G W Harby J H, Alvin TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on G W Harby J H

G W Harby Junior High serves grades six through eight in Alvin, a growing suburban town southeast of Houston in Brazoria County. The school sits in a district managing rapid enrollment expansion fueled by new single-family subdivisions spreading westward and northward across the area. Alvin ISD recently passed a substantial bond to build new campuses and expand capacity through the late 2020s, which will reshape school options and facilities across the district for years to come.

The school's academic picture shows uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, the school performs better at the eighth-grade level, where a majority of students meet or exceed proficiency. Sixth-grade ELA proficiency runs lower, and seventh grade sits in the middle. Reading and writing instruction is the school's relatively stronger area. Mathematics presents a steeper challenge: only a small fraction of sixth graders meet the bar, performance improves dramatically by eighth grade where about half do, and seventh graders fall between those endpoints. Science proficiency hovers near half in eighth grade, while social studies performance is notably low, with only a small share meeting proficiency. Across all tested subjects and grade levels combined, the school sits below the midpoint for overall proficiency when compared to other districts in Brazoria County.

The student body is predominantly Latino and Hispanic, reflecting broader Alvin demographics. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic need across the enrollment. The school is mid-sized for a junior high, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across the three grades. No data on students with disabilities or English learners was available to review.

Families choosing a middle school in Alvin should understand that Harby's academic results, especially in mathematics for younger grades and in social studies across the board, suggest that many students are not yet reaching grade-level standards. A parent may want to look into further with the school what specific interventions exist for students who start below proficiency in math, how instruction builds from sixth to eighth grade, and what support the school offers for students working toward social studies competency. The school's relatively stronger showing in ELA at the eighth-grade level may reflect both improved instruction and the effects of time spent in the school's program.

The broader context matters: Alvin ISD is adding new schools and renovating existing ones, funded by the 2024 bond, which could bring facility improvements and changes to enrollment flow as new campuses open. Property tax rates in the district have declined over the past few years despite overall growth, a factor that affects the overall cost of homeownership in the area. Alvin itself is a historic railroad town mixing small-town character with modern suburban growth, and Harby sits within that landscape of steady residential expansion and a community focused on managing growth while maintaining its identity.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 45% · ▼ 37 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 726%

School 26% · District 38% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 60% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 66% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 61% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 64% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 53% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

Social studies

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 31% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolALVIN ISD, 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-income45%Higher-income71%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income61%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income51%Higher-income74%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income8%Higher-income9%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income21%Higher-income39%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income69%27 pp gap