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Step Charter Elementary

Q: Is Step Charter Elementary a good school?

Step Charter Elementary ranks 2463 rd of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

2463^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,643 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 47% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Step Charter Elementary in Houston, TX, is a K-8 charter school serving 293 students in the Step Charter School district, where 77% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch and the school spends a notably high $14,521 per student.

This school stands out for its exceptional performance with African American students, consistently ranking in the top 10-15% of the state, and for its strong upper-grade reading results—71% of 7th graders and 74% of 8th graders were proficient in reading, far exceeding district and state averages. However, the school shows a dramatic and growing gap between male and female students, with male performance dropping to the 36th percentile in 2025-2026. While Step Charter outperforms nearby Alief Independent School District (Isd) schools like Smith Elementary and Boone Elementary (where 3rd-grade math proficiency is 17% and 16%, respectively, versus Step's 48%), it is being outpaced by other charters like Arrow Academy - Liberation Academy, which jumped from the 53rd to the 83rd percentile in two years.

A major red flag is the school's 4.7% dropout rate for 2023-2024, a spike from 0% in prior years and more than double the district's rate, suggesting potential retention or climate issues. The school's overall ranking has declined from a 4-star peak in 2021-2022 to a 2-star level (47th percentile) in 2025-2026, with weaker elementary grades (3-5) dragging down strong middle school performance (6-8). Despite high spending, outcomes are only average, and the school appears to be losing effectiveness, making it a solid choice over local traditional public schools but a riskier option compared to rising charters in the area.

293

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,745

Per pupil spending ?

77.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

11250 S Wilcrest Dr
Houston, TX 77099

(281) 988-7797

District: Step Charter School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.5%

Asian:

22.5%

African American:

18.8%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Step Charter Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 69th percentile in 2016 → 47th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Algebra I scores 13 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg45%

Texas avg48%

Elementary school

2,463^rd of 4,643

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 47%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From top 31% (2016) to bottom 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

547^th of 2,359

Texas public middle schools ?

Top 23%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 10% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Step Charter School

