1
Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at ALEX W SPENCE TALENTED/GIFTED ACADEMY?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
486
Middle
DISTRICT 551 · STATE 643
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DALLAS ISD·NCES 481623001359
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy
4001 CAPITOL AVE, DALLAS, TX 75204 · (972) 925-2300 · Dallas County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL486 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 64% of Texas public middle schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- CThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Texas public middle schools
Student : Teacher
16.0:1
30 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.0:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
91%
441 students
DISTRICT 89% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 148 | 30% |
| Grade 7 | 169 | 35% |
| Grade 8 | 169 | 35% |
Student demographics
53%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 45% · STATE 63% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy→North Dallas High School
Feeds from
Based on published attendance-zone data from DALLAS ISD. Zones change; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
60.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +17.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
42.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +2.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 60 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 42 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 17 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 2 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 32.0% | 28.0% | 16.0% | 24.0% |
| Mathematics | 18.0% | 24.0% | 29.0% | 29.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 60.0% | 42.0% |
| 2024-25 | 62.0% | 45.0% |
| 2023-24 | 60.0% | 36.0% |
| 2022-23 | 49.0% | 45.0% |
| 2021-22 | 43.0% | 45.0% |
| 2020-21 | 43.0% | 40.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
44.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
34.9%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+9.0pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 44% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 35% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Texas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy's state test result (44.0% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy this school | 486 | 90.7% | 44.0% |
| Leonard Middle School FORT WORTH | 568 | 92.6% | 17.1% |
| KIPP Academy Middle School HOUSTON | 508 | 91.9% | 50.8% |
| Wisdom Prep Middle School DALLAS | 493 | 87.6% | 22.6% |
| La Vega J H George Dixon Campus WACO | 441 | 89.6% | 27.1% |
| Uplift Ascend Prep Middle School FORT WORTH | 401 | 87.0% | 24.8% |
Matched among Texas middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Dallas County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 44.0% | #748 of 1,635 | #25 of 118 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 42.0% | #850 of 1,670 ▼ 165 | #54 of 123 ▼ 22 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 60.0% | #560 of 1,670 ▼ 86 | #28 of 123 ▼ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +4.0pp | #1,144 of 1,570 | #70 of 121 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 486 | #1,115 of 1,749 | #88 of 126 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.0:1 | #1,104 of 1,542 | #92 of 123 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 53.1% | #783 of 1,543 | #43 of 123 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 90.7% | #228 of 1,648 | #40 of 121 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -33.9% | #98 of 942 | #18 of 80 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
486
-297 (-38%) vs 2020
-29% since 1990-91, when it was 682
Student : Teacher
16.0:1
was 17.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 486 | 30.4 | 16.0:1 | 91% (441) |
| 2023-24 | 512 | 41 | 12.5:1 | 90% (461) |
| 2022-23 | 599 | 44 | 13.6:1 | 84% (503) |
| 2020-21 | 783 | 46 | 17.0:1 | 78% (607) |
| 2017-18 | 735 | 51 | 14.4:1 | 80% (588) |
| 2015-16 | 832 | 61 | 13.6:1 | 91% (758) |
| 2010-11 | 1,108 | 80 | 13.8:1 | 90% (994) |
| 2000-01 | 989 | 69 | 14.3:1 | 79% (781) |
| 1990-91 | 682 | 56 | 12.2:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy.
Since 2017-18: students down 34% (735 to 486); teachers down 40% (51 to 30.4).
About Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy runs as a low-enrollment middle school in DALLAS, Texas. The student body numbers 486 students, from grades 6 through 8. Average enrollment for middle schools in Texas is about 643, so this school runs 24% smaller than that.
Besides Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy, DALLAS ISD runs 239 other schools. The district enrolls 140,630 students.
Hispanic students make up a majority at Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy, at 62%. Next come 29% Black, 4% White, 2% Asian, and 2% multiracial. That compares with about 41% Hispanic among all Dallas County residents. Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy's diversity index is 53%, against a US figure of 70%.
The school employs the equivalent of 30.4 full-time teachers, for a ratio of 16.0:1. That is 1.6 students per teacher above the 14.4:1 average for middle schools in Texas. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy is 91%. For comparison, public schools in Dallas County average 77%.
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy is graded B by allk12, scoring above 64% of Texas public middle schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
The school's average proficiency rate on state tests is 44.0%. For its free or reduced-price lunch share, the predicted value is 34.9%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Dallas County, the median household income is $76,547, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 36% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 11%. There are 771 public schools in Dallas County, enrolling about 459,645 students in all.
Ignite Middle at Jw Ray Learning Center is located about 0.4 miles from Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy. The five-mile area around Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy holds at least 8 other public schools. The school's 44.0% average proficiency ranks 3rd among 9 nearby schools.
NCES describes the area around Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy as City: Large, meaning inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
The school enrolled 486 students in 2024-25, 297 fewer than the 783 it had in 2020-21. The student-to-teacher ratio went down from 17.0:1 to 16.0:1.
To ask about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs, start a discussion on this page. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Dallas County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
2,621,179
Census ACS
Median income
$76,547
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
771
459,645 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in DALLAS ISD
- Skyline High SchoolHigh · 3,837 students
- Bryan Adams H S Leadership AcademyHigh · 2,208 students
- W T White High SchoolHigh · 2,204 students
- Sunset High SchoolHigh · 2,164 students
- Moises E Molina High SchoolHigh · 2,006 students
- Woodrow Wilson High SchoolHigh · 1,832 students
Other schools in DALLAS
- Skyline High SchoolHigh · 3,837 students
- Lake Highlands High SchoolHigh · 2,972 students
- Oak Cliff Faith Family AcademyCombined · 2,670 students
- Bryan Adams H S Leadership AcademyHigh · 2,208 students
- W T White High SchoolHigh · 2,204 students
- Sunset High SchoolHigh · 2,164 students
Nearby schools
- Ignite Middle at Jw Ray Learning Center0.4 mi · 292
- North Dallas High School0.4 mi · 1,300
- Cesar Chavez Learning Center0.5 mi · 541
- Ben Milam Elementary School0.6 mi · 298
- Innovation Design Entrepreneurship Academy0.7 mi · 149
- Solar Preparatory School for Girls at Bonham0.7 mi · 703
Frequently asked questions
About Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted AcademyHow large is Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy?
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy enrolls approximately 486 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy serve?
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many teachers does Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy have?
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy employs 30 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.0:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy?
At Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy, the student body is approximately 4% White, 62% Hispanic, 29% Black, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more.
Is Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy public or private?
Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy is a public K-12 school, overseen by DALLAS ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.