Summary
Ketelsen Elementary is a PK-5 school in the Houston Independent School District (Isd) serving 382 students in a high-poverty area, where over 96% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Despite these challenges, Ketelsen has made a remarkable comeback, climbing from the 24th percentile statewide in 2020-2021 to a 4-star rating and the 78th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year. This upward trajectory is especially impressive when compared to nearby schools like Martinez C Elementary, which has consistently ranked in the bottom 5% of schools, or Bruce Elementary, which has been in a downward spiral.
Ketelsen's standout strength is its exceptional performance with low socio-economic status (SES) students, ranking in the 94th percentile statewide for this subgroup and earning a 5-star rating. This is a rare achievement for a school with such high poverty levels, and it outperforms nearby schools with similar demographics, such as Sherman Elementary (39th percentile overall) and Looscan Elementary (62nd percentile overall). The school also excels with Hispanic students (86th percentile) and female students (84th percentile), and it ranks in the 79th percentile for special education students, indicating strong support for diverse learning needs. However, a notable contrast is Travis Elementary, just 0.94 miles away, which is a top-performing school (96th percentile) but serves a much more affluent student body (only 13.52% free/reduced lunch). Ketelsen's value-add is arguably higher, achieving strong growth despite its challenges.
While Ketelsen shines in many areas, it has clear weaknesses. Reading proficiency is a strength—5th-grade reading (71.93%) significantly outpaced the district (58.09%) and state (58.47%)—but 5th-grade science proficiency has been alarmingly low for three consecutive years (13%, 15.63%, and 13.16% in the most recent data). Additionally, the school struggles with its Gifted and Talented (GT) students, ranking in the bottom 10th percentile for three years, suggesting resources may be focused on struggling students at the expense of enrichment for high achievers. On a positive note, Ketelsen's 3rd-grade math scores on the STAAR Spanish test (41.18%) are significantly higher than the district (35.78%) and state (27.28%) averages, indicating an effective bilingual program. With a low student-teacher ratio of 12.3 and efficient spending ($10,468 per student), the school appears to use resources wisely to drive improvement.
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