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Cullen Middle

Public Grades 6-8
2069th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,344 Texas Middle Schools
Better than 12% of Texas middle schools
Summary

Cullen Middle is a public middle school in Houston, Texas, serving 290 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Houston Independent School District, which is ranked 505 out of 961 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, Cullen Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Texas middle schools over the past decade, with a 0-star rating for most years.

Cullen Middle significantly underperforms compared to the district and state averages on STAAR subject tests. In 2024-2025, only 31.3% of 6th graders were proficient in reading, compared to 51.07% for Houston ISD and 54.21% for Texas. The gaps are even wider in math, with only 20% of 6th graders proficient compared to 39.43% for the district and 37.68% for the state. The school also struggles to serve its diverse student population, ranking in the bottom 10-15% of Texas middle schools for African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, and low-socioeconomic status students.

While Cullen Middle faces significant challenges, there are some bright spots. The school's performance for special education students is a standout, ranking in the top 1% of Texas middle schools in 2023-2024. However, the school's high dropout rates, ranging from 3.5% to 8.9% over the past few years, are a major concern. Nearby schools like Project Chrysalis Middle and Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan, as well as several KIPP charter schools, outperform Cullen Middle across all subject areas, indicating a need for substantial improvements to better serve the students at Cullen Middle.

310
Students ?
11.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$23,564
Per pupil spending ?
100%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 6900 Scott St
       Houston, TX  77021-4851

(713) 746-8180

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)


Students who attend Cullen Middle usually attend:

High:    Yates High School

Feeder schools for Cullen Middle:

Elementary:    Blackshear Elementary
    Foster Elementary
    Hartsfield Elementary
    Lockhart Elementary
    More...
Racial breakdown:

African American:
76.8%
Hispanic:
18.4%
White:
2.3%
more
 See top rated Texas middle schools

 Compare Cullen Middle to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2015 → 12th in 2025
Strengths
Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015
Small classes — about 11 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Texas average (25% vs 45% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)
!Social Studies scores 26 pts below the Texas average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school25%
District avg43%
Texas avg45%
2,069th of 2,344
Texas public middle schools ?
Bottom 12%▲ up 8 pts since 2015
From bottom 4% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
34th of 42Middle Schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd)
505th of 961Houston Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202518.12069 of 234411.7%★☆☆☆☆
202412.12228 of 23726.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20235.72288 of 23301.8%☆☆☆☆☆
202211.22138 of 22545.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20219.02193 of 22522.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20199.02110 of 21933.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20187.12021 of 20802.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20177.01982 of 20272.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20164.11944 of 19872.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20156.01957 of 20434.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201411.41870 of 19875.9%☆☆☆☆☆
201322.31687 of 197314.5%★☆☆☆☆
201228.41542 of 195121.0%★☆☆☆☆
201134.31540 of 189518.7%★☆☆☆☆
201021.71637 of 18039.2%☆☆☆☆☆
200916.41647 of 17636.6%☆☆☆☆☆
200815.61601 of 17186.8%☆☆☆☆☆
200720.61492 of 168411.4%★☆☆☆☆
200618.41413 of 158510.9%★☆☆☆☆
20059.11507 of 15824.7%☆☆☆☆☆
200415.41441 of 15738.4%☆☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202439.7743 of 128042.0%★★☆☆☆
202310.91243 of 12732.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202219.41156 of 12517.6%☆☆☆☆☆
202117.41146 of 12135.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201919.01092 of 11938.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201814.51123 of 11673.8%☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202217.12065 of 21825.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202115.22077 of 21181.9%☆☆☆☆☆
201918.81939 of 20585.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201819.71901 of 20085.3%☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202418.31624 of 17708.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202310.91700 of 17201.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202217.31565 of 16434.7%☆☆☆☆☆
202123.41456 of 15928.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201915.31409 of 14452.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201825.91208 of 137612.2%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202420.51952 of 224212.9%★☆☆☆☆
20237.42190 of 22412.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202213.22093 of 22215.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20219.12113 of 21511.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20199.91985 of 20473.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20185.21989 of 20080.9%☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
20180.31430 of 14300.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202428.01660 of 211921.7%★☆☆☆☆
202312.62007 of 21165.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202223.01765 of 207715.0%★☆☆☆☆
202117.61866 of 20438.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201910.91882 of 19352.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201816.01792 of 18955.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202434.71535 of 223531.3%★★☆☆☆
20237.92205 of 22512.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202215.52081 of 22206.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202111.82114 of 21722.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201912.52001 of 20733.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201810.21991 of 20392.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202427.91716 of 224623.6%★☆☆☆☆
20235.32211 of 22451.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202210.52134 of 22284.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202111.32086 of 21683.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20198.62016 of 20692.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20189.61963 of 20303.3%☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202498.314 of 189199.3%★★★★★
202315.81779 of 18152.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202222.41634 of 17577.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202127.01437 of 171216.1%★☆☆☆☆
201917.91583 of 16262.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201822.41491 of 15976.6%☆☆☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Special Education (2024)99th percentile+93 vs school
African American (2024)42nd percentile+36 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2024)31st percentile+25 vs school
Male (2024)24th percentile+18 vs school
Hispanic (2024)22nd percentile+16 vs school
Female (2024)13th percentile+7 vs school
English Language Learner (2024)8th percentile~ school
At Risk (2022)5th percentile~ school
Gifted and Talented (2018)<1st percentile-3 vs school
By subject vs Texas (2024-2025) ?
Algebra I57%+10 vs state
Reading32%-22 vs state
Science31%-15 vs state
Mathematics21%-17 vs state
Social Studies4%-26 vs state

1.0
1 rating · 1 written review
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What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, June 11, 2009

Open Quote Does anyone here have a child that attends Cullen Middle school? It is the most pathetic excuse for an educational facility I have ever seen. Is it really a wonder why kids drop out of school? It's because of schools like Cullen that kids have no desire to attend school. If I had to attend a school that rarely has a/c, the lights are out every other week, the food is disgusting, I am not being taught anything other than what is on the TAKS test, I am treated differently because I am not the principal's or the teachers pet, I am constantly belittled because I learn at a different pace than what they consider normal, I would be highly discouraged from wanting to go to school every day too. There is lack of communication from the teachers and the principal.

The teachers are suppose to motive and give constructive criticism. Instead, they belittle and put down the students using their personal situations against them; calling them ghetto and hood rats. If you teachers believe that these students are ghetto and hood rats, show them how to be the opposite! Set a positive example. Don't use those stereotypes to try and hurt them and make them feel inadequate. All children from the "hood" to the suburbs go through things and have problems. I will never understand why children who are from the "hood" have to be treated so differently from anybody else. You have kids from all walks of life that use drugs, gang bang and etc. just like you have kids from all walks of life that are on the honor roll, volunteer, respect their elders as well as themselves and so on.

I am so tired of the bull! Where's the equality? When will black children get a chance to get a decent education at their neighborhood school? Why should the parents have to lie about where they live and our children have to travel miles away from home to get a decent education and school they can be proud to attend? Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Cullen Middle

Cullen Middle ranks in the bottom 11.7% of Texas middle schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 310 students attended Cullen Middle.

Students at Cullen Middle are 77% African American, 18% Hispanic, 2% White, 1% Asian.

Students who attend Cullen Middle usually go on to attend Yates High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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