As Achievement Gaps Shrink, Nearly 8 in 10 HISD schools are A or B-rated in 2026

Houston ISD is closer to its goal of having all A or B-rated campuses, having almost doubled the number since 2023, according to the 2026 release of Texas Education Agency’s A-F accountability scores. 

In previous years, higher-rated campuses were concentrated in neighborhoods that did not reflect HISD’s majority-Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged student population, mirroring persistent nationwide achievement gaps, district officials said. 

This fall, close to 100,000 students are walking into A or B-rated campuses in their own neighborhoods across the district. 

“These ratings represent the hard work of our students, teachers, and staff and the transformation happening in classrooms across the District,” Superintendent Mike Miles said. “Three years ago, too many students were attending low-performing schools. Today, 205 schools are earning an A or B, and every one of our middle and high schools is out of D and F status. Houston’s students are succeeding, and we should celebrate them.”

Closing the Gaps

Despite a number of historically high-performing schools in the district, neighborhood schools located within high concentrations of high-poverty, Black, and Hispanic families were in cycles of chronic underachievement, district officials said. 

HISD’s ratings have improved since 2023 as more students are now meeting state standards on test scores, narrowing campus achievement gaps, as well as preparedness for college, career, or military after graduation. 

As a result, there is a shrinking relationship between the average socioeconomic makeup of a student body and their academic performance. 

“This is what it looks like when geography is no longer destiny,” Miles said. “Our students have shown what is possible when they’re given strong instruction, strong leadership and a community that believes in them.”

According to this Spring’s State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) results, Hispanic and Black students are now outperforming their peers statewide while continuing to close the achievement gap with White students within HISD. 

District leaders attribute this progress to the increased share of funding directed toward classroom instruction and instructional leadership since 2023, from 57% of the total budget to 72% in 2026—supporting the implementation of the New Education System (NES) model alongside training and compensation for teachers. 

As those changes have taken hold, more campuses are improving their ability to meet the needs of every student.

“We put more money into instruction,” Miles said. “That's where the dollars should go: closest to the student.” 

Speed of Progress

The NES model has been a key driver of growth, providing centralized high-quality instructional materials, real-time student progress monitoring, and increased teacher training aligned with the model.  

Since 2023, F-rated campuses have averaged nearly three letter-grade increases, compared to a 1.5 letter-grade jump across the district. All 14 schools that improved from an F to an A in the last four years were NES campuses with more than 70% economically disadvantaged students, including: 

• Wesley Elementary (46 points) 
• Paige Elementary (44 points)
• Forest Brook Middle (40 points)
• Washington High School (40 points)
• Yates High School (39 points) 

Williams Middle School had the biggest single-year jump, moving 25-points from a C to an A. 

C. Martinez Elementary, which is one of nine schools piloting the district’s first Future 2 model this fall, is opening its doors with a B-rating after jumping 18-points during the 2025-26 school year.