Summary:
There are two elementary schools in zip code 78617, Del Valle Elementary and Popham Elementary, both serving Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade as part of the Del Valle Independent School District (Isd), an area where over 89% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Neither school is a standout in terms of high performance, but Popham Elementary shows a slightly more consistent upward trend in its state ranking, improving from the 9th percentile to the 12th percentile over the past two years. In contrast, Del Valle Elementary made a larger single-year jump, rising from the 6th to the 14th percentile, suggesting recent interventions may be working. Academically, Popham Elementary leads in reading proficiency (38.81% vs. 35.02%), while Del Valle Elementary outperforms in math (33.26% vs. 24.81%). Both schools significantly trail the state average of 54.20% in reading and 47.00% in math. A critical red flag is science proficiency: Del Valle Elementary had a near-zero 0.92% proficiency rate in 5th-grade science, while Popham Elementary fared better at 10.53%, though still far below the state average of 29.57%.
An interesting finding is that Popham Elementary students taking the Spanish-language reading test consistently scored higher than those taking it in English, suggesting native-language instruction benefits some learners. However, a major concern is that Popham Elementary had a 0% proficiency rate in Spanish-language math across all tested grades, indicating a systemic issue in the bilingual math program. Del Valle Elementary also had a 0% rate in 5th-grade Spanish math. Overall, both schools face significant challenges tied to high poverty levels, requiring targeted support to close the achievement gap with the rest of Texas.
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