Texas Connections Academy at Houston, Houston TX

Original Research by School Decision on Texas Connections Academy at Houston

Texas Connections Academy at Houston is a charter school serving grades 3 through 12 within Houston ISD, operating at a substantial scale with enrollment that includes a notable concentration of middle and high school students. The school's student body is demographically diverse, spanning all major racial and ethnic groups in roughly balanced representation, with Hispanic and white students each making up a meaningful share, and Black and Asian students also well represented.

The school's academic profile shows a split picture across subjects. English language arts performance is a strength, with more than half of sixth and eighth graders meeting proficiency standards, and proficiency rates in the low-to-mid-range for grades 3 and 4. Mathematics presents a different challenge. Across every tested grade from 3 through 8, math proficiency rates are notably low, ranging from low-teen to low-twenties, indicating a systemic gap in this subject that warrants family attention if math readiness is a priority. Science results are similarly uneven: proficiency in grade 5 science is very low, while eighth-grade science shows moderate performance around a third of students meeting standards. Social studies at grade 8 sits in the low range. The school does report that a substantial majority of students meet or approach standards across all tested subjects when those lower performance categories are included, though the gap between "approaches" and "meets" is notable, meaning many students are not yet at grade level.

The school sits below the midpoint on the overall proficiency index when compared to other districts in Harris County, a positioning that reflects the math and science challenges visible in the grade-level data.

Texas Connections Academy is a charter school, which shapes its model and governance. Charter schools operate with more autonomy over curriculum, staffing, and budget than traditional public schools, but they also face different accountability measures. The school is part of Houston ISD, which is currently under state takeover by the Texas Education Agency. This takeover, which began in June 2023 and is set to continue through at least June 2027, means the district is governed by a state-appointed board of managers rather than an elected board, and a superintendent appointed by the state education commissioner rather than chosen locally. For families new to the area or those considering this school, this governance structure is relevant: there is no elected local school board to petition or approach with concerns, and control will not revert to elected leadership until the district meets specific state criteria around campus performance, special education compliance, and governance.

The district has also implemented a New Education System (NES) instructional model across many of its campuses, including a standardized curriculum with daily timed quizzes, longer school days, and scripted lessons, alongside additional funding and staffing. It is not clear from available data whether Texas Connections Academy operates under the NES model, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about whether this model applies, since it would significantly affect the daily academic environment and instructional approach.

The Houston area provides the broader housing and community context. Median home values in the school's zip code are in the range of mid-to-upper hundreds of thousands, with rental rates roughly in the mid-thousands monthly, and the housing market shows a slight decline in values year over year, though listings and activity remain moderate. Houston itself is a fast-growing metro region anchored by energy, healthcare, aerospace, and logistics employment, with major corporate headquarters and a sprawling, car-dependent geography shaped by the city's lack of traditional zoning. The region continues to add residents at a brisk pace, though growth is shifting increasingly to suburban and exurban counties beyond Harris County.

High school programming and graduation outcomes were not available in the data provided, so families with high school-age students should ask the school directly about course breadth, dual-credit or college-preparation pathways, and the school's graduation rate.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

78.0%Cohort of 955 students · Class of 2021

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,779 schools plotted. 59 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 47% · ▼ 22 pts below district

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

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 46% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 26% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 39% · ▼ 22 pts below district

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

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 35% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 43% · ▼ 23 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 23% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 52% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 26% · ▲ 25 pts above district

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

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 51% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 50% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 53% · ▲ 2 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 3% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 42% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 25% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

This schoolHOUSTON 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 3Lower-income35%Higher-income46%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income51%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income62%24 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income47%Higher-income63%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income60%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income64%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income16%Higher-income33%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income9%Higher-income23%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income14%Higher-income32%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income12%Higher-income24%12 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income32%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income13%Higher-income27%14 pp gap