The Lawson Academy, TX - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on The Lawson Academy

The Lawson Academy is a publicly chartered district in Harris County serving pre-K through eighth grade. The enrollment is small, concentrated in pre-K and middle school grades. About nine in ten students are Black; a much smaller share are Asian, Hispanic, or other backgrounds. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data were not available.

The school has undergone a substantial structural change. It began as a single-gender middle school serving grades six through eight, and has expanded to include tuition-free pre-K3, pre-K4, and early elementary grades. The pre-K program now represents the bulk of enrollment. These younger grades operate with full-day, year-round, after-school, and summer options, with free meals included. The middle school grades (six through eight) continue to use single-gender classes as part of the school's educational model.

On state testing, sixth through eighth graders showed proficiency rates that are generally low. In math, the proportion meeting state proficiency standards rises from a low base in sixth grade to about a third by eighth grade, though the overall average across grades stays in the lower range. Reading proficiency is somewhat stronger across those grades, peaking just above two-fifths in sixth grade. Science and social studies proficiency, measured only in eighth grade, were around one in five students. The school reports that when students reach or exceed proficiency in all subjects combined, that rate is also modest. Chronic absenteeism was reported at a rate close to but slightly below the midpoint among Harris County districts.

Texas's accountability system assigned the school a D rating for the current school year. The proficiency data align with that rating: overall performance sits below the midpoint among the county's districts on the state's proficiency index. The school's per-pupil spending is in the upper range within the county, a characteristic that parents may want to explore further with administrators, given the gap between resources and the achievement measures on state assessments.

A parent weighing this option would be choosing between the practical appeal of tuition-free, full-day pre-K with meals and year-round flexibility for younger children, and a middle school environment built on single-gender instruction. That choice should weigh heavily against the current academic performance data in the middle grades and the D accountability rating, both of which suggest the school faces significant academic challenges at those levels. Information on teaching staff experience and on student transitions to high school was not available.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

195

Grades

PK–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 6%

Black 88%

White 1%

Asian 4%

Two+ 2%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 6

44%

—

Gr 7

26%

—

Gr 8

38%

—

Math

Gr 6

17%

—

Gr 7

23%

—

Gr 8

31%

—

Science

Gr 8

20%

—

Social studies

Gr 8

20%

—

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

33%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

28%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

50%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

17%

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

17%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

—

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

THE LAWSON ACADEMY

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

3 grades reported

16%

Grade 6

21%

Grade 7

30%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

3 grades reported

41%

Grade 6

29%

Grade 7

40%

Grade 8

Science

1 grade reported

19%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

19%

Grade 8

Data Currently Unavailable

Community & Housing Context
Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.