377^th of 947Step Charter School among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	2463 of 4643	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.0	1435 of 4651	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.9	1559 of 4710	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.4	1630 of 4647	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.6	1242 of 4581	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	52.4	1915 of 4578	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.8	1520 of 4479	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.3	2352 of 4359	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	51.3	1896 of 4329	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	69.2	1313 of 4286	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	82.8	592 of 4320	86.3%	★★★★☆
2014	63.9	1547 of 4260	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.8	1452 of 4221	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	40.4	2872 of 4206	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	32.5	3279 of 4095	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	58.0	1896 of 3937	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	50.1	2256 of 3884	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	29.3	3144 of 3768	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	77.8	312 of 2414	87.1%	★★★★☆
2024	86.5	150 of 2443	93.9%	★★★★★
2023	91.6	105 of 2443	95.7%	★★★★★
2022	88.8	134 of 2421	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	75.2	322 of 2444	86.8%	★★★★☆
2019	73.8	399 of 2515	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	74.0	393 of 2483	84.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	27.9	850 of 1000	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.3	857 of 1045	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.3	933 of 1015	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	32.7	756 of 957	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	894 of 1009	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.6	922 of 1005	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	76.2	568 of 4461	87.3%	★★★★☆
2021	74.1	566 of 4331	86.9%	★★★★☆
2019	76.8	527 of 4295	87.7%	★★★★☆
2018	66.0	984 of 4240	76.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	74.9	272 of 1646	83.5%	★★★★☆
2024	54.0	1468 of 3668	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	1306 of 3556	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.3	794 of 3487	77.2%	★★★★☆
2021	70.3	608 of 3446	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	68.4	707 of 3333	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	49.5	1523 of 3226	52.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	2060 of 4588	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.6	1821 of 4658	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.1	1452 of 4588	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.4	1399 of 4561	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.8	2035 of 4499	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.7	1736 of 4348	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.0	2505 of 4306	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.4	2386 of 4425	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.9	2387 of 4465	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.4	1792 of 4401	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.2	1102 of 4376	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	57.9	1461 of 4329	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.6	1225 of 4188	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	41.9	2461 of 4168	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	1581 of 4535	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.0	875 of 4594	81.0%	★★★★☆
2023	74.8	658 of 4521	85.4%	★★★★☆
2022	80.6	442 of 4477	90.1%	★★★★★
2021	67.7	970 of 4451	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	76.7	515 of 4309	88.0%	★★★★☆
2018	56.1	1626 of 4264	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	2928 of 4597	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.1	1811 of 4647	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.8	1868 of 4585	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.2	1194 of 4563	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	48.9	2033 of 4498	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.1	1502 of 4357	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.6	2343 of 4319	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	36.1	2629 of 4086	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.4	547 of 2359	76.8%	★★★★☆
2025	62.2	737 of 2344	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.7	623 of 2372	73.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.0	503 of 2330	78.4%	★★★★☆
2022	67.5	536 of 2254	76.2%	★★★★☆
2021	58.3	789 of 2252	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.0	356 of 2193	83.8%	★★★★☆
2018	75.7	353 of 2080	83.0%	★★★★☆
2017	65.0	564 of 2027	72.2%	★★★★☆
2016	83.3	202 of 1987	89.8%	★★★★☆
2015	82.6	213 of 2043	89.6%	★★★★☆
2014	78.5	308 of 1987	84.5%	★★★★☆
2013	84.8	145 of 1973	92.7%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	92.6	49 of 1273	96.2%	★★★★★
2022	57.9	381 of 1251	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	90.4	67 of 1193	94.4%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	25.2	533 of 643	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	511 of 606	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.3	520 of 594	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.8	437 of 587	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	82.3	177 of 2182	91.9%	★★★★★
2021	77.8	194 of 2118	90.8%	★★★★★
2019	86.3	112 of 2058	94.6%	★★★★★
2018	83.5	135 of 2008	93.3%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	92.1	39 of 1403	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	54.0	646 of 1770	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.3	247 of 1720	85.6%	★★★★☆
2022	82.9	134 of 1643	91.8%	★★★★★
2021	81.8	107 of 1592	93.3%	★★★★★
2019	87.5	73 of 1445	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	89.2	58 of 1376	95.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	64.1	619 of 2263	72.6%	★★★★☆
2024	52.8	919 of 2242	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.1	786 of 2241	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.2	515 of 2221	76.8%	★★★★☆
2021	76.8	345 of 2151	84.0%	★★★★☆
2019	72.7	413 of 2047	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	350 of 2008	82.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	70.8	412 of 2161	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	59.6	673 of 2119	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.6	433 of 2116	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	77.7	275 of 2077	86.8%	★★★★☆
2021	67.3	457 of 2043	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	77.7	270 of 1935	86.0%	★★★★☆
2018	74.3	299 of 1895	84.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	82.3	188 of 2275	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	76.9	265 of 2235	88.1%	★★★★☆
2023	82.9	183 of 2251	91.9%	★★★★★
2022	77.5	262 of 2220	88.2%	★★★★☆
2021	66.6	462 of 2172	78.7%	★★★★☆
2019	89.9	79 of 2073	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	88.6	93 of 2039	95.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.0	529 of 2274	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	60.6	722 of 2246	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.7	337 of 2245	85.0%	★★★★☆
2022	67.7	535 of 2228	76.0%	★★★★☆
2021	43.0	1172 of 2168	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	76.8	347 of 2069	83.2%	★★★★☆
2018	73.0	382 of 2030	81.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	45.2	737 of 1626	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.8	840 of 1597	47.4%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

At Risk (2022)87th percentile+14 vs school

African American (2026)87th percentile+40 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)83rd percentile+37 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)65th percentile+18 vs school

Female (2026)55th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)46th percentile~ school

Male (2026)36th percentile-11 vs school

Special Education (2023)36th percentile-29 vs school

Asian (2026)15th percentile-32 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2026)97th percentile+20 vs school

African American (2023)96th percentile+18 vs school

At Risk (2022)92nd percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)92nd percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)81st percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)77th percentile~ school

Female (2026)73rd percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2019)55th percentile-29 vs school

Asian (2026)17th percentile-60 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading54%~ state avg

