The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Anderson El
Anderson Elementary is a public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Houston ISD, located in the Ludington area. It has the profile of an early-elementary, high-poverty, majority-Latino campus with deep language diversity.
The school's recent state test results show mixed academic performance with a notable pattern across subjects. In tested grades three and four, math proficiency stands around the middle range, while English language arts shows more variation: third grade trails below the county midpoint in reading, fourth grade shows stronger performance, and fifth-grade results (in Spanish-language testing) are too small in sample size to report reliably. Science proficiency in fifth grade comes in well below expectations. Across all subjects and grades taken together, Anderson sits above the midpoint among Harris County districts on an overall proficiency index, a positioning that reflects strength in some areas offset by notable softness in others, particularly science.
The enrollment is composed almost entirely of students from low-income households, with nearly all qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Latino, with a substantial African American population as well; fewer than one in twenty students identify as white or Asian. The school does not report special education enrollment or English learner counts in the available data, though the large number of students tested in Spanish and the demographic composition suggest a significant bilingual or dual-language student base. Whether Anderson offers a formal dual-language program, bilingual support structure, or other language-based instruction is not visible in the data provided; this would be worth exploring directly with the school.
Houston ISD is currently operating under state governance after the Texas Education Agency dissolved the elected school board in June 2023 and replaced it with a state-appointed board of managers. This takeover, extended through at least June 2027, means parents have no elected local representation and the district is governed by state appointees. Governance will return to elected leadership only after the district meets state criteria including no failing campuses, special education compliance, and improved school board governance.
Since the takeover, the district has introduced the New Education System (NES), a standardized instructional model with mandated curriculum, daily timed quizzes, longer school days, scripted lessons, and heavier oversight. NES schools receive substantially higher per-student funding. Anderson's status within NES is not specified in the available data. Additionally, the district converted school libraries at many reformed campuses into spaces used partly for students with disciplinary issues, eliminating traditional librarian positions. The broader district context is one of enrollment decline, with over several thousand students lost since 2022-23, and in February 2026 the state-appointed board voted to close or consolidate twelve schools effective after the 2025-26 school year. A major bond package was rejected by voters in November 2024, leaving facility upgrades, security improvements, and facility modernization on hold.
The school's housing market sits within south-central Houston, an area with modest home values relative to state and national benchmarks, and rental costs that are affordable relative to regional income. The neighborhood is part of a city shaped by mixed land use, with commercial, residential, and industrial functions interspersed, and a growth context of rapid regional expansion, though with increasing concentration of new construction shifting outward to suburban counties.
A parent choosing Anderson should understand that it is a Title I campus serving a high-need population, with uneven test performance that rewards close attention to grade level and subject. The district governance change and ongoing NES reforms represent significant context for daily operations and family experience. The school's precise programmatic offerings, whether it participates in the NES model, and what language instruction or support is available are items worth clarifying with the school directly.
See more original research from School Decision →