Barton El, Irving TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Barton El

Barton Elementary serves pre-K through fifth grade in Irving, a city in Dallas County. The school draws a student body that is highly concentrated by ethnicity and economic circumstance. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals; the student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a much smaller number of white, Black, and Native American students. The school's enrollment spans all early grades, with particularly strong enrollment in kindergarten and second grade.

On state testing, Barton's results show consistent underperformance across subjects and grades. In third-grade English language arts, measured proficiency sits at just under half. By fourth grade, math proficiency drops sharply to about a quarter of students; fourth-grade English proficiency on Spanish-language assessment falls to about a sixth. Fifth-grade performance is somewhat better in English, near the upper-third mark, but science and Spanish-language math proficiency at that grade are notably low. Looking across all tested content areas and grades together, Barton's overall proficiency index is below the midpoint when compared to districts in Dallas County.

The school is currently in an unusual moment of change. The district approved a major bond package in May 2023 that includes full replacement of Barton's building, a project that speaks to the district's recognition that the facility itself is outdated. That construction work is underway and will reshape the physical learning environment for years to come. At the same time, the district has adopted new K-5 curriculum in reading and math districtwide, moving to Bluebonnet Learning materials that are state-provided open resources. Parents new to the school should know these curricula are relatively new and came after some public conversation about content.

Housing in the Irving area is moderate in cost relative to national benchmarks, with home values showing slight decline year-over-year. Rental costs are also moderate and have held relatively steady. The area's unemployment rate and median household income sit near national norms.

Barton is a straightforward neighborhood public school serving an economically and linguistically diverse early elementary population. Given the test results, a parent considering this school should be prepared to understand what academic supports the school is offering and what gains, if any, have been made as the new curriculum takes hold. The bond-funded building replacement offers a tangible investment in facility quality, though school building construction is not the same as instruction. The school's position below the district median on proficiency warrants a direct conversation with school leadership about academic trajectory and reading or math intervention availability.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 18% · ▲ 22 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 17% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 15% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 13% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 38% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 44% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 6% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolIRVING 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-income42%Higher-income50%8 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income17%Higher-income50%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income50%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income15%Higher-income33%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income23%Higher-income67%44 pp gap