Recent domain gain
Relative Performance rose 3 points
81 to 84 2024-25 to 2025-26
- 84 is 8.3 points above the 75.7 average among 55 charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate reporting this measure.
Charter school system
Step Charter School
Administrative office: Houston · 723 students
Official charter system websiteEnrollment, registration and eligibility
- Current score
- 80/1002025-26
- Change
- −13 ptssince 2021-22
- Score vs similar economic context
- +2.9 ptsvs 77.1 average · 56 rated charter school systems serving a similar economic context
- Similar economic-disadvantage rate placement
- 26 of 56tied with 4 others
- Score vs similar-size group
- +1.9 ptsvs 78.1 average · 39 similarly sized rated charter school systems
- Similar size placement
- 18 of 39tied with 3 others
- Score vs state
- +0.3 ptsvs 79.7 average · 165 rated Texas charter school systems
- Texas charter placement
- 91 of 165tied with 12 others
B80
At a glance
Under TEA’s current rules, the available rating history is moving down; under the rules in force back then it scored 94 in 2021-22. The current score is above the 77.1 average for 56 rated charter school systems serving a similar economic context.The current score is above the 78.1 average for 39 similarly sized rated charter school systems.The current score is level with the 79.7 average for 165 rated Texas charter school systems.
Evidence worth noticing
Strengths and momentum
STAAR result
All Subjects above similar-context averages at Meets and Masters
- Meets
- 48%vs 37.5% avg · +10.5 pts
- Masters
- 21%vs 14.1% avg · +6.9 pts
Among 56 charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate reporting this measure.
See the full measureSTAAR result
Math above similar-context averages at Meets and Masters
- Meets
- 44%vs 33% avg · +11 pts
- Masters
- 16%vs 11.7% avg · +4.3 pts
Among 56 charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate reporting this measure.
See the full measureRecent domain gain
Relative Performance rose 3 points
81 to 84 2024-25 to 2025-26
- 84 is 9.5 points above the 74.5 average among 39 similarly sized charter school systems reporting this measure.
STAAR result
All Subjects above similar-size averages at Meets and Masters
- Meets
- 48%vs 40.1% avg · +7.9 pts
- Masters
- 21%vs 16.3% avg · +4.7 pts
Among 39 similarly sized charter school systems reporting this measure.
See the full measureSTAAR result
Math above similar-size averages at Meets and Masters
- Meets
- 44%vs 33.9% avg · +10.1 pts
- Masters
- 16%vs 12.6% avg · +3.4 pts
Among 39 similarly sized charter school systems reporting this measure.
See the full measureRecent domain gain
Relative Performance rose 3 points
81 to 84 2024-25 to 2025-26
- 84 is 8.5 points above the 75.5 average among 164 Texas charter school systems reporting this measure.
STAAR result
All Subjects above Texas charter averages at Meets and Masters
- Meets
- 48%vs 43.8% avg · +4.2 pts
- Masters
- 21%vs 18.3% avg · +2.7 pts
Among 165 Texas charter school systems reporting this measure.
See the full measureSTAAR result
Math above Texas charter averages at Meets and Masters
- Meets
- 44%vs 37.2% avg · +6.8 pts
- Masters
- 16%vs 14.9% avg · +1.1 pts
Among 165 Texas charter school systems reporting this measure.
See the full measureSelected positive signals, not a summary of performance. The same rules choose them on every page: only the latest one-year gain, results meaningfully better than the currently selected comparison with broad reporting, and distinctive top-three placements. Demographics, staffing and spending cannot become academic “wins.” The overall rating and the full results below remain the complete picture for this charter school system.
Read the full rating context and placement
Step Charter School is rated B by TEA, scoring 80 out of 100 for 2025-26 — above the 77.1 average for 56 rated charter school systems serving a similar economic context. It is down 13 points since 2021-22.
Ranks 26th of 56 rated charter school systems serving a similar economic context (tied with 4 others).
Step Charter School is rated B by TEA, scoring 80 out of 100 for 2025-26 — above the 78.1 average for 39 similarly sized rated charter school systems. It is down 13 points since 2021-22.
Ranks 18th of 39 similarly sized rated charter school systems (tied with 3 others).
