Cross Roads J H, Malakoff TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Cross Roads J H

Cross Roads Junior High serves grades six through eight in Malakoff, a small rural city in western Henderson County roughly seventy to eighty-five miles southeast of Dallas. The school enrolls a small population of students, drawn from Malakoff and surrounding communities tied to the local economy around energy, agriculture, and service work.

Academically, the school shows mixed but generally respectable results across tested subjects. In English language arts, students perform more strongly in sixth and eighth grades than in seventh grade, with eighth-grade proficiency notably higher. Mathematics proficiency climbs steeply across the grade progression, from mid-level performance in sixth grade to substantially stronger results by eighth grade. Science results in eighth grade are solid. Social studies, however, shows a notable soft spot, with fewer than half of eighth graders meeting proficiency in that subject. Overall, the school sits in the top quartile of proficiency relative to the eight districts in Henderson County.

The student body is predominantly white, with smaller Hispanic and multiracial populations and very few students identifying as Black or Asian. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant economic need in the enrollment. The school does not report separate counts or rates for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the availability of services in those areas.

Malakoff itself is a practical, blue-collar community shaped by the presence of the power station south of town and proximity to Cedar Creek Lake. Housing is accessible by regional standards, with older established homes and newer builds on generous lots. The town center is functional rather than walkable, with key services and gathering spots clustered tightly and the community wholly car-dependent. Civic anchors include the Red Waller Community Library, parks with a community center, and the lake itself, which draws both year-round residents and seasonal visitors. The area has seen modest population stability rather than rapid growth, and local planning activity centers on the food truck park and comprehensive planning efforts. Rock Tower Stadium serves as a seasonal gathering point during football season.

A parent considering Cross Roads Junior High should understand it as a small, rural middle school where English language arts and mathematics instruction show clear progression across the grades, but where seventh-grade ELA performance dips and social studies proficiency lags. The school sits among the stronger performers in its county context. For families valuing small-school community and rural setting, and who are comfortable with the economic and geographic realities of a resource-dependent town, this is a straightforward option. Those with questions about special education support or English learner services will want to seek that information directly from the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 32 pts above state median

Grade 770%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 43 pts above state median

Grade 884%

School 84% · District 84%

▲ 42 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 684%

School 84% · District 84%

▲ 32 pts above state median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 888%

School 88% · District 88%

▲ 33 pts above state median

Science

Grade 879%

School 79% · District 79%

▲ 37 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 19 pts above state median

This schoolCROSS ROADS 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 6Lower-income82%Higher-income86%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income91%44 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income83%Higher-income95%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income53%Higher-income76%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income58%Higher-income91%33 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income78%Higher-income93%15 pp gap