The Lawson Academy

Summary:

The Lawson Academy is a public charter elementary school serving 134 students in grades PK-8 in Houston, Texas. The school has a predominantly African American student body, with 93.28% of students identifying as such, and an exceptionally high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at 99.25%.

While The Lawson Academy has a lower student-teacher ratio of 10.3 compared to nearby schools, which range from 13.4 to 19.8 students per teacher, its academic performance lags behind. The school's proficiency rates on STAAR assessments in reading and math for 6th-8th grades range from 21.21% to 44.44%, significantly lower than the state's proficiency rates of 37.1% to 54.45%. Additionally, the school's dropout rate increased from 0.0% in the previous four school years to 0.8% in the 2021-2022 school year, which is worth monitoring. The Lawson Academy's relatively high spending per student, at $11,920 in the 2020-2021 school year, suggests a focus on resources, but this investment does not appear to be translating into higher academic performance compared to KIPP Peace Elementary, Foster Elementary, and other nearby schools.

Overall, the data suggests that The Lawson Academy faces significant challenges in terms of academic performance, with lower test scores compared to the state and nearby schools, including both public and public charter schools such as KIPP Texas Public Schools, Houston Independent School District (Isd), and Beatrice Mayes Institute Charter School. The school's high percentage of economically disadvantaged students and the recent increase in dropout rates are also areas of concern that warrant further investigation and targeted interventions to support student success.

Detail:

Public, Charter PK, KG-8

5052 Scott St
Houston, TX 77004

(713) 225-1551

District: The Lawson Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,920

Student/teacher ratio: 10.3

Number of students: 134

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.3%

Hispanic:

5.2%

White:

0.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details The Lawson Academy ranks worse than 74.8% of middle schools in Texas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.85. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (93.3%), Hispanic (5.2%), Asian (0.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at The Lawson Academy is 10.3. (See more...)

Compare The Lawson Academy employs 12.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at The Lawson Academy is $11,920.

Schooldigger Rankings:

The Lawson Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks The Lawson Academy 1767^th of 2361 Texas public middle schools. (See The Lawson Academy in the ranking list.)

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Rank History for The Lawson Academy

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Rank History for all students at The Lawson Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2012	25.68	1604^th	1951	17.8%
2013	34.14	1456^th	1973	26.2%
2014	30.74	1507^th	1987	24.2%
2015	25.97	1675^th	2043	18.0%
2016	15.49	1813^th	1987	8.8%
2017	7.18	1980^th	2027	2.3%
2018	18.95	1835^th	2080	11.8%
2019	18.39	1923^rd	2193	12.3%
2021	11.16	2143^rd	2252	4.8%
2022	17.32	1989^th	2254	11.8%
2023	27.03	1793^rd	2330	23.0%
2024	28.85	1767^th	2361	25.2%

See the entire list of Texas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at The Lawson Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	19.54	1567^th	1597	1.9%
2019	59.70	388^th	1626	76.1%
2021	22.71	1596^th	1712	6.8%
2022	22.01	1643^rd	1757	6.5%
2023	15.76	1786^th	1815	1.6%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at The Lawson Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	25.14	1743^rd	2039	14.5%
2019	23.91	1782^nd	2073	14.0%
2021	13.90	2076^th	2172	4.4%
2022	23.43	1895^th	2220	14.6%
2023	36.85	1483^rd	2251	34.1%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at The Lawson Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	19.12	1786^th	2008	11.1%
2019	13.15	1943^rd	2047	5.1%
2021	14.24	1995^th	2151	7.3%
2022	25.82	1754^th	2221	21.0%
2023	39.80	1357^th	2241	39.4%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at The Lawson Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	33.02	1453^rd	2008	27.6%
2019	32.24	1509^th	2058	26.7%
2021	23.94	1851^st	2118	12.6%
2022	36.94	1414^th	2182	35.2%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at The Lawson Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	18.11	1829^th	2030	9.9%
2019	25.69	1666^th	2069	19.5%
2021	9.45	2120^th	2168	2.2%
2022	13.51	2074^th	2228	6.9%
2023	18.45	1964^th	2245	12.5%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at The Lawson Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	33.75	769^th	1167	34.1%
2019	32.46	842^nd	1193	29.4%
2021	20.34	1109^th	1213	8.6%
2022	31.03	923^rd	1251	26.2%
2023	44.68	636^th	1273	50.0%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at The Lawson Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	52.64	810^th	2043	60.4%
2022	35.71	1369^th	2077	34.1%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Texas Education Agency

