Valley West El, Houston TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Valley West El

Valley West Elementary is a public pre-K through fifth-grade school in Houston serving a student body that is majority Hispanic and Black, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits in a mixed-use area of southwest Houston where commercial and residential properties coexist, and median home values in the zipcode are below Texas state benchmarks, though the housing market there is relatively stable.

The school's state testing results are a soft spot. In fourth-grade math, where the most recent data is fullest, about half the students scored at proficient or above. In fifth-grade math the rate falls to near the lower end, and fifth-grade science shows an even lower share meeting proficiency. When the data breaks out bilingual Spanish-language testing at third grade—small numbers of students took those exams—proficiency in Spanish-language ELA sits well below math. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the county's elementary schools, which a parent may want to explore further with the administration, especially if academic trajectory matters to your family's choice.

The school's enrollment is stable at a small-to-moderate size for its grade band, with roughly even distribution across grades pre-K through five. Most families do not have the option of schools closer to home; Houston lacks traditional zoning, so schools are assigned by other means, and transportation to match family needs will be worth checking on.

Parents should be aware of the broader Houston ISD context. The district has been under state control since June 2023, meaning no elected school board represents families; a state-appointed superintendent and board of managers govern until the district meets state criteria for improved performance. The district has introduced a standardized instructional model called the New Education System at some campuses, featuring scripted lessons, longer days, and daily assessments. Libraries at many reformed schools have been repurposed, with traditional librarian roles eliminated. Additionally, the board voted in February 2026 to close or consolidate schools, a process that directly affects families through reassignments and the loss of neighborhood schools. The district lost substantial enrollment in the years around the takeover. For families considering Valley West, these wider district changes shape the environment and decision-making landscape as much as the school's own test results and offerings.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 46% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 26% · ▲ 15 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 23% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 52% · ▼ 52 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 48 pts below county median

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 26% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 44 pts below county median

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 3% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolHOUSTON 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 4Lower-income0%Higher-income75%75 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income0%Higher-income75%75 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income47%Higher-income63%16 pp gap