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Cowan Elementary

Q: Is Cowan Elementary a good school?

Cowan Elementary ranks 1339 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1339^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 71% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Cowan Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Austin, TX, serving 555 students in grades PK through 5 within the Austin Independent School District (Isd).

Cowan has historically been a strong performer, but its most recent data reveals a mixed picture. The school's greatest strength is in Reading, where students consistently outperform both the district and state averages across all tested grades. For example, 5th-grade Reading proficiency reached 76.47%, well above the district's 65.12%. However, Math is a notable weakness, with proficiency rates falling below the district average in 3rd and 5th grades. This creates a significant "Math gap" that sets Cowan apart from top-performing neighbors like Kiker Elementary and Baranoff Elementary, which excel in both subjects. While Cowan remains a solid 4-star school, its statewide ranking has declined from a peak of the 93rd percentile in 2016-2017 to the 71st percentile in 2025-2026, contrasting with Kiker's consistent 5-star status.

Two other key insights stand out. First, Cowan has shown a remarkable turnaround with its English Language Learners (ELL), jumping from the bottom 10% statewide to the 84th percentile in just two years. Second, the school's performance with students from low socio-economic backgrounds is a major concern, ranking in the bottom 15% of the state. This suggests that Cowan's overall success may be heavily influenced by its non-economically disadvantaged population. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.5:1 and per-student spending in the middle of the pack compared to nearby schools, Cowan's challenges appear to be more about instructional focus than resources alone.

555

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,732

Per pupil spending ?

29.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2817 Kentish Dr
Austin, TX 78748

(512) 841-2700

District: Austin Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Cowan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Covington Middle
High:	Bowie High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.4%

Hispanic:

39.8%

Two or more races:

6.8%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Cowan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 91st percentile in 2016 → 71st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (56% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Above the Texas median (71st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg55%

Texas avg51%

1,339^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 29%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

29^th of 77Elementary Schools in the Austin Independent School District (Isd)

