Dessau Middle

Summary:

Dessau Middle is a public middle school located in Austin, Texas, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 683 students. The school is part of the Pflugerville Independent School District, which is ranked 473 out of 968 districts in Texas and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dessau Middle faces significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students. The school consistently underperforms the Pflugerville ISD and Texas state averages on STAAR assessments across all grade levels and subjects, with only 30.5% of 6th graders proficient or better in STAAR Reading, compared to 54.77% for Pflugerville ISD and 54.45% for Texas. Dessau Middle's subgroups, such as Asian, African American, and White students, also perform significantly below their peers at other schools in the district and state. Additionally, the school has had higher dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 0.2% to 1.8%, and a high percentage of students (65.15% in 2022-2023) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families.

Despite its challenges, Dessau Middle's proximity to higher-performing schools within the same district, such as Bohls Middle and Park Crest Middle, presents opportunities for collaboration and learning. Additionally, nearby charter schools, such as Basis Austin and Basis Pflugerville, significantly outperform Dessau Middle and the Pflugerville ISD on academic measures, highlighting the potential for alternative educational models to drive better student achievement.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 12900 Dessau Rd
       Austin, TX  78754


(512) 594-2600

District: Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd)

SchoolDigger Rank:
2057th of 2,361 Texas Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,624 Help


Students who attend Dessau Middle usually attend:

High:    John B Connally High School

Feeder schools for Dessau Middle:

Elementary:    Ruth Barron Elementary
    Wieland Elementary
    Wilhelmina Delco Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  10.9 Help
Number of students:  655

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
68.5%
African American:
14.2%
Asian:
8.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  82.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Dessau Middle ranks worse than 87.1% of middle schools in Texas. It also ranks 5th among 6 ranked middle schools in the Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd). (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.85. (See more...)
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Dessau Middle has the smallest middle school student body size in the Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd). Racial makeup is: Hispanic (68.5%), African American (14.2%), Asian (8.9%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 82.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd). (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dessau Middle is 10.9, which is the lowest among 6 middle schools in the Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd)! (See more...)
Help
Compare Dessau Middle employs 59.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dessau Middle is $11,624, which is the highest among 6 middle schools in the Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd)!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dessau Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Dessau Middle 2057th of 2361 Texas public middle schools. (See Dessau Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd):

SchoolDigger ranks Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd) 473rd of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Dessau Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 26.57 1316th 1573 16.3%
2005 34.94 1174th 1582 25.8%
2006 31.95 1204th 1585 24.0%
2007 37.89 1223rd 1684 27.4%
2008 48.61 1030th 1718 40.0%
2009 46.46 1116th 1763 36.7%
2010 48.24 1123rd 1803 37.7%
2011 39.75 1404th 1895 25.9%
2012 40.63 1256th 1951 35.6%
2013 37.20 1395th 1973 29.3%
2014 31.41 1488th 1987 25.1%
2015 31.03 1550th 2043 24.1%
2016 33.52 1474th 1987 25.8%
2017 24.59 1629th 2027 19.6%
2018 21.67 1770th 2080 14.9%
2019 21.38 1857th 2193 15.3%
2021 22.04 1820th 2252 19.2%
2022 17.82 1982nd 2254 12.1%
2023 18.21 2038th 2330 12.5%
2024 18.85 2057th 2361 12.9%
See the entire list of Texas Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 29.74 628th 813 22.8%
2023 24.86 679th 817 16.9%
2024 17.28 746th 812 8.1%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.13 1083rd 1376 21.3%
2019 31.55 1072nd 1445 25.8%
2021 33.73 1117th 1592 29.8%
2022 29.58 1283rd 1643 21.9%
2023 30.05 1298th 1720 24.5%
2024 23.99 1493rd 1760 15.2%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.99 1536th 1597 3.8%
2019 27.84 1327th 1626 18.4%
2021 36.07 1073rd 1712 37.3%
2022 31.51 1305th 1757 25.7%
2023 33.49 1266th 1815 30.2%
2024 39.69 1153rd 1881 38.7%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.59 1731st 2039 15.1%
2019 24.23 1773rd 2073 14.5%
2021 27.20 1737th 2172 20.0%
2022 21.57 1937th 2220 12.7%
2023 21.11 1974th 2251 12.3%
2024 24.96 1866th 2224 16.1%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.50 1762nd 2008 12.3%
2019 19.18 1819th 2047 11.1%
2021 21.05 1808th 2151 15.9%
2022 17.70 1983rd 2221 10.7%
2023 17.29 2005th 2241 10.5%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.37 1325th 1430 7.3%
2019 34.06 1149th 1446 20.5%
2021 32.54 1158th 1501 22.9%
2022 15.82 1361st 1488 8.5%
2023 13.39 1385th 1481 6.5%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.53 1556th 2008 22.5%
2019 25.90 1764th 2058 14.3%
2021 29.40 1662nd 2118 21.5%
2022 29.55 1710th 2182 21.6%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.04 1714th 2030 15.6%
2019 23.83 1709th 2069 17.4%
2021 24.22 1725th 2168 20.4%
2022 18.77 1954th 2228 12.3%
2023 20.09 1926th 2245 14.2%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.87 425th 587 27.6%
2019 25.04 503rd 594 15.3%
2021 28.59 472nd 589 19.9%
2022 22.30 531st 606 12.4%
2023 19.35 552nd 616 10.4%
2024 15.90 563rd 612 8.0%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.10 967th 1167 17.1%
2019 27.24 938th 1193 21.4%
2021 28.91 939th 1213 22.6%
2022 28.14 993rd 1251 20.6%
2023 21.99 1087th 1273 14.6%
2024 20.55 1142nd 1271 10.1%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.66 1748th 1895 7.8%
2019 16.70 1804th 1935 6.8%
2021 21.93 1761st 2043 13.8%
2022 16.89 1917th 2077 7.7%
2023 19.57 1882nd 2116 11.1%
2024 17.64 1939th 2108 8.0%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Dessau Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.82 1540th 1673 7.9%
2019 30.63 1285th 1684 23.7%
2021 31.34 1289th 1700 24.2%
2022 19.43 1549th 1723 10.1%
2023 36.29 1224th 1749 30.0%
2024 32.02 1297th 1724 24.8%
See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for White 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.

