Spence Elementary

Summary:

Spence Elementary is a public elementary school in Houston, Texas, serving 609 students in grades 1-5. The school is part of the Aldine Independent School District, which is ranked 790 out of 968 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Spence Elementary faces significant academic challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom 5-10% of Texas elementary schools with a 0-star rating. The school's performance on STAAR tests is significantly below state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates ranging from 19.4% to 32.32% in reading and 13.64% to 23.46% in math, compared to state averages of 48.85% to 53.96% in reading and 40.86% to 48.96% in math. The school also has a very high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (95.24%) and a relatively high student-teacher ratio.

Comparisons to nearby schools in the Aldine ISD, such as Sammons Elementary and Conley Elementary, show that they generally perform better on STAAR assessments, despite also serving high percentages of economically disadvantaged students. Additionally, the Harmony School of Enrichment - Houston, a public charter school located within 2 miles of Spence Elementary, outperforms the school on STAAR tests and has a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students.


Detail:

Public 1-5

 1300 Gears Rd
       Houston, TX  77067


(281) 539-4050

District: Aldine Independent School District (Isd)

SchoolDigger Rank:
4434th of 4,675 Texas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,897 Help


Students who attend Spence Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Plummer Middle
High:    Davis H S Aldine

Student/teacher ratio:  18.5 Help
Number of students:  663

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
69.2%
African American:
27.1%
White:
1.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  95.5% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Spence Elementary ranks worse than 94.8% of elementary schools in Texas. It also ranks 30th among 37 ranked elementary schools in the Aldine Independent School District (Isd). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.01. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (69.2%), African American (27.1%), White (1.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 95.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spence Elementary is 18.5, which is the highest among 49 elementary schools in the Aldine Independent School District (Isd)! (See more...)
Help
Compare Spence Elementary employs 35.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spence Elementary is $9,897. 46 elementary schools in the Aldine Independent School District (Isd) spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Spence Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Spence Elementary 4434th of 4675 Texas public elementary schools. (See Spence Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Aldine Independent School District (Isd):

SchoolDigger ranks Aldine Independent School District (Isd) 790th of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Spence Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 57.29 1844th 3724 50.5%
2008 64.38 1393rd 3768 63.0%
2009 50.93 2197th 3884 43.4%
2010 51.60 2249th 3937 42.9%
2011 54.16 2186th 4095 46.6%
2012 55.56 1959th 4206 53.4%
2013 38.38 2961st 4221 29.9%
2014 38.64 2981st 4260 30.0%
2015 17.78 3857th 4320 10.7%
2016 25.93 3471st 4286 19.0%
2017 29.49 3183rd 4329 26.5%
2018 32.20 3053rd 4359 30.0%
2019 24.78 3640th 4479 18.7%
2021 9.69 4500th 4578 1.7%
2022 7.20 4508th 4581 1.6%
2023 7.49 4533rd 4647 2.5%
2024 12.01 4434th 4675 5.2%
See the entire list of Texas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.97 1657th 3226 48.6%
2019 35.37 2377th 3333 28.7%
2021 18.01 3280th 3446 4.8%
2022 18.77 3236th 3487 7.2%
2023 18.40 3291st 3556 7.5%
2024 14.29 3480th 3638 4.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.14 3208th 3558 9.8%
2019 15.77 3630th 3684 1.5%
2021 23.94 3265th 3799 14.1%
2022 15.35 3850th 3952 2.6%
2023 13.36 4051st 4086 0.9%
2024 36.68 2780th 4261 34.8%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.48 2452nd 4264 42.5%
2019 33.77 3213th 4309 25.4%
2021 13.62 4325th 4451 2.8%
2022 10.97 4371st 4477 2.4%
2023 11.42 4371st 4521 3.3%
2024 14.77 4327th 4560 5.1%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.49 3030th 4306 29.6%
2019 25.75 3576th 4348 17.8%
2021 11.66 4377th 4499 2.7%
2022 10.80 4412th 4561 3.3%
2023 9.95 4452nd 4588 3.0%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.82 1880th 4240 55.7%
2019 34.16 3116th 4295 27.5%
2021 16.00 4218th 4331 2.6%
2022 18.69 4129th 4461 7.4%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.33 3087th 4319 28.5%
2019 26.53 3500th 4357 19.7%
2021 10.16 4429th 4498 1.5%
2022 6.24 4516th 4563 1.0%
2023 7.60 4481st 4585 2.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.53 1601st 2483 35.5%
2019 17.64 2358th 2515 6.2%
2021 16.98 2318th 2444 5.2%
2022 12.22 2363rd 2421 2.4%
2023 16.15 2314th 2443 5.3%
2024 24.67 2057th 2421 15.0%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Spence Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.69 2150th 4168 48.4%
2019 42.29 2487th 4188 40.6%
2021 14.55 4164th 4329 3.8%
2022 15.36 4126th 4376 5.7%
2023 15.12 4143rd 4401 5.9%
2024 13.55 4238th 4431 4.4%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Spence Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Texas Education Agency

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Saturday, May 26, 2018

Open Quote I feel that the administrators and some of the teachers are dishonest Close Quote



