Idea Spears College Preparatory

Idea Spears College Preparatory in Houston, TX, serves 617 students in grades 6-10 and is part of the Idea Public Schools district, which ranks in the 43rd percentile statewide. Over 94% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the school has shown a dramatic turnaround—jumping from the 11th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 33rd percentile in 2025-2026, a 22-point improvement in one year. This is the largest positive swing among nearby schools, many of which are stagnant or declining, such as Edwin M Wells Middle and Garcia Middle.

One standout strength is the school’s exceptional performance with English Language Learners (ELL), ranking in the 84th percentile—far above its overall rank and significantly higher than any nearby school. This suggests a highly effective ESL or bilingual program. However, the school’s Algebra I pass rate is only 38.5%, well below the state average of 54%, while nearby schools like Plummer Middle (94.6%) and Edward Roberson Middle (98.4%) have near-perfect rates. This may indicate that Idea Spears enrolls a broader, less selective group of students in advanced math, reflecting equity in access but also a need for instructional improvement.

Grade-level performance varies widely: 8th-grade reading is a relative strength (56.6% proficient), nearly matching the state average, while 6th and 7th-grade reading are much lower (34.7% and 30.3% proficient). The school also has a rising dropout rate of 3.1%, more than double the district average, and a high student-teacher ratio of 20.1:1 despite spending $14,204 per student—higher than peers like Wunderlich Intermediate ($10,191). Located just 1.91 miles from the 5-star Edward Roberson Middle, the school faces strong competition, but its recent improvement suggests it is responding to this pressure effectively.