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Great staff and motivation. Close Quote

Enrollment information for The Lawson Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	0	254	0	19	0	3	276
2013	1	210	0	16	0	2	229
2014	1	183	0	16	0	1	201
2015	0	135	0	16	0	3	154
2016	0	132	0	16	0	1	149
2017	0	211	0	25	1	0	237
2018	0	225	0	8	0	0	233
2019	0	216	0	10	0	0	226
2020	0	182	0	13	0	0	195
2021	1	168	0	13	0	0	182
2022	0	158	0	10	0	1	169
2023	1	125	1	7	0	0	134

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at The Lawson Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	276	16.8	16.4	73.9
2013	229	18.0	12.7	63.8
2014	201	18.0	11.1	72.6
2015	154	15.0	10.2	74.7
2016	149	14.0	10.6	40.9
2017	237	15.4	15.3	57.4
2018	233	19.3	12.0	83.7
2019	226	17.0	13.2	89.8
2020	195	13.7	14.1	85.1
2021	182	14.9	12.1	90.1
2022	169	11.8	14.2	91.7
2023	134	12.9	10.3	99.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio The Lawson Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	276	16.8	16.4	73.9
2013	229	18.0	12.7	63.8
2014	201	18.0	11.1	72.6
2015	154	15.0	10.2	74.7
2016	149	14.0	10.6	40.9
2017	237	15.4	15.3	57.4
2018	233	19.3	12.0	83.7
2019	226	17.0	13.2	89.8
2020	195	13.7	14.1	85.1
2021	182	14.9	12.1	90.1
2022	169	11.8	14.2	91.7
2023	134	12.9	10.3	99.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for The Lawson Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,837 (24.8%)	$8,603 (75.2%)	$11,440
2020	$1,896 (18.4%)	$8,423 (81.6%)	$10,319
2021	$2,837 (23.8%)	$9,083 (76.2%)	$11,920

Data source: Texas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on The Lawson Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1923^rd of 2193 Middle schools	Ranks 1793^rd of 2330 Middle schools	10.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Reading (The Lawson Academy)	19	34	15%
6th Grade Reading (The Lawson Academy)	19	34	15%
6th Grade Reading (Texas)	35	50	15%
6th Grade Mathematics (The Lawson Academy)	18	17	1%
6th Grade Mathematics (The Lawson Academy)	18	17	1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Texas)	45	37	8%
7th Grade Reading (The Lawson Academy)	21	32	11%
7th Grade Reading (The Lawson Academy)	21	32	11%
7th Grade Reading (Texas)	47	52	5%
7th Grade Mathematics (The Lawson Academy)	15	20	5%
7th Grade Mathematics (The Lawson Academy)	15	20	5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Texas)	41	35	6%
8th Grade Reading (The Lawson Academy)	26	50	24%
8th Grade Reading (The Lawson Academy)	26	50	24%
8th Grade Reading (Texas)	53	56	3%
8th Grade Mathematics (The Lawson Academy)	43	40	3%
8th Grade Mathematics (The Lawson Academy)	43	40	3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Texas)	55	44	11%
8th Grade Science (The Lawson Academy)	31	33	2%
8th Grade Science (The Lawson Academy)	31	33	2%
8th Grade Science (Texas)	49	45	4%
8th Grade Social Studies (The Lawson Academy)	17	10	7%
8th Grade Social Studies (The Lawson Academy)	17	10	7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Texas)	35	31	4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	226	134	40.7%
African American	216	125	42.1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	10	7	30%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	0	1
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.8%	99.3%	9.4%

