Advertisement

GreatSchools Rating

Thornwood Elementary School

Public | PK-5 | 457 students

Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
No new ratings
2011:
Based on 9 ratings
2010:
Based on 2 ratings

Teacher quality

Principal leadership

Parent involvement

Rate this school

Click on stars to rate
Please select a star rating for this school.
    Helpful reviews answer questions:
  • What do you think others should know?
  • What do you like?
  • How could your school improve?
    Review Guidelines
    GreatSchools won’t post reviews that contain:
  • Inappropriate language
  • Allegations of criminal conduct
  • Names of students, teachers or staff
1200 characters remaining
Please indicate your relationship to the school.
Please read and accept our Terms of Use to join GreatSchools.
Indicates a required field

16 reviews of this school


Sort by:
Show reviews by:
Posted June 1, 2011

Both of my kids attended Thronwood, it is good to know that some of the same teachers are still there. It says alot about those teachers and the school. My kids are in their mid 20's and is doing very well for themselves. They got their early education there I love all the teachers. I truly miss those concerts and fund raisers. Teachers played a very important part in the kids formative years. So, I want to say kudos to Thornwood, You gave my kids a GREAT start.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 20, 2011

I can't say enough good things about Thornwood and its faculty. The curriculum the teachers offer has our children discussing these topics at the dinner table. Our children are encouraged to read everyday which I feel has led to their excellent grades. When it comes to safety, Thornwood has established a no bully policy and also screens individuals who come into the school as visitors. Staff cooperates with each other to ensure the safety of our children. They have also trained students to react to different emergency situations in any case if one should arise. Teachers have contstant communication with the parents on their students progress and have the option to either call or email the teacher when there are concerns. The technology that is used in the classrooms creates a fun learning atmospere which also prepares our children in this computer age. Family movie night encourages the community to have fun which proceeds are used to fund Thornwood school supplies. Lastly I was able to participate and chaperone my daughters field trip which was great fun and a wonderful learning experience. Keep up the great work Thornwood.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2011

The teachers and staff are very friendly, curtoeus and knowledgeable. My son is in the second grade and every teacher he has had has been able to communicate with me via email or a scheduled meeting. It has been helpful to communicate on a daily basis via email.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2011

My Kids transfer from an Alief school to SBISD, Thornwood Elementary School. My kids love the school and are very happy with their Teachers. Mrs. Aguilar is my daugter's second grade teacher and she is GREAT! Today we went on a fieldtrip and It was a lot of fun. Will definately recomend this school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 11, 2011

i am a staff member at Thornwood Elementary. This is my first year working at this school and I love both the community and the staff. We have Family Library Night every monday for parents and students to come out and enjoy treading great books and the cool technology we have. We also have Family Movie night and everyone enjoys that as well. I have had nothing but great experience!
—Submitted by a teacher


Posted April 7, 2011

I have had the opportunity to volunteer as a field trip chaperone many times with several grade levels as well as helping with classroom parties. I have always found the teachers to be helpful and friendly. I know they watch security closely to make sure all of the kids are well taken care of and protected. I know the teachers "go the extra mile" for the kids to have meaningful learning experiences that are fun even if they have to pay for many materials out of their own pockets. I would highly recommend this school for anyone who wants their child to be safe, secure and taught in a meaningful manner.


Posted April 7, 2011

The teachers at this school really care about their students and their learning. I volunteer at the school and have always found the school to be welcoming. The students are happy and always want to share what they are learning about and how much fun they have. The teachers and students have good relationships with each other. I think this school would be a great place for any kid to learn and grow.


Posted April 7, 2011

I am a teacher at Thornwood Elementary. I have worked there for many years. There have been opportunities over the years to change schools, but I have never wanted to leave. The staff and students are outstanding. There is a family type atmosphere at TWE. I feel the teachers and students have a great relationship with the teachers keeping the learning structured and meaningful. I know the faculty works very hard to help all students reach his/her maximum achievement level in a caring and supportive environment. Many parents have told me over the years how their students have changed and grown academically and socially while attending TWE...some have actually been brought to tears when discussing their children's success and how their kids feel like they "matter". I have also had several visits from previous students telling me how much their lives were positively impacted by the time they spent at TWE...one of my first year students is now in her 4th year of medical school on her way to becoming a pediatrician. Of course, I would recommend our school to any parent who wants their child to learn academics, responsibility and respect for all.
—Submitted by a teacher


Posted February 1, 2011

Horrible experience with this school! The teachers drive through the parking lot at high speeds!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 19, 2010

I really love this school. The teachers are excellent and really care for the students. . I really am happy with the security there knowing that the teachers go beyond to make sure our children are getting an excellent education in a safe enviroment. Do not try and take your child home diffferently than the normal routine without contacting the school first because they gone to extremes to make sure you are the parent and make sure your child is being released to the proper adults. Parent involvement is very little at this school. The teachers are always working so late because they have hardly any outside help at all like in most schools. The teachers are professional and want what is best for our kids. I have had 3 kids at this school for years and have been very pleased. I wish had more time to help at Thornwood.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 18, 2010

My experience with this school was not a good one at all. Some of the teachers are very nice but some are just down right rude. They do not mind telling you that they have too many children to care for. I felt uncomfortable talking to the teachers and I never knew what was goin on with my child. I hardly ever seen homework or when I did I couldnt even understand it. I would not recommend this school unless you have time to be there 3 days out of a week to see whats going on.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted December 6, 2008

Most excellent school. Teachers are awesome and the security is outstanding. I feel safe that my child is being taught the best education and that my safe is in a safe enviroment.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 31, 2006

Personally I have not had any problems with this school. I feel that the Principal and the staff are doing a good job. As to parent involvement the teachers do encourage parents to contact them if you need to talk about your child's progress. I have two children in this school and I am please with their academia and their emphases on reading. They monitor the children's progress and provide or recommend additional help for students who need it.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted February 26, 2006

