Spring Leadership Academy, Houston TX

Original Research by School Decision on Spring Leadership Academy

Spring Leadership Academy is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in Houston's Spring ISD. The school enrolls a diverse student body, with a substantial majority identifying as Hispanic or Black, and a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Most of the school sits in a zip code where median home values have declined modestly over the past year, and median monthly rents are in the range where housing costs consume a meaningful portion of household income.

The most striking feature of the school's academic profile is the sharp variation across grades in math proficiency. Sixth-grade students show particularly low proficiency in math, while eighth-grade proficiency in math is notably strong, approaching the higher end of what middle schools typically achieve. English language arts proficiency climbs steadily from sixth to eighth grade as well. Science performance in eighth grade falls to about the midpoint, and social studies proficiency in eighth grade is notably low. Taking the school's tested subjects across all grades, overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among Harris County districts.

English language arts appears to be the school's relative strength across the grade band. Across all subjects and all grades tested, about four of every five students reach the "approaches" level (a foundational step short of proficiency), but only about one in seven reach the "masters" level. The gap between approaching and meeting proficiency is a notable feature across the school.

A parent may want to look into the sixth-grade math performance further with the school, particularly to understand whether the low proficiency reflects incoming skill levels, staffing or curriculum decisions, or other factors, and what supports or interventions the school has in place. Similarly, the social studies proficiency at eighth grade is worth discussing with school staff.

The school draws students from the immediate area in northwest Houston, where the local housing market has cooled slightly from a year prior but remains active. Spring ISD itself is navigating a period of budget pressure. In November 2024, voters rejected a proposed property tax increase that would have funded teacher and staff raises and addressed an anticipated shortfall attributed to inflation, enrollment changes, and flat state funding. The district proceeded with programmatic and staffing cuts for the 2024-25 school year. At the same time, a multi-year capital improvement program is underway, funded by a bond approved in 2022, that includes major facility upgrades and technology investments across the district.

State assessment data was the primary source for academic performance; enrollment and demographic counts appear in the data sections. Information about programs, staffing, discipline, and other operational details was not available in the materials provided. The school's website was not referenced in available sources, so interested families may want to visit directly for information about clubs, athletics, scheduling, and specific instructional approaches.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 620%

School 20% · District 18% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 22% · ▲ 5 pts above district

even with state median · even with county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 32% · ▲ 41 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 41% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 41% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 46% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 33% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 14% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

This schoolSPRING 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-income38%Higher-income48%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income55%Higher-income55%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income61%Higher-income79%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income30%12 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income28%Higher-income22%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income75%Higher-income69%6 pp gap