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GreatSchools Rating

Thomas L Marsalis Elementary School

Public | PK-5 | 506 students

Last modified
Community Rating

5 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
No new ratings
2011:
Based on 1 rating
2010:
Based on 1 rating

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Principal leadership

Parent involvement

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9 reviews of this school


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Posted December 7, 2011

No doubt the best school that my children have ever attended. I find it hilarious to read negative reviews about this school. My wife and I are finding it difficult to move to Cedar Hill until our daughter completes her elementary grade levels. Bottom line Great School Great Staff and I am blown away to find a school so hands on with the students and parents. Not to mention Webster doesn't have enough verbs to describe Ms. Richardson (AWESOME!!) So allow me to go out on a limb and say this if you have any ISSUES with this school { IT'S-YOU}.......
—Submitted by a parent


Posted February 15, 2010

Both my daughters attend this school, we moved here from another city and I was told enrolling my kids in Dallas ISD was a bad idea. I have found this school to be great so far. My husband and I are excited we moved in the district of TL Marsalis. As mentioned in a post from a previous parent, Kimberly Richardson is a great principal we always see her in the halls interacting with the students and teachers. We feel that our children are being challenged in a way they have never been challenged before. I have not experienced any rude teachers or administrative staff. I can say my kids teachers are very direct when it comes down to school work and homework in which I'm the same way at home. I'm glad we gave TL Marsalis a chance. GREAT SCHOOL!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 28, 2010

My son attends this school. This was the biggest mistake ever. He transferred from Larry Smith elementary and I was so satisfied. I moved to the southern area and this was his home school. The individual in the front office has an attitude when you call to check on you kid's behavior. I have never been to a place where the professionals are so unfriendly. When you call to speak to a teacher, you may not get a call back. I'm almost sure that parental involvement is not important. There is no classroom management. At Larry Smith, he was active but the teacher kept him in check, and always gave me updates on his behavior as I requested. Very unprofessional individuals. The principal is the only professional individual at the school. The assistant principal may need some staff development. I'm extremely frustrated!!!!!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 3, 2010

My daughter is in her third year at Marsalis and I am very impressed with the leadership of Principal Kimberly Richardson. The atmosphere of the school is really good--much better than many other schools in the southern sector. There are of course a few areas that still need improvement, but overall it is a very good school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 29, 2009

My son and brother attend TL Marsalis. This school is for the most part a good school but some of the staff there sometimes are a little unprofessional. There PreK teachers are the best they help keep their parents involved with their children. I have been a registered voulunteer for 4 years there now and see that the school does need more parent involvement. But I would like to just remind parents that we as parents should always be our children's first teacher as the last parent stated. Hat's off to TL Marsalis and continue to reach for excellence.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 13, 2008

the teaching curriculum are state of the art. my granddchildren are a part of the T L Marsalis school family. Son, niece and nephew all attend TL Marsalis. To me it the best school in the South Oak Cliff district.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 16, 2008

I think T.L Marsalis has the potential to be a great school. I am pleased with my childs progress while he had been there. However, I am disturbed by the fact that the school has more funding for ESL classes then computer classes and there are very few non-english speaking students. I think that sometimes the staff is a little unorganized by not getting parents important information in a timely manner or updating student files. T.L. Marsalis was a great campus when Mr. Brooks was there, and I think all staff and students will miss out.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 1, 2007

T.L. Marsalis is a good school overall. This school could be a GREAT school if more parents would get involved! Even with the turnover of Principals through the years this school has performed well due to the great teachers. With stronger parental involvement this school could compete with any elementary school in DISD academically. My one concession is the extra curricular activities need improvement.
—Submitted by Ms. Hawthorne, a parent


Posted May 3, 2007

Super, great school! The teachers are excellent. The staff & faculty are really nice. My oldest daughter went there through 3rd grade and received such a great education (along w/ a good head on her shoulders) she was accepted to a Vanguard school. She still maintains a 98 gpa. I also have twin girls in PreK who are doing wonderful as well. The only complaint I have is I wish more parents were involved and able to volunteer. I was class mom for my 2 in PreK and the majority of the time I was the only parent helping in the classrooms or went on field trips. Otherwise this is a great school with great leadership!
—Submitted by Stacia Wright, a parent


Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.

