Memphis-Shelby County Schools

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools district encompasses 207 schools, including 123 elementary schools, 33 middle schools, 46 high schools, and 5 alternative schools. The district serves a diverse student population across the Memphis metropolitan area. While the overall performance of the district is mixed, several standout schools emerge, including White Station High, Whitehaven High, and East High, which demonstrate exceptional academic achievement across multiple subject areas.

The data reveals significant performance gaps between the top-performing and lower-performing schools within the district. For example, in Algebra II, White Station High has a 43.6% proficiency rate, while Southwind High has only a 5.1% proficiency rate. Additionally, the schools with the highest percentages of free/reduced-price lunch recipients tend to have the lowest academic performance, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support in these communities.

Despite the challenges, the district also boasts several middle schools that outperform the high schools, with Maxine Smith STEAM Academy standing out as an exceptional outlier, ranking 9th out of 587 Tennessee middle schools and earning a 5-star rating. This highlights the potential for the district to learn from the practices of its top-performing schools and implement strategies to raise student achievement across the board.