The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Urban Park Steam Academy
Urban Park STEAM Academy is a PreK through fifth-grade school serving a densely economically disadvantaged enrollment in southern Dallas. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is heavily Hispanic, with smaller populations of Black, white, and multiracial students. The school draws from a neighborhood where housing values have declined modestly year-over-year and where the median rent suggests tight household budgets.
The school's defining feature is its STEAM focus, though the provided data does not detail how that curriculum is implemented or what specific programs distinguish it from other elementary schools. The name signals an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, which parents choosing this school likely value. Dallas ISD recently adopted a new districtwide math curriculum and has shifted to an opt-out advanced coursework model that automatically enrolls high-performing students, changes that would apply to Urban Park as well.
State test results from 2024-25 show mixed proficiency across grades and subjects. In math, fourth-grade students showed a proficiency rate around two-thirds, which is the school's strongest result; third and fifth grades had too few Spanish-language test takers for reportable rates. In English language arts, fourth graders achieved roughly mid-range proficiency, while third and fifth graders showed lower rates. Science proficiency in fifth grade was the weakest area, with only a small share of students meeting or exceeding standards. Overall proficiency across all tested grades and subjects sits above the midpoint among Dallas County districts, a meaningful distinction for a school serving this population, though parents may want to look into the school's specific supports for students not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
The school's enrollment is small for its grade band, distributed fairly evenly from PreK through fifth grade. No data on special education enrollment or English learner status was available. The school is a regular public school, not a charter, and operates within Dallas ISD. In May 2026, Dallas ISD voters approved a major bond that will replace aging schools and eliminate portable classrooms over the coming years, a development that could affect facility conditions district-wide, though the timing and scope for Urban Park specifically were not specified in the available data.
The school sits in a mixed industrial and residential area of southern Dallas, in the 75227 zip code, where walkability is limited and a car is necessary for most errands. The broader Dallas market is in strong growth, with new residential development underway in nearby areas and major employers like Amazon and Frito-Lay nearby, though household economics in this immediate neighborhood remain tight. Parents considering Urban Park are likely weighing access to a STEAM-focused elementary program in their neighborhood against the school's current proficiency levels and the need to provide additional academic support to close performance gaps.
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