Central El, Duncanville TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Central El

Central Elementary is a small public elementary school in Duncanville, serving the early grades from pre-K through fourth grade. The school sits in a mature suburb on the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, well-positioned along major transportation corridors. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, and home values have declined slightly year over year, though rents remain relatively stable as a share of household income.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with most students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. A substantial share of students are learning in Spanish-language instruction; the school reports both STAAR-English and STAAR-Spanish test results across grades three and four.

The academic picture presents challenges. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, proficiency rates are below what typical districts in Dallas County achieve. In math, the school is below the midpoint among county districts. Reading (ELA) shows somewhat better results, though still modest. English-language testing in grade three shows a proficiency rate well below that of grade four, suggesting either differential performance by cohort or differences in the student populations tested in those years. The Spanish-language assessments report smaller numbers of tested students and correspondingly lower absolute counts of proficient students, which makes grade-to-grade and year-to-year comparisons harder to interpret. A parent may want to discuss with the school how these language pathways are organized and what instructional supports exist for students in each track.

The district has recently invested in facility upgrades and expansions through a bond measure approved in late 2023. The district is adding an early childhood center and expanding career and technical education at the high school level. These changes are downstream from Central Elementary itself, but they reflect districtwide commitment to infrastructure and program expansion. Property tax impacts from the bond are offset somewhat by state property tax relief that took effect around the same time.

For families considering Central, the school offers a neighborhood setting with multilingual instruction and serves a community where most households qualify for lunch assistance. Test results indicate the school is working with students who have substantial academic needs. Whether that profile fits depends on a family's priorities and their read of the school's specific instructional approaches, which would be worth exploring directly with the school.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 21% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 24% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 36% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 35% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolDUNCANVILLE 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-income43%Higher-income17%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income22%Higher-income14%8 pp gap