Schools Near The Lawson Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				STAAR Reading (2024)						STAAR Mathematics (2024)						STAAR Science (2024)		STAAR Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Science 5th Grade	STAAR Science 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
The Lawson Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	5052 Scott St	Houston	77004	Harris County	The Lawson Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 225-1551	134	13	10.3	99.3%	1 (0.7%)	125 (93.3%)	7 (5.2%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				39.4	44.4	42.9				21.2	25.7	28.6		31.0	4.8	$11,920	$2,837	$9,083
Lockhart Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3200 Rosedale St	Houston	77004	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 942-1950	379	25	15.1	92.3%	3 (0.8%)	342 (90.2%)	25 (6.6%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	34.1	3179^th of 4675 public elementary schools	32.0%		18.9	4071^st of 4647 public elementary schools	12.4%	892	43.2	53.6	42.4				31.1	35.7	33.9				5.1			$10,070	$1,062	$9,008
Thompson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6121 Tierwester	Houston	77021	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 746-8250	401	28	14.3	99.0%	2 (0.5%)	361 (90.0%)	28 (7.0%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	56.1	1796^th of 4675 public elementary schools	61.6%		34.1	3149^th of 4647 public elementary schools	32.2%	1353	45.0	58.3	50.0				50.0	59.5	47.6				14.3			$11,521	$1,516	$10,006
Blackshear Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2900 Holman Ave	Houston	77004	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 942-1481	308	22	14.0	98.7%	5 (1.6%)	266 (86.4%)	32 (10.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	9.7	4508^th of 4675 public elementary schools	3.6%		13.5	4347^th of 4647 public elementary schools	6.5%	161	17.1	30.4	31.7				5.7	10.9	22.0				4.9			$13,409	$1,577	$11,833
Beatrice Mayes Institute Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	5807 Calhoun Rd	Houston	77021	Harris County	Beatrice Mayes Institute Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 747-5629	497	32	15.5	73.8%	0 (0.0%)	483 (97.2%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	38.1	2922^nd of 4675 public elementary schools	37.5%		29.8	3411^th of 4647 public elementary schools	26.6%	489	37.5	29.1	46.3	72.7	71.7	66.7	35.7	32.7	44.4	25.5	20.8	33.3	13.0	46.2	0.0	$9,960	$1,401	$8,559
Peck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5001 Martin Luther King Jr Bl	Houston	77021	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 845-7463	388	26	14.9	97.9%	3 (0.8%)	211 (54.4%)	172 (44.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	24.6	3773^rd of 4675 public elementary schools	19.3%		14.9	4288^th of 4647 public elementary schools	7.7%	515	13.5	29.0	35.1				21.6	38.7	33.3				22.0			$12,014	$1,166	$10,848
KIPP Peace Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	5400 Mlk Jr Blvd	Houston	77021	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 230-0564	616	31	19.8	94.2%	3 (0.5%)	444 (72.1%)	150 (24.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.4%)	18.7	4107^th of 4675 public elementary schools	12.1%		11.3	4415^th of 4647 public elementary schools	5.0%	308	23.0	40.5					13.8	29.7								$9,320	$1,459	$7,861
Foster Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3919 Ward St	Houston	77021	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 746-8260	380	24	15.5	99.7%	2 (0.5%)	338 (88.9%)	37 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	13.1	4376^th of 4675 public elementary schools	6.4%		59.2	1643^rd of 4647 public elementary schools	64.6%	2733	17.3	32.1	40.9				5.9	17.3	31.8				0.0			$11,839	$1,233	$10,605
Hartsfield Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	5001 Perry St	Houston	77021	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 746-8280	303	18	16.5	97.7%	1 (0.3%)	227 (74.9%)	70 (23.1%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	15.2	4276^th of 4675 public elementary schools	8.5%		12.1	4394^th of 4647 public elementary schools	5.4%	118	24.4	17.4	43.3				19.6	17.8	36.7				6.7			$11,135	$1,280	$9,855
Macgregor Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	4801 Labranch St	Houston	77004	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 942-1990	444	27	16.4	82.7%	16 (3.6%)	319 (71.8%)	95 (21.4%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	53	1973^rd of 4675 public elementary schools	57.8%		47	2349^th of 4647 public elementary schools	49.5%	376	36.0	53.3	59.4				27.5	55.9	50.7				21.7			$9,157	$950	$8,207

Frequently Asked Questions about The Lawson Academy

What district is The Lawson Academy in?

The Lawson Academy

What is the racial makeup of The Lawson Academy?

Students at The Lawson Academy are 93% African American, 5% Hispanic.

How many students attend The Lawson Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 134 students attended The Lawson Academy.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.