523^rd of 951Austin 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	65.1	1339 of 4627	71.1%	★★★★☆
2025	72.9	1006 of 4651	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	73.2	1012 of 4710	78.5%	★★★★☆
2023	77.1	878 of 4647	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	81.5	678 of 4581	85.2%	★★★★☆
2021	59.3	1550 of 4578	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.4	685 of 4479	84.7%	★★★★☆
2018	85.3	514 of 4359	88.2%	★★★★☆
2017	91.8	303 of 4329	93.0%	★★★★★
2016	86.6	394 of 4286	90.8%	★★★★★
2015	87.0	364 of 4320	91.6%	★★★★★
2014	85.4	435 of 4260	89.8%	★★★★☆
2013	84.4	451 of 4221	89.3%	★★★★☆
2012	78.4	728 of 4206	82.7%	★★★★☆
2011	72.2	1038 of 4095	74.7%	★★★★☆
2010	67.3	1313 of 3937	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.3	1009 of 3884	74.0%	★★★★☆
2008	70.7	1010 of 3768	73.2%	★★★★☆
2007	69.4	1113 of 3724	70.1%	★★★★☆
2006	72.6	875 of 3476	74.8%	★★★★☆
2005	74.6	723 of 3475	79.2%	★★★★☆
2004	72.1	868 of 3465	74.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	74.8	382 of 2421	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	58.1	782 of 2444	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.5	664 of 2515	73.6%	★★★★☆
2018	59.4	791 of 2483	68.1%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	74.1	198 of 999	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	31.1	837 of 1045	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.4	812 of 1015	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	75.2	162 of 957	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	54.0	458 of 967	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.0	248 of 1005	75.3%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	77.0	538 of 4461	87.9%	★★★★☆
2021	62.9	1058 of 4331	75.6%	★★★★☆
2019	39.2	2729 of 4295	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.4	1659 of 4240	60.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	75.8	257 of 1643	84.4%	★★★★☆
2025	41.9	1673 of 2918	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.0	3285 of 3668	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.2	1394 of 3556	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	86.1	222 of 3487	93.6%	★★★★★
2021	72.1	550 of 3446	84.0%	★★★★☆
2019	31.9	2566 of 3333	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.2	1369 of 3226	57.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	69.7	1105 of 4575	75.8%	★★★★☆
2025	72.8	779 of 3744	79.2%	★★★★☆
2024	78.5	741 of 4658	84.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.0	774 of 4588	83.1%	★★★★☆
2022	82.2	591 of 4561	87.0%	★★★★☆
2021	58.0	1596 of 4499	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	81.3	584 of 4348	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	81.4	579 of 4306	86.6%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.7	1419 of 3075	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.0	505 of 2619	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	1047 of 2980	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.0	844 of 2958	71.5%	★★★★☆
2021	56.5	1537 of 3006	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.8	974 of 3184	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.0	1393 of 3106	55.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.9	2639 of 4413	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.7	1940 of 3644	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.2	1760 of 4465	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.6	1609 of 4401	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.3	826 of 4376	81.1%	★★★★☆
2021	49.9	1941 of 4329	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.3	1002 of 4188	76.1%	★★★★☆
2018	78.2	553 of 4168	86.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	26.1	3828 of 4520	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.0	2476 of 3705	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.3	2390 of 4594	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	69.3	949 of 4521	79.0%	★★★★☆
2022	74.4	677 of 4477	84.9%	★★★★☆
2021	41.4	2643 of 4451	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.1	1347 of 4309	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.1	986 of 4264	76.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	1652 of 4582	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.5	925 of 3739	75.3%	★★★★☆
2024	67.0	1231 of 4647	73.5%	★★★★☆
2023	73.0	1011 of 4585	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	750 of 4563	83.6%	★★★★☆
2021	58.7	1560 of 4498	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.7	870 of 4357	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	86.5	448 of 4319	89.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.1	801 of 1106	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	57.1	492 of 1099	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.5	247 of 1004	75.4%	★★★★☆
2021	28.5	748 of 961	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	64.6	355 of 1112	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.4	264 of 1046	74.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	64.4	944 of 4301	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	71.8	601 of 3549	83.1%	★★★★☆
2024	60.4	1253 of 4292	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	75.4	511 of 4086	87.5%	★★★★☆
2022	67.4	787 of 3952	80.1%	★★★★☆
2021	22.3	3352 of 3799	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.9	1106 of 3684	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	68.4	606 of 3558	83.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	65.4	963 of 3006	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	72.1	609 of 2612	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.4	611 of 3108	80.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	444 of 3106	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	76.4	500 of 3082	83.8%	★★★★☆
2021	51.1	1446 of 3082	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.0	544 of 3142	82.7%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	423 of 3127	86.5%	★★★★☆

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)

At Risk (2022)88th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)84th percentile+13 vs school

African American (2022)84th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)80th percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2026)78th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)76th percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)68th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)54th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)40th percentile-31 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)28th percentile-43 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)15th percentile-56 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading67%+13 vs state

Mathematics46%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Cowan is a great school. Caring teachers who teach with research based "best practices". Very positive school environment. Great Fall Community Carnival. Diverse Population. Close Quote

