The Lawson Academy

The Lawson Academy is the sole public charter middle school serving grades 6-8 in the Houston, Texas area. With a total enrollment of 134 students, the school faces significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its predominantly African American (93.28%) student population, many of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds (99.25% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch).

Academically, The Lawson Academy has struggled, with its statewide ranking declining from 1793 out of 2330 Texas middle schools in 2022-2023 to 2143 out of 2252 in 2020-2021, earning a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Student performance on STAAR tests is consistently below the state average across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates ranging from 32% to 50% in reading, compared to the state average of 50% to 56%. The school also has a relatively high dropout rate of 0.8% for the 2021-2022 school year.

Despite the school's low academic performance, it has a relatively low student-to-teacher ratio of 10.3 and spends above the state average at $11,920 per student. However, this investment in resources does not appear to be translating into improved student outcomes, raising questions about the efficient and effective use of funds to support learning at The Lawson Academy. Overall, the data suggests that the school faces significant challenges in addressing the needs of its economically disadvantaged student population and improving academic achievement.