Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson Elementary in Houston, TX, is a PK-5 public school in the Houston Independent School District (Isd) serving 330 students in a high-poverty area, where over 93% qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has experienced a dramatic turnaround, jumping from the 23rd percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 71st percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 4-star rating. This explosive improvement—a 48-percentile-point swing—sets it apart from nearby schools like Ketelsen Elementary and Janowski Elementary, which showed more modest, steady gains over the same period.

Jefferson’s success is particularly notable for its high-need subgroups. The school now ranks in the top 16% of the state for both Low Socio-Economic Status (SES) students and Special Education students, each at the 84th percentile. This contrasts with nearby Field Elementary, which has a 5-star rating but a much lower poverty rate (41.6%), suggesting Jefferson is providing exceptional value-add education. However, the school shows a "boom or bust" grade-level pattern: 4th grade excels with 80.5% proficient in Reading and 85.7% in Math, while 3rd grade struggles with only 37.2% proficient in Reading and 31.1% in Math, indicating recent improvements may be concentrated in specific grade-level teams.

Interestingly, Jefferson’s turnaround is heavily driven by male students, who rank in the 79th percentile statewide, compared to female students at the 59th percentile—a reversal of national trends. The school also faces a systemic "Science Gap," with 5th Grade Science scores at 8.7% proficient, though this is common among nearby schools like Looscan Elementary (16.1%) and Roosevelt Elementary (45%). Spending is not the primary driver of success, as Jefferson’s per-student spending ($10,928) is higher than top-performing Travis Elementary ($9,014) but lower than struggling Martinez C Elementary ($12,340), reinforcing that instructional quality and targeted interventions are key.