Kipp Liberation College Preparatory, Houston TX

Original Research by School Decision on Kipp Liberation College Preparatory

KIPP Liberation College Preparatory is a charter school serving grades five through eight in Houston's South Third Ward area. It sits within KIPP Texas Public Schools, a network that has recently improved its overall accountability standing, though the parent organization is consolidating several underperforming schools in Austin and San Antonio effective next school year—a change that does not affect this campus.

The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This composition reflects the neighborhood's economic makeup. Enrollment sits at just under five hundred students across its four grade bands.

On state assessments, the school's proficiency landscape is uneven. In English language arts, the pattern strengthens as students progress through the grades. Fifth-grade students show proficiency rates approaching two in five; by sixth grade that rises to a bit above two in five; seventh-grade ELA proficiency climbs to about half the cohort meeting standards; and eighth-grade students reach something close to a slim majority reaching proficiency. Mathematics tells a different story: proficiency holds around a quarter to a third across grades five, six, and seven, a concerning range that suggests sustained struggle in this subject. Science proficiency in fifth grade is very low, but eighth-grade students perform substantially better, roughly approaching parity with ELA. Social studies, assessed only at eighth grade, shows marked weakness, with only about one in ten eighth graders reaching proficiency.

Overall, across tested subjects, about a third of the school's students are reaching proficiency. This places the school below the midpoint among Harris County's school districts. The data reveals particular soft spots in math and social studies that a parent may want to discuss directly with school leaders, especially if a child arrives with gaps in those areas.

The school occupies a neighborhood shaped by Houston's absence of traditional zoning. Single-family homes, apartments, and small commercial uses mix together along streets that lack clear residential-commercial boundaries. The surrounding area has seen steady population growth as part of Houston's regional expansion, and housing values in the zip code are below the Texas state average, reflecting both the neighborhood's accessibility and economic reality. This is a part of Houston where many working families live without substantial margin.

The school's name and affiliation signal college preparation as a core mission. Whether that manifests as rigorous curriculum, advising, or actual college-placement support would be worth investigating with the school directly. Parents considering this school should ask specifically about how the institution addresses the math proficiency gaps evident in the data, what interventions exist for students arriving below grade level, and what college-pathway structures exist for students moving on to high school.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 9% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 24% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 25% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 44% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 47% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 44% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 54%

▼ 1 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 20% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 40% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 24% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

This schoolKIPP TEXAS 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-income44%Higher-income25%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income54%Higher-income57%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income13%9 pp gap