How strong are the public high schools in Houston?

With a fresh school year kicking off, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com, which incorporates comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews to help you choose the right school, to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year, as well as those that top the city's best public high school rankings.

North Shore Senior High School's overall rating improved the most among its peers in Houston, rising from a B- to a B, according to data from Niche.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 353 N. Castlegory, enrolls 4,835 students. North Shore Senior High School serves a diverse population: 70% of students identify as Hispanic and 23% identify as black. Niche gave the school mixed grades: B- on an A-D scale for academics, B- for administration and B+ for clubs and activities.

The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.

Academically, 83% of North Shore Senior High School's students scored proficient or above in math, and 63% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 69% in math and 56% in reading. The school's improved rating is notable since it serves a less-affluent population, with 72% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

It's not the only school that's climbed Niche's rankings this year. Hastings High School saw its overall rating jump from a C+ to a B-. The school is located at 4410 Cook Road and is a bit smaller, currently serving 3,999 students, of whom 55% identify as Hispanic, 29% identify as black and 11% identify as Asian.

Niche gave Hastings High School mixed grades: C+ on an A-D scale for academics, C+ for administration and B for clubs and activities. Its latest math proficiency was 67%, and reading proficiency was 44%. The school also serves a less-affluent population, with 80% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Jersey Village High School also saw improvement in its overall rating, from a B+ to an A-. The school is located at 7600 Solomon St. and has 3,610 students currently enrolled, of whom 59% identify as Hispanic, 17% identify as white and 11% identify as Asian.

Niche gave Jersey Village High School mixed grades — B+ on an A-D scale for academics, A- for administration and B- for clubs and activities. Its latest math proficiency was 84%, and reading proficiency was 71%.

While some public high schools are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:

• Memorial High School, with an overall rating of A+.
• Clear Lake High School, with an A+ rating overall.
• Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, rated A+ overall.

---

This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.