Cummings Elementary

Cummings Elementary in Houston, TX, serves 513 students from pre-kindergarten through 4th grade in the Alief Independent School District (Isd), a high-poverty community where over 94% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. While the school has historically ranked in the bottom 15-20% of Texas elementary schools, recent data shows a promising upward trend, moving from the 9th percentile to the 20th percentile overall. With a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 11:1 and spending slightly above the district average per student, Cummings is showing clear signs of improvement, particularly for specific groups of learners.

The most remarkable turnaround at Cummings is for African American students, who jumped from the 15th percentile to the 64th percentile in just a few years—a 49-percentile-point gain that outpaces all nearby schools. Additionally, the school excels with English Language Learners, ranking in the 66th percentile, and 4th-grade math proficiency (43.59%) now exceeds the district average, representing a 21.5 percentage point improvement from the previous year. However, the school faces challenges with a persistent gender gap, as female students rank in the 26th percentile while male students rank in the 16th percentile, and performance for Gifted and Talented students has declined from the 74th to the 47th percentile.

Interesting comparisons to nearby schools highlight Cummings' potential. KIPP Shine Prep, serving a similarly impoverished population (95% free/reduced lunch), achieves far better results, ranking in the 76th percentile with 74.22% proficiency in 4th-grade math, proving that high-poverty schools in this area can achieve high academic outcomes. In contrast, Harmony Science Academy-Sugar Land, a top-2% school, serves a less impoverished population (61% free/reduced lunch). Cummings' success with African American and ELL students suggests its challenges are not solely due to poverty, and the school is a promising one to watch for continued growth.