Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary

Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary in Dallas, TX, is a PK-6 campus in the Dallas Independent School District (Isd) serving 369 students, with over 96% qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and it has shown a unique ability to boost reading skills in its older students despite early-grade struggles.

One of the most striking findings is that De Zavala acts as a "late bloomer" in reading. While many nearby schools see proficiency drop as students get older, De Zavala’s reading scores climb dramatically from 30% in 3rd grade to 61% in 6th grade—outpacing both the district and state averages. This is a clear strength, especially compared to Stevens Park Elementary, where reading proficiency declines in upper grades. However, math remains a persistent weakness across all grade levels, with scores consistently below the district average. The school also recently achieved exceptional results with its Special Education students, ranking in the 70th percentile statewide, a huge turnaround from the previous year. On the flip side, a significant gender gap exists: male students rank in the 55th percentile, while female students rank in the 20th percentile, suggesting the school may need to examine how its teaching methods engage different students.

For context, Louise Wolff Kahn Elementary, just 2.4 miles away, serves a similarly high-poverty population but achieves dramatically better results across all subjects—for example, 87.5% reading proficiency in 4th grade versus De Zavala’s 20%. This shows that high poverty does not have to limit performance, and De Zavala could look to Kahn as a model. Meanwhile, Jesus Moroles Expressive Arts Vanguard, a magnet school with a lower poverty rate, demonstrates how a specialized curriculum can yield high outcomes, especially in 8th grade. De Zavala’s recent rebound to the 37th percentile suggests it is stabilizing, but addressing math deficits and the gender gap will be key to building on its reading success.