWoods]

Originally Posted by jpeagle21

It is amazing that cities like Mesquite and Carrollton have over 50% low income, yet they still got higher than 80% average TAKS scores. That is quite an accomplishment when you consider how many of those students speak English as a second language and may have only been in the Country a few years before being required to sit for the TAKS test.

What, all 15-16% of them? MISD is predominately white, and I doubt if Carrollton is much browner. Additionally, I'm pretty sure that most of the Hispanics in MISD are home grown.

[FarNorthDallas]

Mesquite ISD - 35,983 students
Caucasian 34.6%
Hispanic 37.7%
African-Am 23.9%
Asian 3.3%
ESL 15.9%

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD - 26,239 students
Caucasian 25.8%
Hispanic 48.9%
African-Am 14.2%
Asian 14.2%
ESL 25.5%

HEB ISD - 20,195 students
Caucasian 53.1%
Hispanic 21.8%
African-Am 14.4%
Asian 9.7%
ESL 11.6%

Richardson ISD - 34,030 students
Caucasian 34.6%
Hispanic 31.2%
African-Am 25.9%
Asian 7.9%
ESL 20.1%

[Grainraiser]

"What, all 15-16% of them? MISD is predominately white, and I doubt if Carrollton is much browner. Additionally, I'm pretty sure that most of the Hispanics in MISD are home grown."

Thats not true. Even the nicer part of Mesquite "The Creek Crossing section" breaks down to about 50% white, 25% black, 20% Hispanic and 5% other. It certainly become more diverse since I first moved here 12 yrs ago.

One thing the stats provided show me is that DFW is really becoming diverse regardless of economic status.

[jpeagle21]

Originally Posted by PennyGWoods

What, all 15-16% of them? MISD is predominately white, and I doubt if Carrollton is much browner. Additionally, I'm pretty sure that most of the Hispanics in MISD are home grown.

There are very few, if any, towns in DFW that are not "predominantly" white. Mesquite is hovering around 25% Hispanic. Carrollton is almost 30% Hispanic. Even if a lot of them are "home grown" as you say, many of them still speak English as a second language. Why don't you go to Mexico for 3 years and then try to take the TAKS test in Spanish and see how you do. Heck, take it in English right now and see how you do!

It confuses me why you would even make that statement. Are you scared or intimidated by the fact that a lower income area might actually be doing ok on TAKS? Do you want cities that are "browner" (in your words) to fail? Does it make you feel better about living in your "whiter" neighborhood if that happens?