Emerson El, Midland TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Emerson El

Emerson Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Midland, a West Texas energy hub experiencing sustained growth. The school enrolls a student body that is roughly equally divided among White, Hispanic, and students identifying with other racial and ethnic groups, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting broader economic diversity in the neighborhood.

The most recent state assessment data show academic results that are mixed and uneven across grades and subjects. In English language arts, third-graders perform at roughly the midpoint of proficiency, fourth-graders fall noticeably below, fifth-graders recover to just above the midpoint, and sixth-graders move back above the midpoint. Mathematics tells a similar story of inconsistency: third-graders perform around the midpoint, fourth-graders decline sharply, fifth-graders recover somewhat, and sixth-graders drop to lower performance. Science proficiency at fifth grade is notably weak. Across all tested subjects, the school sits above the midpoint when compared to other schools in Midland County, though the grade-by-grade pattern suggests that students' performance is not steady as they move through the school.

Two district-level changes now frame the learning environment. The school has adopted a phonics-based, science-of-reading curriculum in place of the previous whole-language approach, with Amplify Texas as the primary resource. Additionally, the district's historic 2023 bond passed after five failed attempts and will trigger a major grade reconfiguration in 2028: sixth graders will transition into middle schools rather than remaining in elementary schools, and the district will open two new comprehensive high schools. For families at Emerson right now, this means the current sixth-grade cohort will be the last to complete elementary at this campus under the existing structure.

The neighborhood sits within Midland proper, positioned in a car-dependent city where the energy sector anchors the local economy and where sustained population growth is driving new residential development. Housing costs in the immediate area are above the Texas state benchmark and reflect the region's economic strength. The school is accessible to working families drawn to the region by employment in energy, aerospace, logistics, and healthcare.

A parent considering Emerson should be aware that the grade-level proficiency data show inconsistency in how students progress across the school, particularly a notable dip in fourth-grade results; a parent may want to explore with the school what factors affect that transition and what supports are available to fourth-graders in both literacy and mathematics. The shift to phonics-based reading instruction is recent enough that families might ask how the transition was implemented and what evidence the school is gathering on its effect.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 41% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 50% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 43% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 43% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 46% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 40% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 31% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 51% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 27% · ▼ 4 pts below district

even with state median · even with county median

This schoolMIDLAND 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-income53%Higher-income67%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income40%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income53%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income68%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income52%Higher-income64%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income49%Higher-income40%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income56%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income52%41 pp gap