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Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center

Q: Is Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center a good school?

Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center ranks in the bottom 11.6% of Texas high schools.

Q: How many students attend Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 247 students attended Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center?

Students at Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center are 81% Hispanic, 8% White, 7% African American, 2% American Indian.

Public Grades 9-12

1775^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 12% of Texas high schools

Summary

Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center is a small high school in Irving, TX, serving 247 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Irving Independent School District (Isd), where over 91% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Despite its name suggesting a focus on career readiness, the school is in a state of crisis, with a graduation rate that has plummeted to just 69.4% in 2023-2024—far below the district average of 92.7% and every other comprehensive high school in the area, such as Nimitz High School (93.9%) and MacArthur High School (94.0%). Meanwhile, its dropout rate has skyrocketed to 8.5%, compared to the district average of just 1.0%, signaling a fundamental breakdown in student retention and success.

Academically, the school struggles across the board, but its Algebra I proficiency is catastrophically low at just 5.88%—a fraction of the state average (54.03%) and even lower than nearby alternative schools like Winfree Academy Charter School (Irving) (18.18%). This is especially concerning for a career prep school, as math skills are foundational for many technical fields. The school also spends an exceptionally high $26,001 per student—more than double the spending of other Irving ISD high schools—yet these resources are not translating into better outcomes. In stark contrast, North Lake Early College High School, located just 3.7 miles away, serves a similarly disadvantaged population (87.63% free/reduced lunch) but ranks in the 98th percentile with a 0% dropout rate and near-perfect proficiency in subjects like Biology (97.62%). This proves that a high-poverty, specialized school model can succeed, making Barbara Cardwell’s struggles even more pronounced.

The school’s overall rank has fallen from the 31st percentile in 2015-2016 to the 12th percentile in 2025-2026, and it is actively getting worse at a rapid pace while surrounding schools remain stable. Other specialized schools in the district, such as Jack E Singley Academy (65th percentile), also significantly outperform Barbara Cardwell. For parents, the key takeaway is that this school is failing its students on nearly every metric, despite high spending and a low student-teacher ratio. The existence of high-performing alternatives nearby suggests that the issue lies not with the student population, but with the school’s model and execution.

247

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,077

Per pupil spending ?

91.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

101 E Union Bower Rd
Irving, TX 75061-7568

(972) 600-6140

District: Irving Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

81.4%

White:

8.1%

African American:

7.3%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 6th percentile in 2023 → 12th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 12th (2026) from a 6th-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (30% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Algebra I scores 48 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg53%

Texas avg62%

1,775^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5High Schools in the Irving Independent School District (Isd)

839^th of 951Irving 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	11.2	1775 of 2009	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	7.2	1827 of 1974	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.8	1849 of 1990	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.3	1846 of 1961	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.0	1743 of 1876	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.8	1696 of 1861	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.7	1542 of 1857	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.3	1562 of 1797	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.6	1452 of 1777	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	38.0	1218 of 1762	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.9	1283 of 1743	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.9	1534 of 1734	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	11.4	1517 of 1652	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	9.5	1496 of 1603	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	36.1	1369 of 1672	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	9.5	1487 of 1568	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	15.7	1413 of 1539	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	1.0	1489 of 1510	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	0.9	1479 of 1497	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	14.9	1301 of 1430	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	11.6	1329 of 1429	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	20.7	1274 of 1427	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	9.6	989 of 1086	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.9	770 of 834	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	1005 of 1065	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	987 of 1069	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.4	982 of 1031	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.7	723 of 1024	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	790 of 1013	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	21.0	1567 of 1837	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.4	1527 of 1829	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.6	1260 of 1810	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.3	1408 of 1784	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	27.0	940 of 1195	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.0	1056 of 1153	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.5	1366 of 1437	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	1214 of 1371	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.3	1026 of 1278	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.2	799 of 1195	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.7	782 of 1136	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.6	738 of 1113	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	13.2	1706 of 1936	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	3.9	1449 of 1504	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.0	1829 of 1880	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.2	1795 of 1891	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.2	1736 of 1841	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.9	1688 of 1815	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.6	1573 of 1798	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.7	1639 of 1781	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	0.1	1201 of 1206	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	0.0	1171 of 1172	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	13.8	1648 of 1860	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	7.1	1366 of 1453	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.3	1740 of 1805	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.4	1699 of 1820	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.9	1633 of 1762	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.0	1603 of 1743	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.0	1452 of 1714	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.4	1521 of 1691	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	15.3	1689 of 1937	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	8.2	1425 of 1513	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.3	1808 of 1884	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.9	1777 of 1897	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.0	1716 of 1847	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	1660 of 1848	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	1514 of 1818	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	1542 of 1794	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	8.0	1794 of 1954	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.2	1414 of 1515	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.9	1798 of 1891	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.6	1809 of 1913	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.4	1703 of 1853	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.0	1625 of 1840	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.5	1527 of 1824	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.7	1583 of 1803	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2021	5.4	1373 of 1382	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	48.0	566 of 1357	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.3	722 of 1347	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.5	574 of 1584	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	2.3	1259 of 1294	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.2	1482 of 1556	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	0.3	1564 of 1576	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.5	1344 of 1525	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.1	1410 of 1510	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	1229 of 1526	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.9	1269 of 1539	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2026)64th percentile+52 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)21st percentile+10 vs school

At Risk (2022)15th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile~ school

Female (2026)12th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)11th percentile~ school

