Al-Hadi School 

Alhadi History

In March of 1995 at the behest of the community members a " School Committee" was formed for the purpose of looking into establishing a year round school that would operate under Islamic principles. As work progressed, the Islamic Education Board (IEB) was formed, chaired by a Resident Scholar.  The community’s vision and dream came to fruition when Al-Hadi School of Accelerative learning was established.

On January 9th, 1996, the school opened its doors with a center-based environment prepared for 3-6 year olds. By August of that year, the school was ready to accept students in PreK-Grade5 in a regular educational program. In 2001, the school embarked on an extensive renovations project.  That year, the school added middle and high school classrooms, two science labs, a computer lab, a cafeteria and an auditorium. At the other end of the spectrum, the preschool added the Toddler classroom for children as young as 18 months in 2002. The preschool playground was modified to accommodate the needs of these youngest students.  Further, the school continued to add grades each year until Al-Hadi School graduated its first class of Seniors in 2004.  

Over the years, the school continued to add to the facility and programs. The ESL program was introduced to cater to LEP (Limited English Proficiency) students. The Physical Education department added a basketball court, a small soccer field and elementary playground equipment, to provide increased opportunities for outdoor activity for students. In 1999, the hot lunch program was introduced to ensure healthy and nutritious meals were served to the students.

In the area of extracurricular activities, the school began to compete in the annual SIM City Competition (part of the National Engineers Week program).  In 1999, the AHS team advanced to the National Competition and represented the school, in Washington, DC. Since then the school continues to participate in the contest. Al-Hadi has also competed yearly, in academic contests through the Private Schools Interscholastic Association (PSIA) since 2003, and has been placed 1st in both elementary and middle school divisions within its district over the last two years.

Al-Hadi School passed a major milestone in 2001 when it was awarded accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (www.sacscasi.org). Six years later, in May 2007, the school was recognized as an “Exemplary School” based on the periodic Quality Review required by the association.  Al-Hadi continues to maintain its accredited status.

Today, Al-Hadi School maintains an average enrollment of 350+ students coming from diverse backgrounds. It offers accelerated and Advance Placement courses and has significant student achievements in IOWA, STAAR, PSAT, SAT and ACT standarized exams. 

Above all, the support of the community has not diminished but has continued to grow and become stronger.  The high expectations have helped the school move to new levels with each passing year. 

School Demographics

Al-Hadi School is situated in Southwest Houston and caters to a diverse population that travels from many different areas of the city. The school enrolment averages around 275 students.  Almost all students and staff and faculty speak one or more additional language other than English.  Al-Hadi is currently serving 55% South Asians, 41% Arab, 2% Europeans, 1% African Americans, 0.5% Asian and 0.5% Hispanic.

30% of the student body come from low middle class homes. 59% come from middle/upper middle class and 11% come from affluent homes.The population is made up of mostly first generation Americans with parents who come from different parts of the world to settle in the United States. The majority of our parents are bilingual. Most of the parents have received formal education and possess a Bachelors or a Master’s degree.  Some have professional degrees in law, dentistry or medicine. A few own their own businesses.  Al-Hadi is a community supported school and has a very strong community involvement who is keen to help and support the children’s educational process.  The school is never short of volunteers. Our parents are very involved in their children’s education and in the community.

Education is greatly valued by the members of the community and the Islamic Education Center and the members of the Islamic Education Board.  Priority was given to building a school building for the students at the new site, which became operational in 2019.

Curriculum

Al Hadi School courses are guided by the Common Core, College Board and Texas Essential and Skills (TEKS) standards.Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered and are based on rigorous curricula that encourage higher level thinking skills and help establish study skills necessary for college level study.

Advance Placement Statistics

Number of students who have appeared in AP tests over the last 3 years: 39

Percentage of scores that have qualified for college credit: 80%

Subjects in which AP tests have been administered: Biology, Calculus AB, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Statistics, Human Geography,  and World History.

Dual Credits

The school offers high school students the option to enroll in Dual Credit courses in collaboration with the Houston Community College. Students have received credit for a number of courses through the Dual Credit program, including English, Government, Chemistry, Pre-calculus, US History, and Economics.

Grading & Ranking Procedures

Student GPA’s are calculated based on a weighted average of high school courses taken at AHS. The school does not rank its graduates. The GPA is provided on a scale of 4 to accommodate college admission requirements.

Standardized Testing

Students in grades 10 and 11 take the PSAT test in preparation for college entrance. Juniors and Seniors take the SAT. Students in grades 3 – 10 take the IOWA test of basic skills.

SAT Statistics

Average AHS scores have risen from 1200/1400 to 1400/1600 over the last 2 years.

Competitions

Students have participated in the following competitions over the last five years:

National Engineers Week Future City Competition (SIM City)AHS Science FairScience and Engineering Fair in HoustonPrivate Schools Interscholastic Association (PSIA)Inter-School Sports CompetitionIslamic Art Festival

Regions

• Texas

Location