Dessau Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Texas Education Agency

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)
0%

33%

0%

0%

67%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, July 23, 2021

Open Quote I attended this school as a kid and even then it was not up to the standards as it should be. Your child will go down a wrong path going to this school. I have nephews who attended and dropped out because of the constant harassing and bullies. This is not a good school. When my daughter was rezoned to this school I immediately withdrew her from pfisd. And she is attending harmony charter school and thriving best decision I ever made. This school changes kids and not for the better. Dont believe me look all of it up the rating, look up stories. It's not a good place to have your child. Steer clear. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Open Quote The school is not as bad as they make it seem the teachers are great the coaches know what they are doing Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Open Quote The problem with Dessau Middle School is the almost complete apathy of the teachers and administration. These are children from families who are largely struggling. They are single parents often working long hours or more than one job or they are uneducated parents who can't get a good job and are incapable of helping their children much. Many parents don't even speak English and thus cannot communicate with the teachers. This situation takes special people who truly care about the students and are willing to work to treat them as individuals and give them special attention but that isn't the kind of people that Dessau Middle School hires. Some of the teachers and at least one of the principals are simply mean and unhappy people; they are not caring or nice and should not be working with children, especially not needy children. There is no allowance for the fact that these children are often home alone and if they get in trouble at school, the solution is to send them home... they don't care that that only makes it worse. If you want a school where the teachers and staff work with you and think of the care of your child as a team effort, this is the wrong school! It's sad and I hope the new Principal will finally do something about it. The other schools in this district are good. Delco was awesome and Dessau Elementary was fine. Connally High School is very good. It's just that very difficult middle school piece and it's such an important phase of a child's life. I hope they figure it out. We are leaving now; this was our last year and I have at least one child who was definitely negatively impacted by his time at Dessau. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Dessau Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2001 275 146 55 218 3 n/a n/a 0 697
2002 315 204 61 258 4 n/a n/a 0 842
2003 315 204 61 258 4 n/a n/a 0 842
2004 271 220 60 313 2 n/a n/a 0 866
2005 237 233 86 334 5 n/a n/a 0 895
2006 216 260 103 379 5 n/a n/a 0 963
2007 203 259 119 401 5 n/a n/a 0 987
2008 163 279 123 414 2 n/a n/a 0 981
2009 170 273 120 468 1 n/a n/a 0 1032
2010 167 275 124 461 0 n/a n/a 0 1027
2011 134 223 103 493 4 0 41 0 998
2012 112 234 109 516 5 3 28 0 1007
2013 117 239 112 592 2 4 29 0 1095
2014 51 191 118 441 1 4 17 0 823
2015 40 178 111 468 1 5 14 0 817
2016 38 163 105 439 0 3 12 0 760
2017 45 151 90 495 1 1 9 0 792
2018 42 174 95 541 1 1 6 0 860
2019 51 146 92 548 3 2 5 0 847
2020 55 134 72 520 2 0 12 0 795
2021 46 139 59 543 2 0 10 0 799
2022 43 107 48 509 1 1 18 0 727
2023 34 90 58 484 2 0 15 0 683
2024 35 93 58 449 1 0 19 0 655

