Four schools from McAllen ISD earned a spot among America’s Best Schools Honor Roll – a national platform for schools with strong academic achievement.
The list, created by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST), includes James “Nikki” Rowe High, Brown Middle School, Seguin Elementary and Thigpen-Zavala Elementary.
The 2026 America’s Best Schools Honor Roll recognizes “an exceptional group of schools whose applications demonstrate strong evidence of academic success for all student groups.”
“Each honor roll school is truly one of America’s Best Schools, as their applications provided clear evidence that school leaders, teachers, and support staff are working together to generate outstanding learning outcomes for every demographic group they serve,” according to the NCUST website.
Although each Honor Roll school is a winner, a select number of these schools will be named as finalists and receive on-site visits. The finalist schools will be announced on January 30 and America’s Best School Winners will be announced in May.
On Rowe High
Colonel James “Nikki” Rowe High School in the McAllen ISD exemplifies a unified, high-performing community where excellence, equity, and belonging are inseparable.
Grounded in a shared belief that all students can succeed, Rowe operates as a true team of students, families, and staff, marked by mutual respect, strong relationships, and a collective commitment to learning. This culture is reinforced through consistent recognition, fair and respectful discipline, and a wide range of opportunities that allow every student to find purpose through rigorous academics, fine arts, athletics, service organizations, or leadership experiences.
Academically, Rowe High ensures universal access to challenging curricula through high-quality core instruction, advanced coursework, dual credit, and innovative programs such as the INCubator entrepreneurship pathway, while maintaining exceptional outcomes that include a four-time “A” rating, a graduation rate exceeding 99 percent, and all seven academic distinctions from the Texas Education Agency.
Instruction is intentionally designed to promote deep understanding, with clear learning targets, frequent academic discourse, and real-time formative assessment that makes student thinking visible and drives immediate instructional adjustment.
A robust Multi-Tiered System of Support ensures timely intervention and meaningful enrichment, pairing targeted reteaching with extension opportunities that promote creativity, problem-solving, and real-world application. Observers consistently note high levels of student engagement, strong ownership of learning, and a staff that collaborates relentlessly to refine practice.
On Brown Middle School
Dorothea W. Brown Middle School in the McAllen ISD is a thriving learning community defined by inclusion, rigor, and a shared commitment to student growth. Guided by its pillars of Strength, Unity, and Determination, Brown fosters a campus culture where students of all backgrounds feel valued, respected, and capable of success.
This culture is strengthened through celebrations of academic progress, including recognition of multilingual growth through the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System, monthly guidance lessons that support social-emotional development, and the presence of the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf, which enriches campus life by promoting empathy, accessibility, and respect for diversity. Staff members experience this same culture of care and collaboration, reflected in climate survey results showing high levels of appreciation, well-being, and overall job satisfaction.
Academically, Brown Middle School ensures all students engage in rigorous, standards-aligned instruction through intentional lesson design, a strong districtwide bilingual academic language initiative, and frequent opportunities for discourse, writing, and problem solving. Student outcomes reflect this commitment, with eighth grade students earning some of the highest district passing rates on the Texas Success Initiative college readiness assessment.
Instruction is purposeful and engaging, built on clear learning objectives, bell-to-bell teaching, ongoing formative assessment, and gradual release of responsibility. Student understanding is continuously monitored through data-driven practices, growth tracking, and collaborative Professional Learning Communities that refine instruction and guide timely intervention and enrichment.
Observers consistently note active classrooms, confident students articulating their thinking, and teachers adjusting instruction in real time. These strengths are further reflected in Brown’s accomplishments across fine arts, academics, and athletics, creating a school community where high expectations, strong support, and student pride are clearly visible.
On Seguin Elementary
Juan Seguin Elementary in the McAllen ISD is a vibrant, inclusive learning community where students and staff feel supported, challenged, and inspired to succeed. Student climate survey data, strong attendance patterns, and daily classroom interactions demonstrate that students across all demographic groups feel safe, cared for, and believed in, reinforced by a schoolwide commitment to social-emotional learning, positive behavior supports, and leadership opportunities such as Social-Emotional Learning Ambassadors.
Staff experience the same sense of trust and support, reflected in consistently low turnover, collaborative professional culture, and shared responsibility for student success. Academically, all Prekindergarten through fifth-grade students engage in rigorous, student-centered instruction grounded in inquiry, project-based learning, and real-world application, with the five-E instructional model driving deep learning in math and science and strong analytical expectations in reading and writing.
Instruction is continuously refined through data-driven planning, weekly professional learning meetings, small-group reteach and enrichment, and clear learning goals that promote high cognitive engagement for all learners, including bilingual students, gifted and talented students, and those needing targeted intervention. These systems have produced strong outcomes, including an A rating from the Texas Education Agency, multiple state distinctions, significant growth among economically disadvantaged students, and recognition for instructional excellence through Teacher Incentive Allotments and statewide awards.
Enrichment through UIL competitions, fine arts, athletics, and family partnership initiatives further reflects a well-rounded culture where academic excellence, belonging, and opportunity extend beyond the classroom, ensuring every Seguin student is prepared to thrive academically and personally.
On Thigpen-Zavala Elementary
Thigpen-Zavala Elementary in the McAllen ISD is a high-performing, student-centered campus where both students and staff feel valued, supported, and capable of success.
A defining feature of the school is its exceptionally high staff retention, reflecting a culture of trust, professionalism, and shared purpose. Teachers are supported through collaborative Professional Learning Communities, transparent communication, and intentional recognition systems that reinforce morale and collective ownership.
Students experience a nurturing, inclusive environment where strong relationships, cultural pride, and high expectations drive engagement and achievement. Despite serving a high-poverty, high-mobility population, student mobility has significantly decreased as families increasingly choose to remain connected to the school community. Classrooms reflect rigorous, standards-aligned instruction supported by data-driven practices using tools such as i-Ready, mCLASS Amplify, and state assessments to inform targeted instruction.
All students participate in a daily Targeted Assistance Growth block, receiving intervention, enrichment, or extension aligned to individual needs, while Emergent Bilingual, Special Education, and Gifted and Talented students access grade-level rigor through appropriate scaffolds and project-based learning.
Students actively track their own progress through goal setting and data monitoring, fostering ownership and a growth mindset. Instructional excellence is reinforced through strong first-teach practices, writing across content areas, structured collaboration, and continuous curriculum refinement. These systems have resulted in sustained academic growth, four consecutive A ratings from the Texas Education Agency, and repeated distinctions for academic achievement, growth, and closing achievement gaps.
Observers consistently note a vibrant, respectful campus culture where high expectations, data-informed instruction, and community pride work together to ensure every learner thrives.
About NCUST
NCUST started in 2005 as the vision of then-president of San Diego State University (SDSU), Stephen Weber, and then-dean of the SDSU College of Education, Lionel Meno. Both men envisioned SDSU playing a constructive role in improving urban education throughout the nation. With a generous $2.4 million gift from QUALCOMM, Inc., they established NCUST. Immediately, the new center established the National Excellence in Urban Education Award Program as a strategy to identify and begin to study some of the nation’s most successful urban schools. The first five schools were awarded in May 2006.
About McAllen ISD
McAllen ISD is a 2025 winner of the state’s highest rating of an “A” grade and a 2025 winner of the state’s Postsecondary Readiness Distinction. The district is home to 31 campuses and approximately 19,500 students. To learn more about McAllen ISD’s schools and programs, contact Student Outreach at 956-687-MISD (6473).