Mark Twain School for the Talented and Gifted, Dallas TX

Original Research by School Decision on Mark Twain School for the Talented and Gifted

Mark Twain School for the Talented and Gifted is a small, selective public elementary and middle school within Dallas ISD that spans kindergarten through seventh grade. The school enrolls students across this range, with the largest cohorts in the upper elementary years. As a school designated for talented and gifted students, it serves a self-selected population; admission is based on identification and qualification rather than open enrollment.

The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This composition reflects both the school's location in Dallas and the broader demographics of the district, though the gifted designation shapes the academic profile of who is enrolled.

Academic performance shows a mixed and uneven pattern across grades and subjects. In English language arts, results are notably strong in the fifth and sixth grades, where the vast majority of students score at or above proficiency. Seventh-grade performance in ELA also remains solid. However, math performance deteriorates significantly in the upper grades, particularly in sixth and eighth grade, where proficiency drops substantially. Third and fifth graders perform better in math, while fourth graders show moderate results. Science proficiency is low across both tested grades, with less than half of fifth graders meeting proficiency and fewer than a third of eighth graders doing so. Social studies results are similarly weak in the eighth-grade cohort.

Overall, the school shows stronger performance in language arts than in mathematics, science, or social studies. A parent may want to look into further with the school whether the math and science curriculum gaps reflect instructional changes, staffing, or other factors, especially given the gifted designation. The school's performance positioning places it in the top quartile among Dallas County districts on proficiency overall, though this reflects aggregate results across all tested grades and subjects.

Enrollment is small to moderate for its grade span, allowing for smaller class sizes and potentially closer relationships between teachers and families. The school is a regular public school within Dallas ISD, not a charter. As a gifted program, it offers an accelerated academic environment for students identified as advanced learners, which affects both peer composition and pacing.

Dallas ISD recently voted on a major bond initiative that will reshape school facilities district-wide over the coming years, though the specific implications for this school's campus are not detailed in available information. The district has also shifted toward an opt-out model for advanced coursework, automatically enrolling high-achieving students in honors classes in core subjects. Dallas is in a period of significant growth and development, with strong regional population expansion and residential construction, which may affect school enrollment and capacity planning.

The school is located in Dallas proper, within a city that is largely car-dependent outside its downtown core, though specific neighborhood walkability and proximity to other community anchors depend on the exact location on Green Cove Lane. Families considering this school should weigh the gifted curriculum structure, the small enrollment, the uneven academic profile across subjects, and whether the selective admission process aligns with their child's needs and strengths.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 382%

School 82% · District 19% · ▲ 63 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 21% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 575%

School 75% · District 46% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 32% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 39% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 591%

School 91% · District 58% · ▲ 33 pts above district

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

Grade 688%

School 88% · District 48% · ▲ 40 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 48% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 8100%

School 100% · District 52% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 53 pts above county median

Science

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 13% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 37% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 27% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

This schoolDALLAS 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 5Lower-income87%Higher-income100%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income86%Higher-income90%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income69%Higher-income80%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income75%Higher-income92%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income65%Higher-income33%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income71%Higher-income83%12 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income30%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income40%13 pp gap