The quality of academic programs I can say anything because I haven't heard of any. As for extracurricular activities I was never informed of any and the school never sent anything with my child. For the level of parent involvement I have to say that it is really bad I to this date have I gotten a note from the teacher or from the school saying that their going to have a parent teacher conference I usally go to the school to see how my child is doing otherwise I wouldn't know I believe that the principal needs to take time and talk with the teachers and let them know that parent have the right to know how their child is doing.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 22, 2005

I am very disappointed in this school. There are a lot of fights. The teacher quality is average and there is barely any parent involvement. I would not recommend this school to anyone except if they are desperate.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 27, 2005

One of the only good things I can say about Thornwood is that they have some really great Teachers. I believe there is only one extracurricular activity and almost no parent involvment. The Principal is impossible to work with and is incapable of showing parents any respect. There is no PTA and parents are NOT incouraged to visit the school and are often discouraged from speaking directly to the Teachers by the Principal. If it were not for a wonderful teacher I would have removed my Daughter. In my opinion, a school should be a welcoming environment for the parents as well as the children, and not a prison!
—Submitted by 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.

60 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
80%

2010

 
 
75%

2009

 
 
80%

2008

 
 
72%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 89% in 2011.

47 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
83%

2010

 
 
80%

2009

 
 
96%

2008

 
 
90%
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.

68 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
81%

2010

 
 
75%

2009

 
 
86%

2008

 
 
63%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 85% in 2011.

53 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
79%

2010

 
 
76%

2009

 
 
75%

2008

 
 
61%
Writing

The state average for Writing was 90% in 2011.

53 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
91%

2010

 
 
85%

2009

 
 
93%

2008

 
 
86%
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.

48 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
88%

2010

 
 
84%

2009

 
 
78%

2008

 
 
94%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 82% in 2011.

45 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
89%

2010

 
 
88%

2009

 
 
77%

2008

 
 
84%
Science

The state average for Science was 87% in 2011.

44 students were tested at this school in 2011.

2011

 
 
75%

2010

 
 
88%

2009

 
 
84%

2008

 
 
87%
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 Students80%
Female74%
Male85%
Black or African American75%
Asiann/a
Hispanic87%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged80%
Not economically disadvantaged79%
Special educationn/a
Not special education81%
Limited English proficient (LEP)78%
Proficient in English81%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant80%
Gifted/talentedn/a

Reading

All Students83%
Female95%
Male73%
Black or African American79%
Asiann/a
Hispanic85%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged83%
Not economically disadvantaged82%
Special educationn/a
Not special education84%
Limited English proficient (LEP)91%
Proficient in English80%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant83%
Gifted/talentedn/a
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 Students81%
Female78%
Male84%
Black or African American85%
Asiann/a
Hispanic83%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
White64%
Economically disadvantaged79%
Not economically disadvantaged90%
Special educationn/a
Not special education80%
Limited English proficient (LEP)81%
Proficient in English80%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant81%
Gifted/talentedn/a

Reading

All Students79%
Female72%
Male88%
Black or African American80%
Asiann/a
Hispanic88%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
White60%
Economically disadvantaged77%
Not economically disadvantaged90%
Special educationn/a
Not special education80%
Limited English proficient (LEP)57%
Proficient in English82%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant79%
Gifted/talentedn/a

Writing

All Students91%
Female89%
Male92%
Black or African American95%
Asiann/a
Hispanic88%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
White80%
Economically disadvantaged88%
Not economically disadvantaged100%
Special educationn/a
Not special education90%
Limited English proficient (LEP)100%
Proficient in English89%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant91%
Gifted/talentedn/a
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 Students88%
Female100%
Male82%
Black or African American80%
Asiann/a
Hispanic91%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged88%
Not economically disadvantaged86%
Special educationn/a
Not special education89%
Limited English proficient (LEP)67%
Proficient in English90%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant88%
Gifted/talentedn/a

Reading

All Students89%
Female93%
Male87%
Black or African American100%
Asiann/a
Hispanic81%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged89%
Not economically disadvantaged86%
Special educationn/a
Not special education88%
Limited English proficient (LEP)20%
Proficient in English97%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant89%
Gifted/talentedn/a

Science

All Students75%
Female86%
Male70%
Black or African American68%
Asiann/a
Hispanic75%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Whiten/a
Economically disadvantaged74%
Not economically disadvantaged83%
Special educationn/a
Not special education77%
Limited English proficient (LEP)33%
Proficient in English80%
Migrantn/a
Non-migrant75%
Gifted/talentedn/a
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 "Recognized".
  • In 2009-2010, this school was rated "Recognized".
  • 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 46% 14%
Hispanic 37% 48%
White 12% 34%
Asian/Pacific Islander 4% 4%
American Indian/Alaska Native 0% 0%
Source: NCES, 2008-2009

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
Special education 11%N/A10%
Gifted/talented students 2%N/A8%
Limited English proficient (LEP) 22%N/A17%
Economically disadvantaged 72%N/A55%
Source: TX Education Agency, 2007-2008

Student-teacher ratio

  This school District averageState average
Students per FTE teacher 13N/A15
Source: NCES, 2008-2009

Teacher experience

  This school District averageState average
Beginning teachers 8%N/A8%
1 to 5 years 40%N/A30%
6 to 10 years 18%N/A20%
11 to 20 years 20%N/A23%
21 or more years 13%N/A19%
Source: TX Education Agency, 2007-2008
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

14400 Fern
Houston, TX 77079
Phone: (713) 251-7300

ADVERTISEMENT

Compare this school
to nearby schools

Compare schools »

Compare

Add this school to compare
ADVERTISEMENT