Ashbel Smith El, Baytown TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ashbel Smith El

Ashbel Smith Elementary is a neighborhood school serving pre-K through fifth grade in Baytown, a mixed-character industrial city east of Houston shaped by petrochemical operations and residential neighborhoods. The school enrolls a small cohort of about that size spread across its grade band, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and facing significant economic need. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, the school's performance is at the lower end. On the most recent state assessments, proficiency rates across tested grades and subjects ranged from near or below the bottom quartile within Harris County districts. In math, fifth-graders showed the strongest performance, while third and fourth grades performed substantially lower. Reading and language arts results were similarly modest across grades. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed particularly low proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile compared to other districts in the county, though the state testing data available reflects only the 2024-25 school year; multi-year trends that might show growth or decline were not available.

The school is a regular public school within Goose Creek CISD, which encompasses Baytown and surrounding areas. District-level strategic priorities or recent changes were not documented in available sources, so a parent may want to reach out to the district directly to understand what support or instructional initiatives are underway. Because the school serves only early grades, no high school graduation rate or college-readiness metrics apply. Special education and English learner enrollment data were not reported.

Baytown itself is a city in transition. It remains rooted in heavy industry, particularly the massive ExxonMobil refinery complex, while also advancing mixed-use development such as the San Jacinto Marketplace redevelopment. New residential subdivisions are expanding housing stock at modest price points. The city maintains an extensive parks-and-trails system and a revitalized historic downtown arts district along West Texas Avenue, though everyday transportation is car-dependent. Public transit is limited to a park-and-ride commuter bus serving workers heading to Houston.

Housing values in the school's zip code have declined slightly year-over-year, and rental rates have similarly softened. The area is generally affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, though median household income and job-market conditions reflect Harris County's broader patterns, with unemployment holding steady and mortgage rates in the mid-range.

For families seeking a neighborhood elementary school in an industrial-centered but growing city, Ashbel Smith offers proximity and basic services. Parents considering the school should have a direct conversation with the school and district about current academic support, instructional approaches, and what outcomes the school aims to achieve, especially given the low proficiency levels in recent assessments. School choice options, if available within Goose Creek CISD or through other arrangements, may be worth exploring alongside a visit to understand the school's culture and staff firsthand.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 33% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 19% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 32% · ▲ 9 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 42% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 24% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 58% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 21% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

This schoolGOOSE CREEK CISD, 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-income25%Higher-income14%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income21%Higher-income20%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income19%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income15%Higher-income14%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income60%42 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income31%12 pp gap