Overview
- Houston recorded the highest share of A-rated schools in Texas, with more than 40% of the state’s top 50 middle and high schools and over one-third of the top 50 elementary schools located in the region.
- Houston ISD received a C+ overall as 52% of its campuses improved, yet the district also accounted for half of the region’s steepest year-over-year declines despite having less than one-fifth of area schools.
- Most of HISD’s biggest gainers were New Education System campuses, but several NES schools posted some of the sharpest drops, and only one A-rated campus fell under the NES banner this year.
- Jefferson Elementary in Near Northside posted one of Texas’ largest turnarounds, rising from a D to an A with a nearly 50-point jump.
- Children at Risk expanded Gold Ribbon eligibility to any high-performing, high-poverty public school, designating 168 Houston-area campuses this year, and its STAAR-based model differs from TEA’s by emphasizing growth and performance relative to poverty with college readiness added for high schools.