Yellowstone College Preparatory, TX

Original Research by School Decision on Yellowstone College Preparatory

Yellowstone College Preparatory is a small charter district in Harris County serving students in grades six through nine, with a recent expansion that added ninth grade in 2023 and laid groundwork for a full high school program. The district operates a single campus in Houston's Third Ward and has redesigned itself around college preparation from the middle grades forward.

The student body is highly concentrated: overwhelmingly Black, with a small portion Hispanic and very few students of other backgrounds. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, but per-pupil spending sits in the upper range for the county, and chronic absenteeism rates are notably low compared to peers, placing the district in the top quartile of Harris County districts on attendance.

Academically, the picture is direct. State test results from spring 2025 show proficiency rates well below the county median across all tested subjects. In mathematics, proficiency ranged from low performance in grade seven to modest performance in grade eight. In English language arts, proficiency rates hovered in the low double digits across grades six through eight. Science proficiency in grade eight stood at very low levels, and social studies proficiency was similarly weak. When placed against the county's district cohort, Yellowstone's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile.

Within Texas's performance framework, the breakdown by achievement level is telling. Across all subjects, about half of students score at the "approaches" level—the lowest of four tiers—while very few reach the "masters" level. In English, the modal performance is "approaches." In math, just over half of students perform at that lowest proficient tier. Science results are sparse: only a few students met the standard, and an even smaller fraction mastered it.

The school's stated mission centers on college readiness. It has earned designation as an Early College High School, a pathway that allows high school students to earn substantial dual-enrollment college credits while still in secondary school. The district underwent a major capital expansion and renovation completed in 2023, adding more than fifty classrooms and learning spaces, two gymnasiums, a library, music room, art studio, and innovation hub. This investment reflects a commitment to resource depth despite the small enrollment footprint.

For families considering Yellowstone, the college preparation focus and dual-credit opportunity represent a clear program orientation. The newly built facilities and low absenteeism suggest an engaged school environment. However, the current state assessment results are substantially below county norms, meaning students entering the school start with achievement gaps that the school is working to close. A parent may want to discuss with the school directly how it supports students entering with lower baseline proficiency, what remediation or intervention pathways exist, and what early performance gains the school has seen in its younger cohorts as the campus matures and high school programming takes hold.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

272

Grades

06–09

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 4%

Black 95%

White 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 6

30%

21%

Gr 7

15%

24%

Gr 8

18%

22%

Math

Gr 6

20%

Gr 7

Gr 8

21%

44%

Science

Gr 8

Social studies

Gr 8

11%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

25%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

21%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

31%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

37%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

—

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

YELLOWSTONE COLLEGE PREPARATORY

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

3 grades reported

20%

Grade 6

Grade 7

24%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

3 grades reported

22%

Grade 6

17%

Grade 7

18%

Grade 8

Science

1 grade reported

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

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.