Talkington School for Young Women Leaders, Lubbock TX

Original Research by School Decision on Talkington School for Young Women Leaders

Talkington School for Young Women Leaders is a sixth-through-twelfth-grade public school in Lubbock that serves a diverse, mixed-income student body. The school's name reflects its identity as a girls' school within the public system, a choice that shapes both its peer environment and its programming focus.

Academically, Talkington shows strong proficiency across tested subjects, with particularly notable strength in English language arts. Sixth-grade students achieve high proficiency in ELA, and eighth-grade performance reaches near-universal proficiency. Math proficiency is more uneven: sixth graders show solid attainment, eighth graders perform very strongly, but seventh graders fall notably below, with roughly half of that grade meeting or exceeding proficiency standards. In science and social studies, eighth graders reach high marks. Across all subjects, students at the "meets" and "approaches" levels cluster in the upper ranges, though proficiency at the "masters" level is more modest, particularly in math. Against other districts in Lubbock County, Talkington's overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile, a strength.

The school enrolls a student body that is majority Hispanic and white, with meaningful Black and Asian representation and a smaller number of multiracial students. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a working-class and lower-middle-income band. State testing participation rates and data on students with disabilities or English learners were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and how they are served.

The school is embedded in Lubbock's moderate growth context and policy shifts. In December 2024, Lubbock ISD closed and consolidated several schools, though Talkington was not among them. Looking ahead, the district approved a major bond in May 2025 for facility rebuilding, not taking effect until 2028-29, and adopted a formal optimization plan governing future closures based on enrollment thresholds. These district-level changes create ongoing uncertainty about school configurations, something a family considering Talkington should keep in mind as a longer-term backdrop.

Lubbock itself is a mid-sized mixed-character city anchored by Texas Tech University, healthcare, and agriculture. The city is largely car-dependent, though downtown and central neighborhoods like Tech Terrace offer some walkability and a university-influenced cultural life. Housing costs in the zip code are below state and national benchmarks, which may be relevant for families weighing affordability. The local job market is stable, built on education and healthcare employment.

One gap in the available data: this school's graduation rate, full program offerings, staffing levels, attendance patterns, and discipline or civil rights information were not provided, so a parent interested in those details should request them directly from the school or district.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 32 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,779 schools plotted. 59 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 674%

School 74% · District 31% · ▲ 43 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 9% · ▲ 36 pts above district

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

Grade 886%

School 86% · District 38% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 688%

School 88% · District 52% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 788%

School 88% · District 48% · ▲ 40 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 897%

School 97% · District 51% · ▲ 46 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Science

Grade 891%

School 91% · District 27% · ▲ 64 pts above district

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 51 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 881%

School 81% · District 21% · ▲ 60 pts above district

▲ 57 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

This schoolLUBBOCK 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 6Lower-income80%Higher-income94%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income89%Higher-income88%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income96%Higher-income98%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income69%Higher-income78%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income67%Higher-income20%47 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income72%Higher-income95%23 pp gap