Step Charter School is rated B by TEA, scoring 80 out of 100 for 2025-26 — level with the 79.7 average for 165 rated Texas charter school systems. It is down 13 points since 2021-22.
Ranks 91st of 165 rated Texas charter school systems (tied with 12 others).
Put the numbers in context
Compare with
Jump to a section
- Overview
- 5 years of ratings
- Where the score comes from
- Student outcomes
- Who this charter school system serves
- Student counts behind the percentages
- Enrollment over time
- Students entering this charter system
- Discipline and removal from class
- 3 schools in this charter school system
- Spending per student
- Teachers
- Where this charter school system ranks best
- Where this comes from
5 years of ratings
Follow the solid line to see how this charter school system has changed. Turn comparison lines on or off to add context.
Compare against
2021-22 is shown under the refreshed methodology TEA adopted in 2023, so it is comparable with later years. Under the original scoring it was rated A with 94 that year.
Comparison lines follow the current rated cohort backward through time. The table gives the number in that fixed cohort that reported a score each year; it can be smaller than cohort membership.
View the yearly scores and comparisons
| Year | Rating | Score | Selected comparisonSimilar economic-disadvantage rate | StateTexas charter average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | B | 80 | 77.1 56 reporting | 79.7 165 reporting |
| 2024-25 | B | 83 | 74.9 56 reporting | 79.2 160 reporting |
| 2023-24 | C | 78 | 74.7 55 reporting | 78.2 159 reporting |
| 2022-23 | D | 69 | 73.3 55 reporting | 77.4 158 reporting |
| 2021-22 | A | 93 | 82.1 51 reporting | 82.4 150 reporting |
Where the score comes from
Texas builds the overall rating from the better of Student Achievement and School Progress, weighted 70%, plus Closing the Gaps at 30%. School Progress is itself the better of Academic Growth and Relative Performance. The 60, 70, 80 and 90 rules mark the letter-grade thresholds.
- Step Charter School
- Similar economic-disadvantage rate (56 in cohort)
| Domain | Score | Grade | Points to next grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Achievement | 76 | C | 4 |
| School Progress | 84 | B | 6 |
| Closing the Gaps | 72 | C | 8 |
| Academic Growth | 70 | C | 10 |
| Relative Performance | 84 | B | 6 |
Closest to moving up: School Progress, 6 points below A in that domain — the nearest of the measures that count toward the overall rating.
TEA does not add the domains up. The overall score is the better of Student Achievement and School Progress at 70%, plus Closing the Gaps at 30%. For this charter school system that better measure is School Progress (84), so Student Achievement (76) is published above but does not enter the overall score at all — gaining points there changes nothing until it passes 84.
Student outcomes
STAAR performance
- Approaches grade level
- Meets grade level
- Masters grade level
- Tick: Similar economic-disadvantage rate (56 in cohort)
Percentage of tests at or above each level. Masters is a subset of Meets, which is a subset of Approaches. The selected-comparison tick on each bar marks the average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate — a comparison TEA does not publish.
Counts in the comparison controls describe full cohort membership, not the denominator of every average. Each average uses only charter school systems for which TEA reported that measure; metric-specific reporting counts are shown on the STAAR, graduation and CCMR rows and may vary.
Who this charter school system serves
Placed after the results deliberately: this is context for reading them, not an explanation of them.
- Students
- 723
- Economically disadvantaged
- 93.9%+2.1 pts vs similar economic context
- English learners
- 63.3%+26.7 pts vs similar economic context
- Special education
- 6.2%−7.6 pts vs similar economic context
- Attendance
- 94.4%+1.8 pts vs similar economic context
- Chronically absent
- 15.4%−8.9 pts vs similar economic context
Student demographics
Step Charter School
- African American 17.4%
- Hispanic 68.7%
- White 2.6%
- American Indian 1%
- Asian 9.1%
- Two or More Races 1.1%
Selected comparison average For charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 56 reporting for every category shown · 56 in full cohort
- African American 29.1%
- Hispanic 64.5%
- White 3.5%
- American Indian 0.2%
- Asian 1.4%
- Two or More Races 1.3%
Selected comparison average For similarly sized charter school systems · 39 reporting for every category shown · 39 in full cohort
- African American 20%
- Hispanic 59.9%
- White 12.9%
- American Indian 0.3%
- Asian 3.8%
- Pacific Islander 0.1%
- Two or More Races 3%
Texas charter average 165 reporting for every category shown · 165 Texas charter school systems in full cohort
- African American 21%
- Hispanic 54.7%
- White 15.7%
- American Indian 0.3%
- Asian 5.3%
- Pacific Islander 0.1%
- Two or More Races 2.9%
Student counts behind the percentages
Context only. These counts are not rankings, comparisons, or judgments about school quality.
