The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Math. The lowest is 10% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Shearn El
Shearn Elementary is a small, heavily low-income early-grades school in southwest Houston that is serving students with very weak academic performance across tested subjects.
The school enrolls roughly students from pre-K through fifth grade, almost all of whom come from families with very limited means. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population. White and Asian enrollment is minimal.
On state testing, Shearn's results are consistently low. In third-grade math, less than half of students tested reached proficiency, and proficiency dropped sharply to below a quarter in fourth grade. Fifth-grade science proficiency was very low as well. English language arts proficiency was similarly challenged, with results below half across the grades tested, and in fourth grade where results are reported for Spanish-language testing, proficiency was zero. These are the most recent available numbers, from spring 2025, and they reflect the cohort currently in the school, so this is where instruction stands now.
The school's overall proficiency index positioned it in the bottom quartile among all school buildings in Harris County, meaning the majority of campuses in the county show substantially stronger results. This context matters for any parent wondering what academic trajectory their child would be on and what peer performance norms look like daily.
Shearn is located on Stella Link Road in a residential area of Houston that is densely built and mixed-income. The local housing market has modest median values with some downward pressure recently, and rental costs are moderate for Houston. This is a working-class neighborhood with limited walkability by car-dependent Houston standards, though the neighborhood itself is mixed in character.
Houston ISD, the district, is under state takeover control as of June 2023, meaning there is no elected school board and the district is run by state-appointed leadership. This governance structure will remain in place at least through June 2027. The takeover has brought a district-wide instructional model called the New Education System to some schools, featuring scripted curriculum, timed daily quizzes, and longer days. Shearn data does not specify whether it is operating under this model, so a parent may want to confirm directly with the school what instructional approach it uses. The state takeover also involved closing libraries at some schools and converting them to other uses, another detail to clarify with the school. Beyond these structural changes, Houston ISD has faced enrollment declines during the takeover period and voted to close or consolidate additional schools after the 2025-26 school year, though Shearn does not appear to be named among those affected based on available information.
For a family prioritizing academic strength and robust instructional systems, Shearn's test results and county position suggest a fit that requires clear eyes about starting point. For families in the immediate neighborhood without other options, or for whom the school's bilingual population and community anchor are significant factors, visiting the school, understanding its current instructional model, and reviewing recent improvement efforts directly would be essential steps. Parents looking for evidence of turnaround or strong acceleration would need to discuss what specific interventions are underway and what measurable progress has occurred since the takeover.
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