Is North Forest High School a good school?

North Forest High School ranks in the bottom 16.0% of Texas high schools.

How many students attend North Forest High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 949 students attended North Forest High School.

What is the racial makeup of North Forest High School?

Students at North Forest High School are 51% African American, 46% Hispanic, 1% White.

What schools feed into North Forest High School?

North Forest High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Hilliard Elementary Elementary : Marshall Elementary Elementary : Shadydale Elementary Middle : Forest Brook Middle

North Forest High School

Summary:

North Forest High School is a public high school in Houston, Texas, serving 974 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Houston Independent School District, which is ranked 572 out of 968 districts in Texas and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Forest High School consistently ranks in the bottom 15% of Texas high schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past 7 years, indicating very low academic performance. The school has seen declining four-year graduation rates, dropping from 83.6% in 2019-2020 to 75.6% in 2022-2023, which is significantly lower than the state and district averages. Additionally, North Forest High School has experienced an increase in dropout rates, rising from 4.4% in 2019-2020 to 7.6% in 2021-2022, higher than the state and district averages. Students at North Forest High School consistently perform well below the state and district averages on STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) exams, with only 30.04% of students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 44.73% statewide and 38.03% in the Houston ISD.

When comparing North Forest High School to nearby schools, such as Kashmere High School and Summer Creek High School, it becomes clear that North Forest is struggling significantly more than its counterparts. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 10-15% of Texas high schools for African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students. Despite being part of the Houston ISD, North Forest High School has not shown meaningful improvement in its academic performance or other key metrics over the past several years, suggesting a need for more targeted interventions and support to address the underlying challenges faced by the school and its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

10726 Mesa Dr
Houston, TX 77078-1401

(713) 636-4300

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

SchoolDigger Rank:
1669^th of 1,987 Texas High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,969

Feeder schools for North Forest High School:

Elementary:	Hilliard Elementary
	Marshall Elementary
	Shadydale Elementary
Middle:	Forest Brook Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 949

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.0%

Hispanic:

46.3%

White:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare North Forest High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details North Forest High School ranks worse than 84% of high schools in Texas. It also ranks 35^th among 45 ranked high schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd). (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at North Forest High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (51%), Hispanic (46.3%), White (1.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at North Forest High School is 12.8, which is the 11^th best among 45 high schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd). (See more...)

Compare North Forest High School employs 73.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at North Forest High School is $10,969, which is the 13^th highest among 45 high schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd).

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

North Forest High School:

SchoolDigger ranks North Forest High School 1669^th of 1987 Texas public high schools. (See North Forest High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Houston Independent School District (Isd):

SchoolDigger ranks Houston Independent School District (Isd) 572^nd of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for North Forest High School

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Rank History for all students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2016	6.40	1638^th	1762	7.0%
2017	7.77	1621^st	1777	8.8%
2018	12.04	1580^th	1797	12.1%
2019	12.76	1627^th	1857	12.4%
2021	10.76	1678^th	1861	9.8%
2022	11.41	1682^nd	1876	10.3%
2023	10.30	1746^th	1961	11.0%
2024	17.00	1669^th	1987	16.0%

See the entire list of Texas High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	27.94	858^th	1113	22.9%
2019	22.54	966^th	1136	15.0%
2021	16.31	1112^th	1195	6.9%
2022	21.30	1072^nd	1278	16.1%
2023	22.91	1081^st	1371	21.2%
2024	31.21	936^th	1435	34.8%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	23.53	1157^th	1347	14.1%
2019	31.54	980^th	1357	27.8%
2021	16.21	1331^st	1382	3.7%
2022	20.23	1284^th	1418	9.4%
2023	18.14	1368^th	1478	7.4%
2024	41.35	857^th	1547	44.6%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	16.76	1598^th	1794	10.9%
2019	17.10	1614^th	1818	11.2%
2021	14.91	1643^rd	1848	11.1%
2022	15.39	1632^nd	1847	11.6%
2023	12.86	1686^th	1897	11.1%
2024	19.05	1604^th	1883	14.8%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	12.30	1606^th	1781	9.8%
2019	12.75	1608^th	1798	10.6%
2021	9.47	1659^th	1815	8.6%
2022	10.15	1661^st	1841	9.8%
2023	8.20	1723^rd	1891	8.9%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	0.70	1124^th	1137	1.1%
2021	21.48	1028^th	1177	12.7%
2022	29.85	992^nd	1172	15.4%
2023	12.42	1088^th	1182	8.0%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	25.07	1487^th	1784	16.6%
2019	22.48	1560^th	1810	13.8%
2021	16.73	1651^st	1829	9.7%
2022	19.08	1612^th	1837	12.2%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	10.57	1651^st	1803	8.4%
2019	10.98	1673^rd	1824	8.3%
2021	11.58	1663^rd	1840	9.6%
2022	11.28	1668^th	1853	10.0%
2023	10.59	1707^th	1913	10.8%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	19.21	848^th	1013	16.3%
2019	21.04	835^th	1024	18.5%
2021	20.17	847^th	1020	17.0%
2022	16.37	901^st	1031	12.6%
2023	15.85	932^nd	1069	12.8%
2024	19.87	875^th	1065	17.8%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile
2018	17.62	1478^th	1691	12.6%
2019	17.02	1511^th	1714	11.8%
2021	13.62	1550^th	1743	11.1%
2022	20.09	1456^th	1762	17.4%
2023	14.68	1583^rd	1820	13.0%
2024	22.74	1441^st	1804	20.1%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at North Forest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	TX State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	2.86	1516^th	1576	3.8%