- Students in this TEA accountability summary
- 723
- Economically disadvantaged students
- 679
- Emergent bilingual students
- 458
- Special education students
- 45
The first figure is TEA’s student count for this accountability summary. It is a separate publication from the fall PEIMS enrollment shown above and can differ; this site does not substitute one for the other. Counts come from TEA’s 2025-26 accountability summary, fetched 29 August 2026. A reported zero is shown as 0. Small-number and complementary masks, unavailable values, and blank not-reported fields stay separate and are never estimated. TEA masking definitions.
Enrollment over time
TEA-reported student enrollment for each available school year. Enrollment growth or decline is not a measure of school quality.
TEA reported 723 students in 2025–26, an increase of 30 (4.3%) from 2024–25.
- Latest enrollment
- 723
2025–26
- Change from 2024–25
- +30
Increase · +4.3%
- Change since 2021–22
- +165
Increase · +29.6%
Enrollment in 2025–26
- This charter school system
- 723
- Selected comparison
- 1,744.5
| School year | Students enrolledStep Charter School | Change from previous school year | Average enrollmentselected comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 558 | First available year | 1,639.8 |
| 2022–23 | 569 | Increase of 11 (2.0%) | 1,678.6 |
| 2023–24 | 598 | Increase of 29 (5.1%) | 1,761.1 |
| 2024–25 | 693 | Increase of 95 (15.9%) | 1,757.4 |
| 2025–26 | 723 | Increase of 30 (4.3%) | 1,744.5 |
The selected comparison column is the average enrollment among reporting charter school systems in that group. It changes with the comparison control; this charter school system's own counts do not.
Source: TEA PEIMS Student Program and Special Populations Reports, fetched 24 August 2026. TEA reports these counts from its fall student snapshot; changes compare adjacent reported school years.
These counts show how enrollment changed, not why. Attendance-zone changes, school openings or closures, grade reconfigurations, transfers and population shifts can affect the total.
Students entering this charter system
How many students live in a geographic school district and attend this charter system. These are movement counts, not a quality rating.
- Transfers in
- 723
Live in a geographic district; attend this charter system · 2025–26
Transfers in · 2025–26
- This charter school system
- 723
- Selected comparison
- 1,744.5
| School year | Transfers inStep Charter School | Transfers inselected charter comparison average |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 558 | 1,639.8 |
| 2022–23 | 569 | 1,678.6 |
| 2023–24 | 598 | 1,761.1 |
| 2024–25 | 693 | 1,757.4 |
| 2025–26 | 723 | 1,744.5 |
Largest reported resident-district origins
- Houston ISD 101912391
- Alief ISD 101903287
- Fort Bend ISD 07990733
Top reported flows only. TEA published 3 of 7 counterpart counts and masked 4.
TEA does not publish a transfers-out total or a resident population for this charter system. A charter system is not a geographic attendance boundary, so a net transfer balance cannot be calculated and this page does not label the system a transfer gainer or loser.
Selected comparison figures are average reported transfer-in counts among charter systems, not rates; system size affects them. They provide scale context and are not a performance judgment. This charter system’s official total does not change when the comparison does.
Source: TEA Student Transfer Reports, fetched 24 August 2026. The total and origin rows are TEA’s published charter-system figures; this site does not add masked detail cells. A transfer-in count does not say why a family chose the charter or whether one school is better.
Discipline and removal from class
TEA’s annual student and action counts, kept separate and divided only by the matching full-year enrollment. These figures describe removals from instruction, not a simple safe-or-unsafe score.
