Idea Achieve College Preparatory, Haltom City TX

Original Research by School Decision on Idea Achieve College Preparatory

IDEA Achieve College Preparatory is a charter school serving grades six through ten in Haltom City, a working-class suburb northwest of Fort Worth. The school is part of IDEA Public Schools, a large Texas charter network that operates under state conservatorship following a 2024 investigation into improper spending and financial mismanagement. The network is returning funds through December 2026 and has installed new leadership and compliance structures; this is material context for families considering enrollment.

The school's enrollment is small for its grade span, drawn substantially from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic with a smaller share of Black students; Asian, white, and multiracial students make up a small portion. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.

Academic performance in 2024-25 shows uneven results across grades and subjects. In English language arts, the school demonstrates clearer strength: seventh-grade students reached proficiency at a healthy rate, and eighth-grade performance was notably stronger. Sixth-grade ELA proficiency is lower, suggesting either a transition period or a shift in instructional effectiveness at different grade levels. Math shows a sharper drop-off. Sixth-grade math proficiency is very low; seventh grade improves substantially to around half of students; eighth-grade data is too thin to report. Science data is similarly limited to grade eight and too small to yield a reliable picture. Social studies proficiency in eighth grade is below half of students. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Tarrant County districts, a position that reflects particular strength in reading offset by softer math and social studies performance. A parent may want to discuss the sixth-to-seventh-grade math progression and what instructional or support shifts occur between those grades.

The school does not serve high school grades nine through ten, so no graduation rate or secondary outcome data applies. State testing data does not extend to grades nine and ten, and no information was available on college readiness, dual credit, advanced placement, or career and technical programs the school may offer at those upper grades.

Haltom City itself is an inner-ring suburb of Fort Worth in the Mid-Cities region, a car-dependent landscape of strip commercial corridors, industrial parks, and mid-century to newer residential neighborhoods. The area is experiencing growth, driven by mixed-use development like the H Mart Plaza retail and logistics complex and new multifamily housing; older commercial corridors along Belknap and Denton Highway are being targeted for revitalization. The housing market has declined modestly from a year ago, and median rents have risen. The local economy is anchored by manufacturing, distribution, logistics, and retail operations, with employers including Tyson Foods, Medtronic, and the Birdville school district. The Haltom City Public Library, Recreation Center with pool and seasonal splash pads, and a system of parks form the civic base; public transit is minimal, and the city is served by the Birdville Independent School District, with a northern slice in Keller ISD.

The school's charter status means it operates with autonomy over curriculum and governance within state requirements, though that autonomy now operates under the overlay of conservatorship oversight. Families should understand the broader governance context and what reforms have been put in place.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 34% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 41% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 52% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 52% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 60% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 28% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

This schoolIDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 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-income26%Higher-income60%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income55%Higher-income93%38 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income71%Higher-income71%0 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income9%Higher-income30%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income93%49 pp gap