Elevate Collegiate

Elevate Collegiate is a small PK-5 charter school in Houston, TX, serving 192 students as a single-school district (Elevate Collegiate Charter School), with 89-96% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. After ranking in the bottom 2nd percentile statewide for two years, the school jumped to the 11th percentile in the 2025-2026 school year, signaling a potential turnaround that sets it apart from nearby schools like Gregory-Lincoln Educational Center (25th percentile) and Blackshear Elementary (10th percentile), which have remained in the bottom quartile.

The most notable bright spot is the school's exceptional progress with its African American students, whose state ranking soared from the 2nd percentile to the 36th percentile—a 34-point jump that earned the school 2 stars for this subgroup. However, the school faces significant challenges, including a high student-to-teacher ratio of 21.3, nearly double that of Cage Elementary (12.3) and Gregory-Lincoln (12.6). This ratio suggests larger class sizes, which is particularly concerning given the high-need population. Additionally, a "5th grade cliff" in math sees proficiency drop from 31% in 3rd and 4th grade to just 16.67% in 5th grade, while nearby Macgregor Elementary achieves 51% proficiency in 5th grade math.

Science is a critical weakness, with 0% of 5th graders proficient in 2024-2025, compared to 51% at Arabic Immersion Magnet School and 37% at Wharton K-8 Dual Language Academy, a high-performing school (83rd percentile) just two miles away with a much lower poverty rate. While Elevate Collegiate's recent gains are encouraging, the school must address its high student-to-teacher ratio and academic gaps in upper-elementary math and science to sustain its momentum and better serve its students.