About these ratings

The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.

The test results by subgroup show how the designated group of students is performing in comparison to the general population.
Math

The state average for Math was 87% in 2011.

93 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
65%

2010

 
 
73%

2009

 
 
83%

2008

 
 
75%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 89% in 2011.

80 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
85%

2010

 
 
91%

2009

 
 
93%

2008

 
 
92%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2010-2011, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) was used to test students in reading in grades 3 through 9; in writing in grades 4 and 7; in English language arts in grades 10 and 11; in mathematics in grades 3 through 11; in science in grades 5, 8, 10 and 11; and in social studies in grades 8, 10 and 11. TAKS is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Texas. The grade 11 Exit Level TAKS is a high school graduation requirement. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

See Texas' state standards

Source: Texas Education Agency

Math

The state average for Math was 88% in 2011.

94 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
39%

2010

 
 
69%

2009

 
 
61%

2008

 
 
78%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 85% in 2011.

83 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
73%

2010

 
 
76%

2009

 
 
75%

2008

 
 
78%
Writing

The state average for Writing was 90% in 2011.

83 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
83%

2010

 
 
84%

2009

 
 
84%

2008

 
 
93%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2010-2011, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) was used to test students in reading in grades 3 through 9; in writing in grades 4 and 7; in English language arts in grades 10 and 11; in mathematics in grades 3 through 11; in science in grades 5, 8, 10 and 11; and in social studies in grades 8, 10 and 11. TAKS is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Texas. The grade 11 Exit Level TAKS is a high school graduation requirement. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

See Texas' state standards

Source: Texas Education Agency

Math

The state average for Math was 81% in 2011.

90 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
80%

2010

 
 
76%

2009

 
 
92%

2008

 
 
71%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 82% in 2011.

81 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
85%

2010

 
 
77%

2009

 
 
88%

2008

 
 
83%
Science

The state average for Science was 87% in 2011.

90 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
68%

2010

 
 
68%

2009

 
 
81%

2008

 
 
66%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2010-2011, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) was used to test students in reading in grades 3 through 9; in writing in grades 4 and 7; in English language arts in grades 10 and 11; in mathematics in grades 3 through 11; in science in grades 5, 8, 10 and 11; and in social studies in grades 8, 10 and 11. TAKS is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Texas. The grade 11 Exit Level TAKS is a high school graduation requirement. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

See Texas' state standards

Source: Texas Education Agency

Math

All Students65%
Female65%
Male64%
Black or African American61%
Asiann/a
Hispanic79%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged64%
Not economically disadvantaged80%
Special educationn/a
Not special education65%
Limited English proficient (LEP)69%
Proficient in English64%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant65%
Gifted/talented100%

Reading

All Students85%
Female88%
Male83%
Black or African American84%
Asiann/a
Hispanicn/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged84%
Not economically disadvantaged100%
Special educationn/a
Not special education86%
Limited English proficient (LEP)n/a
Proficient in English85%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant85%
Gifted/talented100%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2010-2011, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) was used to test students in reading in grades 3 through 9; in writing in grades 4 and 7; in English language arts in grades 10 and 11; in mathematics in grades 3 through 11; in science in grades 5, 8, 10 and 11; and in social studies in grades 8, 10 and 11. TAKS is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Texas. The grade 11 Exit Level TAKS is a high school graduation requirement. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

The different student groups are identified by the Texas Education Agency; if there are a small number of students in a particular group, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See Texas' state standards

Source: Texas Education Agency

Math

All Students39%
Female35%
Male43%
Black or African American35%
Asiann/a
Hispanic75%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged38%
Not economically disadvantagedn/a
Special educationn/a
Not special education40%
Limited English proficient (LEP)75%
Proficient in English34%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant39%
Gifted/talented77%

Reading

All Students73%
Female72%
Male75%
Black or African American73%
Asiann/a
Hispanicn/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged73%
Not economically disadvantagedn/a
Special educationn/a
Not special education74%
Limited English proficient (LEP)n/a
Proficient in English73%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant73%
Gifted/talented100%