Mathematics45%~ state avg

Social Studies42%+10 vs state

Algebra I41%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Step Charter Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2026)			STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)						STAAR Mathematics (2026)						STAAR Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	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 Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Step Charter Elementary	Public, Charter	K-8	11250 S Wilcrest Dr	Houston	77099	Harris County	Step Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 988-7797	293	19	15.1	77.1%	12 (4.1%)	55 (18.8%)	151 (51.5%)	66 (22.5%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	43.9	2463^rd of 4643 public elementary schools	47.0%		63	1435^th of 4651 public elementary schools	69.1%	1028							40.5	59.3	35.3	45.2	42.1	71.0	73.7	48.2	32.4	54.8	47.4	41.9		42.1	$13,745
Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	11300 Stancliff	Houston	77099	Harris County	Alief Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 983-8380	650	53	12.3	89.4%	13 (2.0%)	131 (20.2%)	400 (61.5%)	103 (15.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20.5	4031^st of 4643 public elementary schools	13.2%		19.9	4028^th of 4651 public elementary schools	13.4%	3	21.1	50.0						25.0	48.1					16.7	32.0						$9,619
Arrow Academy - Liberation Academy	Public, Charter	K-6	11600 W Airport Blvd	Meadows Place	77477	Fort Bend County	Arrow Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(346) 754-5867	190	16	11.9	60.5%	7 (3.7%)	153 (80.5%)	21 (11.1%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.6%)	79.5	779^th of 4643 public elementary schools	83.2%		52.8	1972^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	57.6%	1193								63.0	64.5	77.1	66.7			51.9	64.5	62.9	46.2				$12,567
KIPP Shine Prep	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	10711 KIPP Way	Houston	77099	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 230-0548	920	39	23.6	95.0%	9 (1.0%)	299 (32.5%)	529 (57.5%)	57 (6.2%)	15 (1.6%)	2 (0.2%)	9 (1.0%)	70.2	1129^th of 4643 public elementary schools	75.7%		67.1	1255^th of 4651 public elementary schools	73.0%	126								48.8	58.6					52.3	74.2						$7,877
Cummings Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	10455 S Kirkwood	Houston	77099	Harris County	Alief Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 983-8328	513	46	11.0	94.7%	8 (1.6%)	191 (37.2%)	270 (52.6%)	39 (7.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	26.2	3692^nd of 4643 public elementary schools	20.5%		21.3	3955^th of 4651 public elementary schools	15.0%	263								32.9	39.7					27.2	43.6						$9,458
Meadows Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12037 Pender Ln	Meadows Place	77477	Fort Bend County	Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 634-4720	425	30	13.9	60.0%	105 (24.7%)	46 (10.8%)	184 (43.3%)	71 (16.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	46.2	2329^th of 4643 public elementary schools	49.8%		47.9	2267^th of 4651 public elementary schools	51.3%	62								44.4	51.6	53.6				33.9	47.6	51.5					$10,582
Horn Elementary	Public	K-4	10734 Bissonett	Houston	77099	Harris County	Alief Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 988-3223	675	55	12.2	90.2%	17 (2.5%)	73 (10.8%)	573 (84.9%)	6 (0.9%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22.7	3904^th of 4643 public elementary schools	15.9%		26.8	3617^th of 4651 public elementary schools	22.2%	287	44.0	46.3						31.0	48.8					24.2	34.5						$9,181
Boone Elementary	Public	K-4	11400 Bissonnet	Houston	77099	Harris County	Alief Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 983-8308	511	47	10.8	92.8%	16 (3.1%)	88 (17.2%)	392 (76.7%)	13 (2.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11.9	4439^th of 4643 public elementary schools	4.4%		11.2	4450^th of 4651 public elementary schools	4.3%	11	17.0	33.9						39.4	31.3					16.3	23.9						$9,784
Best Elementary	Public	K-4	10000 Centre Pkwy	Houston	77036	Harris County	Alief Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 988-6445	655	48	13.5	93.0%	15 (2.3%)	63 (9.6%)	563 (86.0%)	8 (1.2%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23.3	3876^th of 4643 public elementary schools	16.5%		9.9	4486^th of 4651 public elementary schools	3.5%	610	21.1	38.5						41.7	45.8					23.4	33.3						$9,213
Bell Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	12323 Shaftsbury Dr	Houston	77031	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 983-2800	539	38	14.1	87.6%	13 (2.4%)	106 (19.7%)	404 (75.0%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	41.4	2634^th of 4643 public elementary schools	43.3%		27.7	3571^st of 4651 public elementary schools	23.2%	937	0.0							54.1	48.4	41.8				40.9	38.8	45.5					$10,007

Frequently Asked Questions about Step Charter Elementary

Is Step Charter Elementary a good school?

Step Charter Elementary ranks 2463^rd of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Step Charter Elementary in?

Step Charter School

How many students attend Step Charter Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 293 students attended Step Charter Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Step Charter Elementary?

Students at Step Charter Elementary are 52% Hispanic, 23% Asian, 19% African American, 4% White, 2% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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.