Howell Middle, Victoria TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Howell Middle

Howell Middle is a public school serving sixth through eighth grade in Victoria, Texas, the county seat of Victoria County in south central Texas. The school enrolls a moderate-sized student body drawn from the city and surrounding area, with a student composition that is roughly two-thirds Hispanic, a quarter white, and smaller shares of Black and multiracial students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic context of the community and school.

On state testing for the 2024-25 school year, Howell's results show a school where English language arts is the stronger performance area and mathematics trails behind. In sixth-grade reading, about half of students demonstrated proficiency. Seventh and eighth grade reading performance held at roughly the same level. Mathematics tells a different story: only about three in ten sixth graders reached proficiency, the rate dropped to roughly one in five in seventh grade, and recovered slightly to about one in three by eighth grade. Eighth graders also took assessments in science and social studies. In science, about one in four students met the proficiency threshold. Social studies was the lowest-performing tested area, with roughly one in five eighth graders reaching proficiency. State test participation rates were not available in the data provided.

Taken as a whole across all subjects and grade levels tested, about one in three Howell students demonstrated proficiency. This puts the school above the midpoint among the other school districts in Victoria County, though a parent should understand that the county's performance range is wide. The school's performance in English language arts sits more solidly, while mathematics and science proficiency are areas where large shares of students are not yet meeting grade-level standards. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about how instruction in these areas is organized, what support structures exist for students who are not yet proficient, and what progression looks like as students move through the grade band.

Victoria is a manufacturing and regional trade hub where three major U.S. highways intersect, positioned within a two-hour drive of Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. The city economy anchors around industrial production, health care, and retail employment. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to national averages, with monthly rents lower than the cost of mortgage payments on typical homes in the zip code. The community is not experiencing major growth; housing values have declined slightly year-over-year. Victoria ISD recently approved a major bond in May 2026 that will fund infrastructure improvements across its campuses and will reorganize elementary attendance through school consolidation. This bond raises property tax rates, a lasting cost consideration for families in the area. The district has also launched a two-way dual language program in English and Spanish at one elementary school, available as a choice pathway for incoming kindergarteners.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 27% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 17% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 32% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 46% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 42% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 41% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median

Science

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 28% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 15% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median

This schoolVICTORIA 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-income43%Higher-income73%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income45%Higher-income57%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income72%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income47%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income19%Higher-income29%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income46%19 pp gap