African American (2026)9th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)8th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2021)1st percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)<1st percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

U.S. History50%-20 vs state

Biology32%-38 vs state

English I Reading24%-32 vs state

English II Reading20%-39 vs state

Algebra I6%-48 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, January 15, 2016

This school is special. The staff and students are like one big family. The counselors and teachers extend their day to assist the students with whatever they may need. The school has plenty of activities after school to develop all aspects of the student. Close Quote

Schools Near Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)		STAAR Social Studies (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 EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center	Public	9-12	101 E Union Bower Rd	Irving	75061	Dallas County	Irving Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 600-6140	247	19	12.8	91.9%	20 (8.1%)	18 (7.3%)	201 (81.4%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	11.2	1775^th of 2009 public high schools	11.6%		7.2	1827^th of 1974 public high schools	7.4%	52	5.9	32.1	23.6	20.5	50.0							$17,077
Irving High School	Public	9-12	900 N O'Connor Rd	Irving	75061	Dallas County	Irving Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 600-6300	2,390	153	15.6	83.8%	216 (9.0%)	135 (5.6%)	1,810 (75.7%)	37 (1.5%)	175 (7.3%)	1 (0.0%)	16 (0.7%)	26.9	1537^th of 2009 public high schools	23.5%		20.1	1612^th of 1974 public high schools	18.3%	75	26.6	53.9	26.7	43.8	67.1							$8,302
Uplift Infinity Prep High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1401 S MacArthur Blvd	Irving	75247	Dallas County	Uplift Education	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(469) 621-9200	357	27	13.2	74.5%	18 (5.0%)	16 (4.5%)	297 (83.2%)	21 (5.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	50	945^th of 2009 public high schools	53.0%		53.1	829^th of 1974 public high schools	58.0%	116	28.6	63.9	58.8	63.1	63.5							$12,315
Nimitz High School	Public	9-12	100 W Oakdale	Irving	75060	Dallas County	Irving Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 600-5700	2,343	156	15.0	82.6%	176 (7.5%)	100 (4.3%)	1,935 (82.6%)	51 (2.2%)	69 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (0.5%)	30.6	1472^nd of 2009 public high schools	26.7%		29.6	1405^th of 1974 public high schools	28.8%	67	23.7	57.3	37.7	48.5	64.4							$9,146
MacArthur High School	Public	9-12	3700 N Mac Arthur Blvd	Irving	75062	Dallas County	Irving Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 600-7200	2,484	155	16.0	79.7%	174 (7.0%)	431 (17.4%)	1,707 (68.7%)	88 (3.5%)	39 (1.6%)	7 (0.3%)	38 (1.5%)	26	1562^nd of 2009 public high schools	22.2%		18.4	1646^th of 1974 public high schools	16.6%	84	30.1	54.7	29.6	40.8	62.8							$8,028
Jack E Singley Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	4601 N MacArthur Blvd	Irving	75038	Dallas County	Irving Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(972) 600-5300	1,697	96	17.7	77.5%	123 (7.2%)	178 (10.5%)	1,212 (71.4%)	127 (7.5%)	38 (2.2%)	4 (0.2%)	15 (0.9%)	59.4	703^rd of 2009 public high schools	65.0%		50.5	898^th of 1974 public high schools	54.5%	195	34.8	74.3	58.0	71.2	75.4							$8,850
North Lake Early College High School	Public	9-12	5001 N MacArthur Blvd	Irving	75038	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(214) 891-1312	291	17	17.1	87.6%	10 (3.4%)	30 (10.3%)	235 (80.8%)	9 (3.1%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	92	33^rd of 2009 public high schools	98.4%		88.6	84^th of 1974 public high schools	95.7%	51	76.2	97.6	91.8	93.9	98.7							$9,401
Winfree Academy Charter School (Irving)	Public, Charter	9-12	3110 Skyway Cir S	Irving	75006	Dallas County	Winfree Academy Charter Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 251-2010	173	4	39.9		13 (7.5%)	28 (16.2%)	125 (72.3%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.3%)	5.5	1871^st of 2009 public high schools	6.9%		4.4	1873^rd of 1974 public high schools	5.1%	2	18.2	33.3	10.0	6.1	41.7							$8,344
Uplift Williams Prep High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1750 Viceroy Dr	Dallas	75247	Dallas County	Uplift Education	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(214) 276-0352	517	38	13.6	85.3%	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	505 (97.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	42.3	1177^th of 2009 public high schools	41.4%		37.8	1219^th of 1974 public high schools	38.2%	42	35.0	61.7	54.3	56.8	58.5							$9,729
Great Hearts Irving Upper	Public, Charter	6-12	3520 World Cup	Irving	75038	Dallas County	Great Hearts Texas	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(469) 725-0014	937	60	15.6	18.9%	288 (30.7%)	84 (9.0%)	198 (21.1%)	336 (35.9%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (2.8%)	77	281^st of 2009 public high schools	86.0%		76.6	280^th of 1974 public high schools	85.8%	1	66.2	79.9	85.4	86.8	86.6	66.8	70.7	80.7	57.3	68.3	58.8	$9,323

Frequently Asked Questions about Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center

How many students attend Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 247 students attended Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center.

Is Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center a good school?

Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center ranks in the bottom 11.6% of Texas high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center?

Students at Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center are 81% Hispanic, 8% White, 7% African American, 2% American Indian.

What district is Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center in?

Irving Independent School District (Isd)

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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.