Enrollment information for Spence Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2006 23 411 15 526 1 n/a n/a 0 976
2007 21 345 20 408 0 n/a n/a 0 794
2008 16 393 17 477 0 n/a n/a 0 903
2009 12 394 14 556 0 n/a n/a 0 976
2010 7 407 17 619 0 n/a n/a 0 1050
2011 3 296 12 548 1 1 13 0 874
2012 10 333 11 603 1 0 13 0 971
2013 16 365 13 660 1 0 16 0 1071
2014 15 334 11 657 3 2 11 0 1033
2015 9 353 8 601 1 0 11 0 983
2016 15 372 4 615 2 0 10 0 1018
2017 9 254 3 407 2 0 7 0 682
2018 6 214 3 362 4 0 4 0 593
2019 10 220 9 411 3 1 2 0 656
2020 9 224 4 446 4 0 3 0 690
2021 8 215 5 414 2 0 8 0 652
2022 10 199 4 412 3 1 8 0 637
2023 11 197 2 390 1 1 7 0 609
2024 11 180 3 459 2 2 6 0 663

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Spence Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 976 53.9 18.1 74.4
2007 794 49.1 16.2 84.4
2008 903 55.0 16.4 84.9
2009 976 59.0 16.5 87.6
2010 1050 60.2 17.4 86.4
2011 874 49.0 17.8 88.7
2012 971 49.7 19.5 90.2
2013 1071 51.8 20.6 84.5
2014 1033 53.5 19.3 90.9
2015 983 51.0 19.2 90
2016 1018 53.0 19.2 86.4
2017 682 45.9 14.8 91.2
2018 593 41.7 14.2 90.1
2019 656 38.0 17.2 92.7
2020 690 36.9 18.6 91.9
2021 652 37.8 17.2 95.2
2022 637 33.9 18.7 90.1
2023 609 29.3 20.7 95.2
2024 663 35.7 18.5 95.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Spence Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 976 53.9 18.1 74.4
2007 794 49.1 16.2 84.4
2008 903 55.0 16.4 84.9
2009 976 59.0 16.5 87.6
2010 1050 60.2 17.4 86.4
2011 874 49.0 17.8 88.7
2012 971 49.7 19.5 90.2
2013 1071 51.8 20.6 84.5
2014 1033 53.5 19.3 90.9
2015 983 51.0 19.2 90
2016 1018 53.0 19.2 86.4
2017 682 45.9 14.8 91.2
2018 593 41.7 14.2 90.1
2019 656 38.0 17.2 92.7
2020 690 36.9 18.6 91.9
2021 652 37.8 17.2 95.2
2022 637 33.9 18.7 90.1
2023 609 29.3 20.7 95.2
2024 663 35.7 18.5 95.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Spence Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,428 (16.1%) $7,438 (83.9%) $8,866
2020 $1,223 (13.3%) $7,967 (86.7%) $9,190
2021 $1,709 (17.3%) $8,188 (82.7%) $9,897

Data source: Texas Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Spence Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 3640th of 4479 Elementary schoolsRanks 4533rd of 4647 Elementary schools
 16.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Reading (Spence Elementary)2424
   3rd Grade Reading (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))2931
 2%
   3rd Grade Reading (Texas)4450
 6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Spence Elementary)2516
 9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))3930
 9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Texas)4843
 5%
3rd Grade Reading (Spence Elementary)126
 6%
   3rd Grade Reading (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))2411
 13%
   3rd Grade Reading (Texas)3926
 13%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Spence Elementary)06
 6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))1911
 8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Texas)3123
 8%
4th Grade Reading (Spence Elementary)3018
 12%
   4th Grade Reading (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))3028
 2%
   4th Grade Reading (Texas)4347
 4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Spence Elementary)2822
 6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))3832
 6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Texas)4647
 1%
4th Grade Reading (Spence Elementary)204
 16%
   4th Grade Reading (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))2115
 6%
   4th Grade Reading (Texas)2931
 2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Spence Elementary)208
 12%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))1514
 1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Texas)2622
 4%
5th Grade Reading (Spence Elementary)4515
 30%
   5th Grade Reading (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))3539
 4%
   5th Grade Reading (Texas)5156
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Spence Elementary)5217
 35%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))4932
 17%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Texas)5650
 6%
5th Grade Science (Spence Elementary)338
 25%
   5th Grade Science (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))3116
 15%
   5th Grade Science (Texas)4834
 14%
5th Grade Reading (Spence Elementary)4021
 19%
   5th Grade Reading (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))4519
 26%
   5th Grade Reading (Texas)5333
 20%
5th Grade Mathematics (Spence Elementary)205
 15%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))2010
 10%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Texas)2823
 5%
5th Grade Science (Spence Elementary)00
   5th Grade Science (Aldine Independent School District (Isd))81
 7%
   5th Grade Science (Texas)189
 9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students656609
 7.2%
African American220197
 10.5%
American Indian31
 66.7%
Asian92
 77.8%
Hispanic411390
 5.1%
Pacific Islander11
White1011
 10%
Two or More Races27
 250%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients92.7%95.2%
 2.6%


Schools Near Spence Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Spence Elementary

Spence Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.2% of Texas elementary schools.

Students at Spence Elementary are 69% Hispanic, 27% African American, 2% White.

In the 2023-24 school year, 663 students attended Spence Elementary.

Students who attend Spence Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Plummer Middle
High : Davis H S Aldine


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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