Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Desoto West Middle School
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- FBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- DThree-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
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 105 | 28% |
| Grade 7 | 113 | 31% |
| Grade 8 | 152 | 41% |
School pathway
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveWhat this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 27 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 21 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 3 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 12 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 7.0% | 20.0% | 35.0% | 38.0% |
| Mathematics | 2.0% | 19.0% | 27.0% | 52.0% |
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 27.0% | 21.0% |
| 2024-25 | 30.0% | 21.0% |
| 2023-24 | 36.0% | 25.0% |
| 2022-23 | 40.0% | 17.0% |
| 2021-22 | 36.0% | 17.0% |
| 2020-21 | 24.0% | 9.0% |
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyWhat this means: About 24% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 48% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
Schools most like Desoto West Middle School
Desoto West Middle School's state test result (23.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto West Middle School this school | 370 | 59.7% | 23.8% |
| Bessie Coleman Middle School CEDAR HILL | 488 | 74.2% | 26.3% |
| Smith Intermediate School FORNEY | 680 | 64.6% | 34.6% |
| Yellowstone College Preparatory HOUSTON | 321 | 57.0% | 17.6% |
| Brown Middle School FORNEY | 568 | 75.7% | 33.0% |
| Cedar Hill Collegiate Academy CEDAR HILL | 345 | 41.7% | 64.5% |
Where Desoto West Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Dallas County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 23.8% | #1,542 of 1,635 | #109 of 118 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 21.0% | #1,608 of 1,670 ▼ 64 | #119 of 123 ▼ 7 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 27.0% | #1,650 of 1,670 ▼ 34 | #123 of 123 ▼ 3 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -4.5pp | #102 of 1,570 | #19 of 121 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 370 | #1,310 of 1,749 | #112 of 126 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.4:1 | #1,529 of 1,542 | #122 of 123 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.0% | #1,126 of 1,543 | #84 of 123 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 59.7% | #952 of 1,648 | #107 of 121 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -45.0% | #30 of 942 | #5 of 80 |
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 370 | 17.3 | 21.4:1 | 60% (221) |
| 2023-24 | 399 | 29.9 | 13.3:1 | 77% (306) |
| 2022-23 | 439 | 31.4 | 14.0:1 | 70% (307) |
| 2020-21 | 495 | 29 | 17.1:1 | 70% (348) |
| 2017-18 | 673 | 56.3 | 11.9:1 | 70% (469) |
| 2015-16 | 738 | 51 | 14.5:1 | 66% (487) |
| 2010-11 | 760 | 52 | 14.6:1 | 63% (481) |
| 2000-01 | 560 | 33 | 17.0:1 | 24% (136) |
| 1990-91 | 452 | 24 | 18.8:1 | N/A |
Since 2017-18: students down 45% (673 to 370); teachers down 69% (56.3 to 17.3).
About Desoto West Middle School
Desoto West Middle School is a low-enrollment middle school in DESOTO, Texas, administered by DESOTO ISD. A federal count lists 370 students at the school, in grades 6 through 8. Average enrollment for middle schools in Texas is about 643, so this school runs 42% smaller than that.
The 11 schools of DESOTO ISD, including Desoto West Middle School, enroll 5,708 students.
Desoto West Middle School is 76% Black by enrollment. Beyond that, enrollment is 18% Hispanic and 4% multiracial. In Dallas County overall, about 22% of residents are Black. Pick two students at random and there is a 38% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Federal data list 17.3 full-time-equivalent teachers at Desoto West Middle School in 2024-25, for a ratio of 21.4:1. That is higher than the 14.4:1 average for middle schools in Texas. The lunch program counts 60% of students at Desoto West Middle School as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Across public schools in Dallas County, the average is 77%.
allk12 grades Desoto West Middle School an F. The grade compares the school only with Texas public middle schools, because each state gives its own test.
On allk12's BeatsExpectations measure, Desoto West Middle School is among the bottom 10% of schools in Texas. Predicted: 48.2%. Actual: 23.8%.
Federal survey data for Dallas County show that the median household income is $76,547, roughly 36% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. There are 771 public schools in Dallas County, enrolling about 459,645 students in all.
The shortest distance from Desoto West Middle School to another public school is about 0.4 miles, to Ruby Young Talented and Gifted Academy. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8. The nearest schools with test data average 36.5%, higher than Desoto West Middle School's 23.8%.
The federal government classifies Desoto West Middle School's location as Suburb: Large.
Enrollment at Desoto West Middle School declined 25% between 2020-21 and 2024-25, from 495 to 370 students. Federal data show the ratio rising from 17.1:1 to 21.4:1.
Parents and students can post about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week at Desoto West Middle School. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Dallas County at a glance
View full county profileQuick facts
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