See the entire list of Best Texas High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Texas Education Agency

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for North Forest High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	6	676	1	333	12	0	0	1028
2015	8	659	1	354	7	0	0	1029
2016	10	646	2	346	7	0	2	1013
2017	9	602	2	321	7	0	1	942
2018	9	647	0	355	6	0	0	1017
2019	9	609	0	368	4	0	3	993
2020	6	570	0	397	2	0	1	976
2021	10	550	1	404	3	0	1	969
2022	11	544	3	436	1	0	5	1000
2023	9	501	3	451	4	0	6	974
2024	14	484	4	439	1	1	6	949

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at North Forest High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	1028	60.9	16.8	88.2
2015	1029	56.0	18.3	66.5
2016	1013	56.0	18.0	60.2
2017	942	58.4	16.1	73.2
2018	1017	58.8	17.2	81.7
2019	993	56.6	17.5	91.7
2020	976	58.2	16.7	95.4
2021	969	64.0	15.1	95.8
2022	1000	59.8	16.7	97.1
2023	974	65.6	14.8	97.3
2024	949	73.8	12.8	98

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio North Forest High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	1028	60.9	16.8	88.2
2015	1029	56.0	18.3	66.5
2016	1013	56.0	18.0	60.2
2017	942	58.4	16.1	73.2
2018	1017	58.8	17.2	81.7
2019	993	56.6	17.5	91.7
2020	976	58.2	16.7	95.4
2021	969	64.0	15.1	95.8
2022	1000	59.8	16.7	97.1
2023	974	65.6	14.8	97.3
2024	949	73.8	12.8	98

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for North Forest High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,464 (14.5%)	$8,626 (85.5%)	$10,090
2020	$1,565 (14.2%)	$9,419 (85.8%)	$10,984
2021	$1,134 (10.3%)	$9,835 (89.7%)	$10,969

Data source: Texas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on North Forest High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1627^th of 1857 High schools	Ranks 1746^th of 1961 High schools	1.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (North Forest High School)	35	20	15%
End of Course Algebra I (Houston Independent School District (Isd))	50	34	16%
End of Course Algebra I (Texas)	62	45	17%
End of Course Biology (North Forest High School)	38	28	10%
End of Course Biology (Houston Independent School District (Isd))	51	40	11%
End of Course Biology (Texas)	63	57	6%
End of Course English I Reading (North Forest High School)	16	18	2%
End of Course English I Reading (Houston Independent School District (Isd))	39	41	2%
End of Course English I Reading (Texas)	49	54	5%
End of Course English II Reading (North Forest High School)	21	25	4%
End of Course English II Reading (Houston Independent School District (Isd))	43	44	1%
End of Course English II Reading (Texas)	51	56	5%
End of Course U.S. History (North Forest High School)	43	42	1%
End of Course U.S. History (Houston Independent School District (Isd))	68	63	5%
End of Course U.S. History (Texas)	75	71	4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	993	974	1.9%
African American	609	501	17.7%
American Indian	4	4
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	368	451	22.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	9	9
Two or More Races	3	6	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.7%	97.3%	5.6%