Schools Near Cowan Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2026)			STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Cowan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2817 Kentish Dr	Austin	78748	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(512) 841-2700	555	44	12.5	29.5%	252 (45.4%)	10 (1.8%)	221 (39.8%)	30 (5.4%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	38 (6.8%)	65.1	1339^th of 4627 public elementary schools	71.1%		72.9	1006^th of 4651 public elementary schools	78.4%	333							56.8	67.1	76.5	39.8	54.3	43.5	$10,732
Kocurek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9800 Curlew Dr	Austin	78748	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(512) 414-2547	507	42	12.0	65.7%	129 (25.4%)	26 (5.1%)	312 (61.5%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	26 (5.1%)	39.6	2783^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	39.9%		41.5	2674^th of 4651 public elementary schools	42.5%	109	40.0	22.2		20.0	10.0		35.7	53.9	54.3	29.1	46.2	41.4	$11,875
Boone Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8101 Croftwood Dr	Austin	78749	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(512) 414-2537	428	32	13.3	34.6%	187 (43.7%)	13 (3.0%)	198 (46.3%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.7%)	51.7	2025^th of 4627 public elementary schools	56.2%		48.2	2246^th of 4651 public elementary schools	51.7%	221							50.0	57.1	65.4	29.3	44.2	47.5	$10,169
Casey Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9400 Texas Oaks Dr	Austin	78748	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(512) 841-6900	544	44	12.2	56.6%	104 (19.1%)	43 (7.9%)	357 (65.6%)	23 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.1%)	72.2	1042^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	77.5%		65.3	1332^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	71.4%	290							62.3	62.7	65.9	53.2	51.4	61.0	$12,105
Cunningham Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 Berkeley Ave	Austin	78745	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(512) 414-2067	346	35	10.0	53.5%	113 (32.7%)	12 (3.5%)	204 (59.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.0%)	67.2	1257^th of 4627 public elementary schools	72.8%		65.1	1345^th of 4651 public elementary schools	71.1%	88							66.0	53.7	75.0	54.9	42.6	55.0	$14,583
Wayside Eden Park Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	6215 Menchaca Rd	Austin	78745	Travis County	Wayside Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(512) 220-9106	235	11	21.3	45.5%	54 (23.0%)	20 (8.5%)	146 (62.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.5%)	39.3	2812^th of 4627 public elementary schools	39.2%		48.8	2204^th of 4651 public elementary schools	52.6%	608							34.8	36.0	66.7	34.8	40.0	52.4	$9,461
Williams Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Mairo St	Austin	78748	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(512) 414-2525	377	34	11.2	71.9%	45 (11.9%)	18 (4.8%)	276 (73.2%)	15 (4.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.3%)	45.5	2361^st of 4627 public elementary schools	49.0%		37.7	2944^th of 4651 public elementary schools	36.7%	583	16.7	16.7		0.0	0.0		54.4	49.0	52.0	44.4	47.1	34.0	$14,038
Baranoff Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12009 Buckingham Gate Rd	Austin	78748	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(512) 841-7100	810	60	13.5	14.1%	466 (57.5%)	8 (1.0%)	255 (31.5%)	30 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.2%)	83	656^th of 4627 public elementary schools	85.8%		77.6	853^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	81.7%	197							70.3	64.6	77.1	49.6	66.1	70.0	$8,725
Kiker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5913 La Crosse Ave	Austin	78739	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(512) 414-2584	750	52	14.3	4.3%	434 (57.9%)	10 (1.3%)	147 (19.6%)	93 (12.4%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (8.1%)	93.3	239^th of 4627 public elementary schools	94.8%		91.1	331^st of 4651 public elementary schools	92.9%	92							73.7	87.9	84.5	56.5	80.7	86.1	$8,444
Odom Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1010 Turtle Creek Blvd	Austin	78745	Travis County	Austin Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(512) 414-2388	286	25	11.4	86.0%	20 (7.0%)	10 (3.5%)	253 (88.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15	4296^th of 4627 public elementary schools	7.2%		28.7	3515^th of 4651 public elementary schools	24.4%	781	42.9	15.4	27.3	18.2	0.0	0.0	40.7	20.8	38.5	32.4	18.5	20.0	$15,060

Frequently Asked Questions about Cowan Elementary

What schools do graduates of Cowan Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cowan Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Covington Middle
High : Bowie High School

How many students attend Cowan Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 555 students attended Cowan Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Cowan Elementary?

Students at Cowan Elementary are 45% White, 40% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 2% African American.

What district is Cowan Elementary in?

Austin Independent School District (Isd)

Is Cowan Elementary a good school?

Cowan Elementary ranks 1339^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Cowan Elementary!

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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.