Black El, Cypress TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Black El

Black Elementary is a regular public school in Cypress serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, with an enrollment spanning the full range of early grades. The school sits in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Texas's third-largest school district, in an unincorporated community that has grown from farmland into one of Houston's largest suburban areas.

The student body reflects the area's diversity. About half the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition is distributed across Hispanic, white, Asian, Black, and multiracial students, with no single group dominating. The school serves a neighborhood rather than a specialized population; no data on special education enrollment or English learner counts were available.

On Texas state assessments, Black Elementary's performance is middling across subjects. In English language arts, the school shows relative strength, with third and fourth graders reaching proficiency at higher rates than fifth graders. Third-grade reading proficiency is solid, and fourth-grade ELA pulls ahead. Fifth grade dips noticeably. In math, performance is flatter across grades and slightly weaker than reading. Third graders reach proficiency at a reasonable level, but fourth and fifth graders hold at lower rates. Science, tested only in fifth grade, shows the school's softest spot: fewer than half of fifth graders meet state standards. This pattern, common in elementary schools, suggests the school has stronger reading and language instruction than quantitative or science depth, or that students struggle more as content grows more abstract in upper elementary grades.

Against other schools in Harris County, Black Elementary ranks in the top quartile for overall proficiency, indicating it outperforms most of its county peers. That said, the top quartile is a wide band, and the school sits solidly rather than exceptionally within it.

The school is experiencing stable enrollment with no dramatic shifts. Housing values in the school's zip code are moderate for the Houston area, and rental costs are reasonable relative to regional benchmarks. The neighborhood is part of Cypress's ongoing residential development, with numerous master-planned communities nearby.

A parent considering Black Elementary should know that state testing data carries limited weight at the early elementary level; classroom instruction, teacher quality, and school culture matter more than scores for younger learners. The available data point to a school stronger in reading than math or science, and a school that aligns with county performance rather than standing apart. The district is large and serves a growing region, which can mean abundant resources and options but also bureaucratic complexity. Recent budget cuts have reduced librarian staffing district-wide, a structural change affecting access to library services at every school, including this one. Curriculum choices around materials and textbooks have shifted with board turnover; families with specific pedagogical or curricular preferences should check directly with the school on current offerings and philosophy.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 5% · ▲ 58 pts above district

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

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 5% · ▲ 52 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 0% · ▲ 58 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 0% · ▲ 72 pts above district

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

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 10% · ▲ 63 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 63% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Science

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 42% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

This schoolCYPRESS-FAIRBANKS 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-income55%Higher-income84%29 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income66%Higher-income79%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income54%Higher-income69%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income44%Higher-income76%32 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income49%Higher-income63%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income48%Higher-income68%20 pp gap