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Needs Improvement

#8251 of 8,552 schools in TX

Valley West EL

Elementary School · Houston ISD · Houston, TX

A Houston ISD elementary school where students score 4 points below what's typical for similar communities.

10707 S GESSNER DR, Houston, TX 77071

  • Math 32% vs TX 44% (2024)
  • Reading 30% vs TX 54% (2024)
  • 18.7:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress2.2Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-5 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics4.4Below Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency32% (2024 STAAR)
Reading/ELA Proficiency30% (2024 STAAR)
Math vs. State Avg-11.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-24.3 pts
Overall Proficiency31% (2024 STAAR, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)35% (model expectation from 2024 STAAR)
vs. Expected-3.5 pts
Adjusted Percentile25th
Resources & Environment3.5Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio18.7:1
District spending per student$13,072
Chronic Absenteeism19.4%

Students at Valley West EL score 31% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 35%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 STAAR proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. TX average.

Math Proficiency32%(2024 STAAR)
School
State
44%(2024 STAAR)
ELA Proficiency30%(2024 STAAR)
School
State
54%(2024 STAAR)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 59 points across the 16-year record (2009–2024) and has held near 31% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
90%
ELA
90%
2010
Math
95%
ELA
93%
2011
Math
93%
ELA
92%
2012
Math
71%
ELA
78%
2013
Math
77%
ELA
75%
2014
Math
76%
ELA
78%
2015
Math
80%
ELA
79%
2016
Math
70%
ELA
66%
2017
Math
44%
ELA
37%
2018
Math
37%
ELA
34%
2019
Math
37%
ELA
34%
2020*
Math
27%
ELA
37%
2021*
Math
27%
ELA
37%
2022
Math
30%
ELA
44%
2024
Math
32%
ELA
30%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 60% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 30 test records from TX state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

94.5%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Valley West EL sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Houston map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 41Car-Dependent
  • Transit 40Some Transit
  • Bike 43Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High5,451/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Houston), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$55,147

Median home value

$228,000

Median rent

$1,059/mo

College educated

33.7%

Homeownership

51.8%

Poverty rate

13.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 77071; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Milne ELEnrollment path unverified2.5PK–50.7 mi506Compare →
Torah Day SchoolPrivate · tuition6.7privatePK–81.0 mi104Compare →
Southwest Schools Bissonnet EL CampusCharter · enrollment unverified6.9PK–51.1 mi455Compare →
Step Charter IICharter · enrollment unverified8.4K–81.1 mi306Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Houston ISD

Schools in district
274
Rank in district
#266 of 272
District spending per student
$13,072NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
27.0%Census SAIPE · 2024

Valley West EL is listed in HOUSTON ISD; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Valley West EL

Valley West EL is a public elementary school in Houston, TX, part of Houston ISD, serving approximately 599 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 18.7:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.1 out of 10 and ranks #8,251 of 8,552 schools in TX. State assessment records show 59% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 60% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Valley West EL

What grades does Valley West EL serve?

Valley West EL serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Valley West EL?

Valley West EL has an enrollment of approximately 599 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley West EL?

The student-teacher ratio at Valley West EL is 18.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Valley West EL rank in TX?

Valley West EL ranks #8,251 of 8,552 schools in TX.

What is Valley West EL's MySchoolScout rating?

Valley West EL has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.1 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Valley West EL?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Valley West EL has 59% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 60% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Valley West EL a charter school?

No, Valley West EL is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Valley West EL a Title I school?

No, Valley West EL is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Valley West EL?

94.5% of students at Valley West EL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
599
Student-Teacher Ratio
18.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
32
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Harris County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
19.4%
Area population (ZIP 77071)
26,794
Area average commute
31.9 min
Area median age
40.5
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2024 STAAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 STAAR. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2024 STAAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 STAAR. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 77071; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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