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Houston Tops Texas in A-Rated Schools as 2025 Rankings Expand Gold Ribbon List

The release details modest districtwide gains in Houston ISD alongside sharp drops at several campuses.

Overview

  • Houston leads all Texas regions in the share of A-rated campuses, with just over half of area schools improving versus 49% statewide, according to Children at Risk’s 2025 report.
  • Children at Risk named 168 Houston-area campuses as Gold Ribbon high-performing, high-poverty schools, up 60 from last year after eligibility expanded to include magnet and charter programs.
  • HISD posted improvements at 52% of campuses and earned a C+ overall, yet several schools saw steep declines, including Lantrip Elementary, and five campuses received F ratings.
  • The nonprofit’s rankings weigh student achievement, poverty-adjusted performance, and growth for all schools, with an added college readiness measure for high schools, differing from TEA’s inclusion of career and military readiness.
  • Recently included charter networks showed pronounced volatility, with some recording double-digit average score gains and others among the largest year-over-year drops.