Summary
Turner High School in Carrollton, TX, is a large, comprehensive high school serving over 2,000 students in grades 9-12 within the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (Isd). While the school boasts a strong graduation rate consistently above 90%, its academic performance on state assessments lags behind both the district and state averages, placing it in the bottom 20th percentile of Texas high schools. This is a significant contrast to nearby district peers like Creekview High School (55th percentile) and Ranchview High School (41st percentile), and more comparable to Smith High School (19th percentile).
A key finding is that Turner serves a high-needs population, with about two-thirds of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, yet its per-student spending is lower than its higher-performing district peers. Despite these challenges, the school has a notable strength: it is exceptionally effective for its Asian and African American students, who perform well above the state average. However, this success is not universal, as the school struggles significantly with its Hispanic, White, and low socioeconomic status students, all of whom rank in the bottom 25th percentile. This creates a "two-schools-in-one" dynamic that is unique in the area.
Another concern is the sharp decline in performance for White students, who dropped from the 58th percentile to the 23rd percentile in just two years. Additionally, while the graduation rate is high, only 34% of students were proficient in English I Reading, suggesting students may be graduating without being fully prepared for college or careers. For a more direct comparison, Harmony Science Academy - Carrollton, a charter school with a similar percentage of low-income students, achieves dramatically better results (76th percentile), indicating that Turner's challenges are not solely due to its student demographics but also school-level practices.
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