Schools Near North Forest High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2024)	STAAR EOC Biology (2024)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2024)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2024)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2024)	STAAR Reading (2024)			STAAR Mathematics (2024)			STAAR Science (2024)	STAAR Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Science 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
North Forest High School	Public	9-12	10726 Mesa Dr	Houston	77078	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 636-4300	949	74	12.8	98.0%	14 (1.5%)	484 (51.0%)	439 (46.3%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.6%)	17	1669^th of 1987 public high schools	16.0%		10.3	1746^th of 1961 public high schools	11.0%	77	30.0	39.8	23.7	29.7	49.8									$10,969	$1,134	$9,835
KIPP Northeast College Preparatory	Public, Charter	9-12	9680 Mesa Dr	Houston	77078	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 230-0567	579	41	14.1	93.8%	3 (0.5%)	196 (33.9%)	374 (64.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	30.9	1388^th of 1987 public high schools	30.1%		27.3	1437^th of 1961 public high schools	26.7%	49	7.4	43.4	43.2	56.1	50.7									$11,500	$916	$10,584
Yes Prep North Forest	Public, Charter	6-12	6602 Winfield Rd	Houston	77050	Harris County	Yes Prep Public Schools Inc	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 967-8699	1,004	60	16.7	94.3%	9 (0.9%)	108 (10.8%)	878 (87.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.5%)	39.3	1192^nd of 1987 public high schools	40.0%		37.4	1233^rd of 1961 public high schools	37.1%	41	44.0	43.4	46.0	54.7	64.7	43.5	51.3	42.5	24.0	22.2	16.2	22.4	12.4	$10,094	$1,355	$8,739
Kase Academy	Public	10-12	8530 C E King Pkwy	Houston	77044	Harris County	Sheldon Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 727-3600	99	8	12.6	82.8%	6 (6.1%)	25 (25.3%)	68 (68.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			33.3	13.6	59.4									$15,092	$2,624	$12,467
C E King High School	Public	9-12	11433 E Sam Houston Pkwy N	Houston	77044	Harris County	Sheldon Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(346) 378-7000	3,670	207	17.7	82.8%	138 (3.8%)	1,059 (28.9%)	2,395 (65.3%)	19 (0.5%)	7 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	51 (1.4%)	26.7	1478^th of 1987 public high schools	25.6%		26	1477^th of 1961 public high schools	24.7%	1	27.2	34.5	40.7	41.8	61.1									$10,820	$1,116	$9,703
Kashmere High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	6900 Wileyvale St	Houston	77028	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 636-6400	640	66	9.7	97.7%	7 (1.1%)	327 (51.1%)	302 (47.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16.7	1674^th of 1987 public high schools	15.8%		7	1805^th of 1961 public high schools	8.0%	131	16.4	42.2	32.8	32.5	43.6									$12,395	$1,319	$11,075
MacArthur High School	Public	9-12	4400 Aldine Mail Rt	Houston	77039	Harris County	Aldine Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 985-6330	3,573	198	18.0	91.7%	60 (1.7%)	158 (4.4%)	3,330 (93.2%)	4 (0.1%)	13 (0.4%)	1 (0.0%)	7 (0.2%)	19	1635^th of 1987 public high schools	17.7%		13.5	1696^th of 1961 public high schools	13.5%	61	17.4	34.4	29.6	41.2	51.7									$9,794	$1,979	$7,814
Highpoint School East (Crosby)	Public	6-12	8003 E Sam Houston Pkwy	Houston	77049	Harris County	Crosby Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(713) 696-2163	21			81.0%	3 (14.3%)	6 (28.6%)	11 (52.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.8%)	6	1860^th of 1987 public high schools	6.4%					(n/a)	0.0	14.3	12.5	28.6
Highpoint School East (Daep)	Public	10-12	8003 E Sam Houston Pkwy N Hy	Houston	77049	Harris County	Galena Park Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 459-1190	10			100.0%	1 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (90.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Highpoint East	Public	8-12	8003 E Sam Houston Pkwy N	Houston	77049	Harris County	Humble Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 641-7400	25			52.0%	0 (0.0%)	17 (68.0%)	8 (32.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

North Forest High School

North Forest High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Houston Independent School District (Isd):

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for North Forest High School

Rank History for all students at North Forest High School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at North Forest High School

Rank History for Special Education students at North Forest High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at North Forest High School

Rank History for Female students at North Forest High School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at North Forest High School

Rank History for At Risk students at North Forest High School

Rank History for Male students at North Forest High School

Rank History for African American students at North Forest High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at North Forest High School

Rank History for White students at North Forest High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for North Forest High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at North Forest High School

Student/Teacher Ratio North Forest High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for North Forest High School

Impact of COVID-19 on North Forest High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near North Forest High School

Frequently Asked Questions about North Forest High School

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