Daep, Abilene TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Daep

DAEP, Abilene ISD's alternative school, serves middle and high school students in grades 6 through 12 from a central location on South 8th Street. As an alternative placement, the school enrolls a small population of students, most of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is racially and ethnically mixed, with roughly equal shares of Hispanic and white students, along with a notable share of Black students.

The school's academic performance on the 2024-25 STAAR assessments is substantially below what the data shows for other schools in Taylor County. In mathematics, sixth and seventh graders showed no proficiency across the tested cohort, while eighth graders had minimal proficiency. In English language arts, sixth graders had single-digit proficiency; seventh graders showed none; and eighth graders reached low double-digit proficiency. Science and social studies proficiency were also very low. The school showed small pockets of students reaching the "meets" level across subjects, but the dominant pattern is that students are performing well below state standards. This reflects the reality that DAEP serves students with significant academic gaps, many of whom were not meeting grade-level expectations in their home schools.

Alternative schools by design enroll students who are not thriving in traditional classroom settings. They are not pathways for college-preparatory or advanced coursework but rather focused on credit recovery, behavior support, and re-engagement. A parent considering this placement would do so because their student has been recommended for disciplinary or academic intervention, or because traditional school attendance has broken down. The staff and curriculum are organized around stabilization and recovery rather than breadth or rigor. No data on graduation rates, attendance, course offerings, or staffing patterns was available, so understanding the specific supports and structure this school offers would require direct conversation with the district and school leadership.

Abilene ISD is in the midst of significant restructuring. The district adopted the "Building Brighter Futures" initiative in January 2025, introducing school choice pilots at elementary schools and specialty programming. At the same time, the district closed or is sunsetting two elementary schools. The district also implemented new curriculum materials and is emphasizing dual-credit course enrollment to improve student outcomes. In November 2025, voters approved a tax rate election that will bring additional funding to address operating deficits, raise staff salaries, address the aging bus fleet, and expand programming. These changes suggest the district is trying to rebuild momentum after reported declines in reading and math scores.

DAEP sits in Abilene, a mid-sized West Texas city that serves as a regional economic hub, anchored by Dyess Air Force Base, major healthcare and education institutions, and growing renewable energy activity. The area is experiencing residential growth on the north and south sides. Housing is moderately valued compared to state and national averages, and rental costs are rising. The local economy is diversified but tied significantly to energy and defense employment. For families navigating an alternative school placement, understanding the school's specific academic recovery model, the timeline to return to a traditional setting, and the district's broader turnaround efforts would be essential before enrollment.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 20% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 70%

School 0% · District 5% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 32% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 66%

School 6% · District 42% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 70%

School 0% · District 40% · ▼ 40 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 40% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Science

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 29% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 18% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

This schoolABILENE ISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.