Many Houstonians have a Houston zip code but aren't part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Spring Branch (SBISD) is one such district serving Houstonians but not part of HISD. In SBISD, Spring Branch Academic Institute stands on top as Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD)'s best elementary and [...]
Applying to a private school in Houston can feel overwhelming, especially if this is your family’s first time going through the process. Between school visits, entrance exams, essays, recommendations, interviews, transcripts, and financial aid forms, there are a lot of moving pieces—and seemingly every school does things just a [...]
West University Elementary, the second best performing elementary school in HISD by STAAR scores T.H. Rogers continues its reign as Houston Independent School District (HISD)'s best elementary and middle school by Texas STAAR test scores. Other top elementary schools include West University, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School (MIMS), River [...]
What are the most popular, elite private schools in Houston? It seems like a simple question, but unlike the voluminous data available about Houston's magnet schools, Houston private schools generally do not publish the number of applications they receive, and even when acceptance rates are available, they do not necessarily [...]
Over General Academic's 23+ years of supporting Houston students, we have seen academic expectations increase exponentially. Whether students are navigating the rigorous transition into an HISD Vanguard program or juggling advanced classes with intense extracurriculars at competitive schools like St. John's, Kinkaid, or Awty, the sheer volume of work can [...]
For Houston students applying to highly competitive private schools—such as Awty, Kinkaid, and St. John's—the ISEE admissions test is a high-stakes gatekeeper. We surveyed 134 rising 5th and 8th graders before and after they completed General Academic’s ISEE prep courses in summer of 2026. Approximately 81% of students understood the [...]
At General Academic we are investing heavily in a bespoke English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum to support our Elementary Learning Program. Integrated into our Piqosity e-learning platform, the upcoming "ELA-2" curriculum will enable powerful new analytics and tools for our youngest learners and their tutors. There will also be thousands [...]
Executive functions are the suite of cognitive abilities that allows students to plan, focus, manage tasks, and regulate behaviors. Developing these skills is necessary for both academic success and lifelong adaptability. Parents seeking effective support strategies for their students should fully understand how these skills can evolve and enhance their [...]
Many parents find themselves in a familiar situation: they have a smart, curious child, whose grades are not reflective of their intelligence or academic ability. Often, this disconnect can be explained by weaknesses in their student’s executive function–the mental control system that helps people manage attention, behavior, memory, and time. [...]