Summary:
Zip code 78717 in the Austin/Round Rock area is home to two high-performing middle schools, Cedar Valley Middle and Pearson Ranch Middle, both part of the Round Rock Independent School District (Isd), which serves grades 6-8 and is ranked in the top 21% of Texas districts.
Cedar Valley Middle stands out as the top performer, ranking 58th out of 2,335 Texas middle schools (98th percentile) for the 2025-2026 school year, while Pearson Ranch Middle also excels at 139th (94th percentile). Cedar Valley consistently achieves higher proficiency rates in nearly every subject, with notable gaps in 8th-grade Social Studies (76% vs. 58%) and 7th-grade Math (46% vs. 36%). Both schools dramatically outperform district and state averages, especially in Algebra I, where they post proficiency rates above 95% compared to the state average of 54%. Cedar Valley has shown a steady upward ranking trend over three years, while Pearson Ranch has experienced a slight decline.
Key metrics reveal interesting contrasts: Cedar Valley Middle has a lower free/reduced lunch rate (10.57% vs. 17.94%) and a slightly better student-teacher ratio (15.7:1 vs. 16.1:1), yet spends $479 less per student ($7,966 vs. $8,445) than Pearson Ranch Middle. Both schools face a universal "7th-grade math dip," where proficiency drops significantly from 6th to 7th grade, though they still exceed district and state benchmarks. With dropout rates near zero (0.2% and 0.0%), both schools provide a strong, consistent education, making this zip code a highly desirable area for families seeking top-tier middle schools.
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