Smith El, Houston TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Smith El

Smith Elementary is a school of early elementary grades serving the southwest Houston area through Alief ISD. The school enrolls roughly equal numbers of students across pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, with a student body that is majority Hispanic and Black, and a substantial Asian population as well. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community with limited household income. The school sits in a zip code where median home values are modest and rents are affordable; housing costs as a share of income are moderate for the region.

On state assessments in spring 2025, Smith Elementary's test results show significant room for improvement. In reading and language arts across third and fourth grade, roughly a third of students met the proficiency threshold, while in math the picture is notably lower, with roughly a quarter of students meeting proficiency. Across all tested grades and subjects, a small share of students demonstrated mastery-level performance. The school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Harris County school districts. State test data for grades younger than third grade is not available because those grades are not tested in Texas.

The composition of Smith's student body is heavily economically disadvantaged. The school serves a neighborhood where need is high and family resources are stretched. That context shapes what the school is working with and what support systems matter most. Beyond the proficiency and income data, the school's staff count, attendance rates, discipline practices, and any specialized programs are not available in the data reviewed, so a parent would benefit from contacting Alief ISD or the school directly to understand what academic intervention, counseling, or enrichment offerings may be in place.

The surrounding Houston area is experiencing rapid growth and development, with new housing and commercial activity especially in outer suburbs, though the immediate school neighborhood reflects older development with mixed-use land patterns. For a family considering this area, the affordable housing market may be attractive, and the city's parks, libraries, and transit network provide civic amenities even if the immediate neighborhood is car-dependent as much of Houston is. A parent evaluating Smith Elementary should ask the school about its literacy and numeracy programs, how it targets support to students scoring below proficiency, and what partnerships or resources exist to help close gaps early in the elementary years.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 23% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 34% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 23% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 46% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

This schoolALIEF 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.

Proficiency by household income

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income24%Higher-income27%3 pp gap