Writing

All Students83%
Female84%
Male82%
Black or African American84%
Asiann/a
Hispanicn/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged83%
Not economically disadvantagedn/a
Special educationn/a
Not special education84%
Limited English proficient (LEP)n/a
Proficient in English83%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant83%
Gifted/talented100%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2010-2011, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) was used to test students in reading in grades 3 through 9; in writing in grades 4 and 7; in English language arts in grades 10 and 11; in mathematics in grades 3 through 11; in science in grades 5, 8, 10 and 11; and in social studies in grades 8, 10 and 11. TAKS is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Texas. The grade 11 Exit Level TAKS is a high school graduation requirement. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

The different student groups are identified by the Texas Education Agency; if there are a small number of students in a particular group, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See Texas' state standards

Source: Texas Education Agency

Math

All Students80%
Female82%
Male78%
Black or African American77%
Asiann/a
Hispanic93%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged81%
Not economically disadvantaged60%
Special educationn/a
Not special education81%
Limited English proficient (LEP)90%
Proficient in English79%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant80%
Gifted/talented100%

Reading

All Students85%
Female91%
Male78%
Black or African American85%
Asiann/a
Hispanic83%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged84%
Not economically disadvantaged100%
Special educationn/a
Not special education86%
Limited English proficient (LEP)n/a
Proficient in English86%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant85%
Gifted/talented100%

Science

All Students68%
Female69%
Male66%
Black or African American69%
Asiann/a
Hispanic60%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged67%
Not economically disadvantagedn/a
Special educationn/a
Not special education67%
Limited English proficient (LEP)50%
Proficient in English70%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant68%
Gifted/talented100%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2010-2011, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) was used to test students in reading in grades 3 through 9; in writing in grades 4 and 7; in English language arts in grades 10 and 11; in mathematics in grades 3 through 11; in science in grades 5, 8, 10 and 11; and in social studies in grades 8, 10 and 11. TAKS is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Texas. The grade 11 Exit Level TAKS is a high school graduation requirement. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

The different student groups are identified by the Texas Education Agency; if there are a small number of students in a particular group, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See Texas' state standards

Source: Texas Education Agency

  • In 2010-2011, this school was rated "Academically Unacceptable".
  • In 2009-2010, this school was rated "Academically Acceptable".
  • In 2008-2009, this school was rated "Recognized".

About the tests


Texas uses Accountability Ratings to indicate the overall performance of each school and district. The ratings are based on TAKS test results, dropout rates for grades 7 and 8 and school completion rates for grades 9 through 12. Schools and districts rated under standard accountability procedures are designated as Exemplary, Recognized, Academically Acceptable or Academically Unacceptable. Schools and districts rated under alternative education accountability (AEA) procedures are designated as either AEA: Academically Acceptable or AEA: Academically Unacceptable.

See Texas' state standards

Source: Texas Education Agency

Breaking down the GreatSchools Rating

GreatSchools Ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results for schools. Use the breakdown ratings below to compare types of students at this school. Learn more »


Student ethnicity

Ethnicity This school State average
Black 80% 14%
Hispanic 19% 48%
Asian/Pacific Islander 1% 4%
American Indian/Alaska Native N/A 0%
White 0% 34%
Source: NCES, 2008-2009

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
Special education 6%N/A10%
Gifted/talented students 4%N/A8%
Limited English proficient (LEP) 12%N/A17%
Economically disadvantaged 93%N/A55%
Source: TX Education Agency, 2007-2008

Student-teacher ratio

  This school District averageState average
Students per FTE teacher 17N/A15
Source: NCES, 2008-2009

Teacher experience

  This school District averageState average
Beginning teachers 6%N/A8%
1 to 5 years 29%N/A30%
6 to 10 years 21%N/A20%
11 to 20 years 24%N/A23%
21 or more years 21%N/A19%
Source: TX Education Agency, 2007-2008
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

5640 S Marsalis Ave
Dallas, TX 75241
Phone: (972) 749-3500

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