- Students in TEA’s all-discipline count
- Not reported
Rate not available
- Disciplinary actions
- Not reported
Rate not available
- Cumulative year-end enrollment
- 767
2024–25
| School year | Cumulative enrollment | Studentsall discipline | Students% of enrollment | Actionsall discipline | Actionsper 100 students | Studentsselected comparison average % | Actionsselected comparison average per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | 579 | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | 628 | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 481 | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | 625 | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| 2024–25 | 767 | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
See 2024–25 discipline categories
| Category | Students | Students% of enrollment | Actions | Actionsper 100 students | Studentsselected comparison average % | Actionsselected comparison average per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All discipline | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| In-school suspensions | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| Out-of-school suspensions | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| DAEP placements | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| Mandatory DAEP placements | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| Discretionary DAEP placements | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| JJAEP placements | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| Mandatory JJAEP placements | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| Discretionary JJAEP placements | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| Expulsions | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| Mandatory expulsions | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
| Discretionary expulsions | Not reported | — | Not reported | — | — | — |
Selected comparisons use rates, not raw counts, so differently sized charter school systems can be read on the same basis. Each average uses only group members for which TEA reported that rate; this charter school system's own counts and rates remain fixed.
Students, actions and incidents are different units. One student can receive multiple actions. The categories overlap, so they must not be added together. Rates use TEA's matching cumulative year-end enrollment, not the October enrollment shown elsewhere on this page.
Source: TEA Discipline Reports, fetched 24 August 2026. Suppressed values stay unavailable rather than being estimated. Use 2020–21 cautiously because remote instruction during the pandemic changed students' exposure to in-person discipline. TEA consolidated its separate action-group reports into this product in 2024–25; this trend uses only the stable “All discipline” heading.
3 schools in this charter school system
Number of schools in the charter school system
- This charter school system
- 3
- Selected comparison
- 3.7
The selected comparison is a neutral average charter school system size. This charter school system's school count and school-type mix remain its own facts.
- Elementary
- 3
Browse all 3 schoolsName, type, rating, score and enrollment
| School | Type | Rating | Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step Charter Elem | Elementary | B | 86 | 296 |
| Step Charter Iii | Elementary | B | 84 | 87 |
| Step Charter II | Elementary | C | 75 | 340 |
Spending per student
The selected txschools.net comparison changes with the page-wide control. TEA's own peer group and statewide reference stay visible as separately published, fixed TEA references.
- Step Charter School
- TEA peer group
- Texas average
- Selected comparison: Similar economic-disadvantage rate
Spending per student · 2025
- This charter school system
- $15,211
- Selected comparison
- $16,128
This charter school system spends $6,264 less per student than TEA's peer group, and $3,761 less per student than the state average.
View yearly spending figures
| Year | Step Charter School | TEA peer group | Texas average | Selected comparison average | Reportingselected comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $10,930 | $14,290 | $13,054 | $10,324 | average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 48 rated charter school systems reporting |
| 2019 | $11,456 | $14,225 | $13,108 | $10,372 | average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 51 rated charter school systems reporting |
| 2020 | $12,686 | $15,250 | $14,058 | $11,154 | average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 52 rated charter school systems reporting |
| 2021 | $14,112 | $17,863 | $14,797 | $12,257 | average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 52 rated charter school systems reporting |
| 2022 | $13,347 | $16,982 | $15,708 | $15,671 | average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 55 rated charter school systems reporting |
| 2023 | $15,604 | $18,148 | $16,792 | $15,430 | average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 55 rated charter school systems reporting |
| 2024 | $16,224 | $19,654 | $18,125 | $15,696 | average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 55 rated charter school systems reporting |
| 2025 | $15,211 | $21,475 | $18,972 | $16,128 | average for charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 56 rated charter school systems reporting |
The selected-comparison reporting count is year-specific and can vary across the table. Dollar amounts are shown as TEA published them and are not adjusted for inflation.
