Abbett El, Garland TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Abbett El

Abbett Elementary is a school of about mid-size for its grade band, serving pre-K through fifth grade in northeast Garland. The enrollment is diverse, with substantial shares of students identifying as Hispanic, white, Black, and Asian, and a noteworthy portion of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting neighborhood economic patterns.

The school sits in a mature, built-out part of Garland that mixes residential neighborhoods with commercial corridors. Housing in the area is moderate in value and accessible; single-family stock ranges from mid-century ranch homes to newer planned-community builds. The neighborhood is car-oriented, though residents have access to the city's DART transit system and downtown services. This is a working, established area with a neighborly feel rather than a bedroom enclave or high-wealth pocket.

State testing results show mixed attainment. In fourth-grade English language arts, proficiency is solid. Fourth-grade math proficiency runs at a moderate level, while fifth-grade math is lower. Fifth-grade science proficiency is notably weak. Some grade-level tests use the Spanish-language STAAR assessment, and proficiency in those administered in Spanish is quite low, particularly in third-grade ELA where no students achieved proficiency. A parent may want to look into the school's bilingual or dual-language model, instructional supports in Spanish, and how the school addresses the performance gap for Spanish-language learners. The data does not indicate enrollment by English-learner status, so that context would help clarify whether language development is the primary driver. Overall, across all tested grades and subjects, about a quarter of students reach mastery and about half meet grade-level standards.

Garland ISD, the district that operates Abbett, is navigating significant structural changes. The district approved a major bond for facility modernization and safety upgrades in 2023, raising property taxes, and adopted a curriculum framework emphasizing explicit instruction and high-quality materials aligned to state standards and diagnostic assessments. More pressingly for families, the district has consolidated several elementary campuses due to declining enrollment and funding constraints, relocating students across different buildings in 2024-25 and 2025-26. Abbett itself does not appear to be consolidated as of available information, but this broader consolidation reflects real enrollment pressure across the district. Additionally, voters approved a tax-rate increase in November 2025 to close a projected operating deficit and fund teacher retention and special education. For a family considering Abbett, these district-level shifts signal budget strain and the possibility of continued program or facility changes.

Relative to other districts in Dallas County, Abbett's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint—a qualification that reflects the mixed performance noted: solid fourth-grade ELA and moderate fourth-grade math offset by weaker results in fifth grade and in Spanish-language assessments. The school is positioned as a regular public elementary serving a working-class, multiethnic neighborhood with accessible housing and moderate transit access, not a high-attainment enclave. The fit depends on whether a family can navigate the language-assessment challenge, engage with the explicit-instruction curriculum model the district has adopted, and remain confident despite district-level budget and consolidation headwinds.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 21% · ▲ 33 pts above district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 52% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 30%

School 0% · District 54% · ▼ 54 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 39% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 62% · ▼ 37 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 26% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolGARLAND 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-income48%Higher-income60%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income43%Higher-income64%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income48%Higher-income69%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income17%Higher-income54%37 pp gap