More North Texas schools are doing a better job improving outcomes for low-income students.
It’s part of the latest data from the education nonprofit Children At Risk, which focuses on schools meeting the needs of economically disadvantaged kids.
In the 2024-2025 school rankings, Children At Risk said the A-F designations are designed as a starting point for discussions on how to improve school performance and educational opportunities for all students.
In North Texas, the number of gold ribbon campuses increased from 52 in 2024 to 90 this year.
A gold ribbon campus is one that attains both high achievement (A or B rating) and has a high poverty student population (75% or more socioeconomically disadvantaged).
The rankings cover elementary, middle school and high school, and include charter schools.
The top-rated gold ribbon elementary school in North Texas is Jack Lowe Senior Elementary School in Dallas ISD.
Principal Crystal Cavitt said the recognition signals that the hard work of students, families and teachers is being seen. The TEA lists the campus with a 97% rate of economically disadvantaged students.
“If students belong, they’ll perform for you,” Cavitt said. “That’s where that transformation happens. The (students) are like ‘Oh, they care for me, I can actually show them what I know,’ and they show us.”
Children at Risk President and CEO Robert Sanborn said there are success stories statewide at an event Monday in Houston.
“We see schools getting better,” Sanborn said. “Leaders are much more active in changing outcomes for kids.”
The rankings are separate from the Texas Education Agency accountability ratings, which also use a similar A-F format.