Teachers
- Average salary
- $71,538+$6,902 vs similar economic context
- Teachers
- 48−52.5 vs similar economic context
- Students per staff member
- 15.2−0.9 vs similar economic context
Teaching experience
Step Charter School
- Beginning 28.6%
- 1 to 5 years 31.5%
- 6 to 10 years 10.5%
- 11 to 20 years 27.3%
- 21 to 30 years 2.1%
Selected comparison average For charter school systems with a similar economic-disadvantage rate · 56 reporting for every category shown · 56 in full cohort
- Beginning 10.6%
- 1 to 5 years 39.1%
- 6 to 10 years 20.9%
- 11 to 20 years 19.1%
- 21 to 30 years 7.7%
- Over 30 years 2.6%
Selected comparison average For similarly sized charter school systems · 39 reporting for every category shown · 39 in full cohort
- Beginning 11.2%
- 1 to 5 years 39.3%
- 6 to 10 years 21.9%
- 11 to 20 years 18.5%
- 21 to 30 years 7.4%
- Over 30 years 1.7%
Texas charter average 165 reporting for every category shown · 165 Texas charter school systems in full cohort
- Beginning 11.4%
- 1 to 5 years 36.3%
- 6 to 10 years 19.7%
- 11 to 20 years 20.6%
- 21 to 30 years 8.2%
- Over 30 years 1.9%
Teacher turnover over time
TEA reported a 15.7% teacher turnover rate in 2024–25.
Teacher turnover rate · 2024–25
- This charter school system
- 15.7%
- Selected comparison
- 32.9%
| School year | Teacher turnover rateStep Charter School | Average turnover rateselected comparison |
|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | 10.6% | 25.7% |
| 2021–22 | 19.5% | 31.9% |
| 2022–23 | 47.5% | 36.3% |
| 2023–24 | 29.0% | 34.9% |
| 2024–25 | 15.7% | 32.9% |
TEA defines this charter school system rate as the share of teacher full-time equivalents from the prior fall who are not employed as teachers in the charter school system in the current fall. That can include leaving the charter school system or remaining in a different role; it is not a campus-level measure. The comparison average changes with the selected group; this charter school system's reported rate does not.
Source: TEA Texas Academic Performance Reports, fetched 24 August 2026.
Where this charter school system ranks best
Out of 72 rankings computed across every published metric and every available comparison group, these are all the measures that meet this site’s distinctive-placement threshold. The list does not change when you change Compare against. Each measure appears once, using its strongest placement. Press Copy for a citable sentence.
#4–10 rankings
Fourth- through tenth-place results
9 measures
-
6of 55
Science — Masters
Similar economic-disadvantage rate · of the 55 that report this measure
-
7of 39
Relative Performance
Similar size · of the 39 that report this measure · tied with 2
-
8of 56
Reading — Masters
Similar economic-disadvantage rate · of the 56 that report this measure · tied with 2
-
9of 56
Reading — Approaches
Similar economic-disadvantage rate · of the 56 that report this measure · tied with 2
-
9of 55
Science — Meets
Similar economic-disadvantage rate · of the 55 that report this measure · tied with 2
-
9of 39
School Progress
Similar size · of the 39 that report this measure · tied with 2
-
9of 39
All Subjects — Masters
Similar size · of the 39 that report this measure · tied with 1
-
9of 39
Reading — Meets
Similar size · of the 39 that report this measure
-
10of 39
All Subjects — Meets
Similar size · of the 39 that report this measure
These are selected high placements, not a summary. Every figure above this section is the full picture, including where this charter school system ranks poorly. Each measure appears once here, using its strongest qualifying placement across all available comparison groups. Very large ties are left out because they do not distinguish this charter school system; any tie that does appear is labeled. Every ranking this site publishes, including the ones no charter school system would put in a press release.
Where this comes from
The Texas Education Agency publishes the underlying accountability reports and data downloads. Ratings, outcomes, demographics, staffing and finance on this page come from TEA data available through txschools.gov, fetched 15 August 2026. TEA’s Reports and Data Portal links the official bulk files. Enrollment history comes from TEA's PEIMS Student Program and Special Populations reports, fetched 24 August 2026. The student-count context comes from TEA’s bulk accountability summary, fetched 29 August 2026; TEA’s masking definitions explain withheld values. The dated notice, staffing, discipline, transfer, community and postsecondary sections cite their separate TEA, Census or THECB publication in place. Every archived source carries checksums so each number stays traceable to the bytes the public agency served.
Download this charter school system as CSV · JSON · the whole dataset