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 Dessau Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2001 697 45.2 15.4 41.5
2002 842 57.1 14.7 39.1
2003 842 57.1 14.7 39.1
2004 866 52.8 16.4 53.5
2005 895 52.3 17.1 53
2006 963 58.1 16.6 56.8
2007 987 59.2 16.7 54
2008 981 62.8 15.6 59.5
2009 1032 73.6 14.0 60.6
2010 1027 70.8 14.5 71.6
2011 998 71.0 14.0 72.9
2012 1007 64.8 15.5 76.5
2013 1095 70.7 15.4 77.6
2014 823 58.1 14.1 78.7
2015 817 61.0 13.3 81.2
2016 760 60.0 12.6 77.8
2017 792 64.0 12.3 75.5
2018 860 63.5 13.5 66.2
2019 847 71.0 11.9 80.5
2020 795 62.5 12.7 82
2021 799 67.4 11.8 73.1
2022 727 60.7 11.9 68.4
2023 683 61.8 11.0 65.2
2024 655 59.8 10.9 82.9

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 Dessau Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2001 697 45.2 15.4 41.5
2002 842 57.1 14.7 39.1
2003 842 57.1 14.7 39.1
2004 866 52.8 16.4 53.5
2005 895 52.3 17.1 53
2006 963 58.1 16.6 56.8
2007 987 59.2 16.7 54
2008 981 62.8 15.6 59.5
2009 1032 73.6 14.0 60.6
2010 1027 70.8 14.5 71.6
2011 998 71.0 14.0 72.9
2012 1007 64.8 15.5 76.5
2013 1095 70.7 15.4 77.6
2014 823 58.1 14.1 78.7
2015 817 61.0 13.3 81.2
2016 760 60.0 12.6 77.8
2017 792 64.0 12.3 75.5
2018 860 63.5 13.5 66.2
2019 847 71.0 11.9 80.5
2020 795 62.5 12.7 82
2021 799 67.4 11.8 73.1
2022 727 60.7 11.9 68.4
2023 683 61.8 11.0 65.2
2024 655 59.8 10.9 82.9

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 Dessau Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $982 (9.0%) $9,936 (91.0%) $10,918
2020 $1,460 (13.0%) $9,774 (87.0%) $11,234
2021 $1,540 (13.2%) $10,084 (86.8%) $11,624

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Dessau Middle

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 1857th of 2193 Middle schoolsRanks 2038th of 2330 Middle schools
 2.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Reading (Dessau Middle)1836
 18%
   6th Grade Reading (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))3849
 11%
   6th Grade Reading (Texas)3550
 15%
6th Grade Mathematics (Dessau Middle)3321
 12%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))4832
 16%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Texas)4537
 8%
7th Grade Reading (Dessau Middle)2635
 9%
   7th Grade Reading (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))4755
 8%
   7th Grade Reading (Texas)4752
 5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Dessau Middle)95
 4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))1720
 3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Texas)4135
 6%
8th Grade Reading (Dessau Middle)4040
   8th Grade Reading (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))5655
 1%
   8th Grade Reading (Texas)5356
 3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Dessau Middle)3224
 8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))5443
 11%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Texas)5544
 11%
8th Grade Science (Dessau Middle)3420
 14%
   8th Grade Science (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))5448
 6%
   8th Grade Science (Texas)4945
 4%
8th Grade Social Studies (Dessau Middle)245
 19%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))4130
 11%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Texas)3531
 4%
End of Course Algebra I (Dessau Middle)7264
 8%
   End of Course Algebra I (Pflugerville Independent School District (Isd))5936
 23%
   End of Course Algebra I (Texas)6245
 17%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students847683
 19.4%
African American14690
 38.4%
American Indian32
 33.3%
Asian9258
 37%
Hispanic548484
 11.7%
Pacific Islander20
 100%
White5134
 33.3%
Two or More Races515
 200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients80.5%65.2%
 15.4%


Schools Near Dessau Middle









Frequently Asked Questions about Dessau Middle

In the 2023-24 school year, 655 students attended Dessau Middle.

Students at Dessau Middle are 69% Hispanic, 14% African American, 9% Asian, 5% White, 3% Two or more races.

Dessau Middle ranks in the bottom 12.9% of Texas middle schools.

Students who attend Dessau Middle usually go on to attend John B Connally High School


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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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