Zilker El, Austin TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Zilker El

Zilker Elementary sits in South Austin's 78704 zip code, a prosperous neighborhood where median home values are substantially above state and national benchmarks. This is a small school serving pre-K through fifth grade with an enrollment that clusters around mid-size for its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful share of Hispanic students and smaller populations of other backgrounds. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, indicating some economic diversity within a generally affluent zone.

The school's academic footprint is strongest in English language arts. Third-grade ELA proficiency runs markedly high, with fourth and fifth grades similarly strong, anchoring the school's overall reading and writing performance well above the middle of the distribution among Travis County district schools. Math proficiency holds steady across grades three through five at a more moderate level, clustered in the low-to-mid range; a parent may want to look into what instructional priorities or support systems the school has in place for numeracy. Science testing in fifth grade shows notably weaker results, with proficiency roughly half that of ELA, suggesting either curriculum intensity, instructional time, or skill gaps in that domain. Social studies performance in the reported grades falls between math and science, with a modest share of students reaching mastery level.

Texas assessment data does not include trend lines for this school, so year-to-year patterns are not visible in the available data. Participation rates in state testing are not reported, which is typical when a school administers assessments under standard conditions.

The broader context matters. Austin ISD approved a substantial school bond in late 2022, with several elementary campuses already completed or underway, which may signal investment in facility quality across the district. More recently the district authorized a property tax increase and voted to consolidate ten schools before the 2026-27 school year in response to declining enrollment, which will shift boundaries and dual-language program locations across the city. These are major transitions that affect housing and school-choice decisions district-wide. The neighborhood itself is growing steadily as part of a metro experiencing rapid population and construction expansion, though office vacancy has climbed during recent economic cooling.

Zilker's strength in early literacy is real and measurable. Its performance in math and especially science sits below its ELA results, which is a meaningful trade-off a family would want to understand more deeply—whether through the school's own instructional strategy or through supplemental learning at home. For families in the area weighing elementary options, the school's clear reading advantage and its position in a stable, economically secure neighborhood are the main features. The pending district consolidations and program relocations mean that the landscape may shift before older elementary students reach middle school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 9% · ▲ 61 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 8% · ▲ 63 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 47% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 386%

School 86% · District 12% · ▲ 74 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 478%

School 78% · District 58% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 588%

School 88% · District 63% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Science

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 35% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

This schoolAUSTIN 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

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income71%Higher-income89%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income44%Higher-income89%45 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income73%Higher-income93%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income47%Higher-income75%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income80%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income69%Higher-income70%1 pp gap