Stovall Middle

Stovall Middle in Houston, TX, is a large urban school serving 1,039 students in grades 6-8 within the Aldine Independent School District (Isd), where over 91% of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This school presents a fascinating contrast: it has a world-class Algebra I program that rivals top-performing schools, yet struggles significantly in most other core subjects.

The most remarkable feature of Stovall Middle is its Algebra I performance. In the 2025-2026 school year, nearly 90% of Stovall students taking the Algebra I End-of-Course exam were proficient, far exceeding the district average of 46% and even outperforming nearby schools like Klein Intermediate (86%) and coming close to Harmony School Of Technology-Houston (93%). This consistent success over four years suggests a highly effective advanced math program. However, the school's performance in other areas tells a different story. In 7th-grade mathematics, only 9% of students were proficient—the lowest among its Aldine ISD peers—and reading scores are similarly below district and state averages. This creates a "tale of two schools" where resources appear concentrated in the Algebra I track, leaving many students underserved in foundational subjects.

Despite these academic challenges, Stovall Middle has a notable strength: a very low dropout rate of just 0.6% in 2023-2024, significantly better than the district average of 2.7% and lower than nearby schools like Plummer Middle (2.0%) and Fonville Middle (2.1%). The school also spends less per student ($10,464) compared to peers like Houston Academy ($13,116) and Idea Spears College Preparatory ($14,204). The central question for parents is whether the school can replicate its Algebra I success across the entire curriculum, particularly in math and reading for grades 6 and 7, to better serve all students.