Early College Stem Academy, Houston TX

Original Research by School Decision on Early College Stem Academy

Early College STEM Academy is a charter middle school in Houston serving grades six through eight as part of Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success, a multi-campus charter district. The school sits on Broadway Street in a part of Houston shaped by mixed commercial and residential uses without traditional zoning, where the everyday landscape blends neighborhoods together.

The school's student body is almost entirely Hispanic, with a very high proportion of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. This composition reflects the neighborhoods the school draws from and the district's explicit mission to serve economically vulnerable families. Enrollment is small for a charter middle school, with a little under three hundred students spread across the three grades.

Academic performance shows a profile of mixed strength. In English language arts, eighth-grade proficiency stands notably above lower grades, while reading and writing across the school reach moderate levels. Mathematics proficiency is lower across the board, with sixth grade showing weaker results and improvement visible by eighth grade. Science and social studies show similar patterns, with eighth-grade science reaching a respectable proficiency level while sixth-grade math lags. Overall, when averaged across tested subjects and grades, the school's proficiency sits above the midpoint among Harris County's other districts, a meaningful position that suggests the school is holding its ground academically despite serving a population with substantial economic barriers to learning.

The STEM designation reflects the school's curricular focus, though the data does not detail specific programs, course access, or the extent of career pathways or dual-credit opportunities that might be available. A parent may want to ask the school directly about hands-on STEM coursework, engineering or technology electives, or connections to high school pathways.

The larger district operates on a community school model, meaning the school coordinates not just academics but also family engagement and wraparound supports such as health and social services designed to address barriers outside the classroom. This approach aims to reduce friction for families managing economic stress. The district has also expanded into Pasadena and operates campuses across Houston and Brownsville, including one that earned 2024 National Blue Ribbon recognition. The district recently moved teacher compensation to match larger neighboring districts and added certification stipends, signaling attention to staff stability.

The school's data does not include chronic absenteeism rates, detailed special education or English learner counts, or discipline information. State testing results are available, but no multi-year trend is visible in the data, so a parent cannot assess whether performance is improving or slipping. The combination of solid position in the county, transparent STEM mission, and the district's community-school approach creates a concrete but modest academic setting, best suited for families seeking a smaller, mission-driven alternative focused on economic inclusion and integrated support rather than elite academic selection.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 34% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 845%

School 45% · District 40% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 48%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 44% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 62% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 53% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 36% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolRAUL YZAGUIRRE SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income51%Higher-income42%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income38%Higher-income13%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income32%Higher-income30%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income47%Higher-income10%37 pp gap