Cherokee Elementary School

Cherokee Elementary School is a PK-5 school in Memphis, TN, serving 321 students as part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, a district ranked near the bottom of Tennessee — yet Cherokee has engineered one of the most dramatic academic turnarounds in the state, climbing from the 1st percentile in 2022-2023 to the 46th percentile in 2025-2026. Math proficiency jumped from 5% to 39.6%, ELA from 7.2% to 32.9%, and science from 6.9% to 52.3% over that same period.

Cherokee is a clear standout among its immediate neighbors. The eight nearby schools in the same district all rank in the 0th–16th percentile statewide, while Cherokee sits at the 46th. Its math proficiency of 39.6% is more than double that of Dunbar Elementary School, the next closest school at 18.9%, and its science results (52.3%) are above the Tennessee state average — a remarkable feat for a school in a low-performing district. Cherokee also posts strong results for high-need student groups, ranking in the 80th percentile statewide for African American students and low-income students, and the 71st percentile for English learners. Notably, nearby schools like Sharpe Elementary School and Bethel Grove Elementary School spend more per student than Cherokee yet achieve far weaker outcomes, suggesting the difference is school-specific — curriculum, instruction, and culture — rather than a matter of resources.

The biggest challenges ahead are chronic absenteeism, which sits at 46% versus a 30.2% district average, and a notable achievement gap for male students, who rank in the 23rd percentile statewide compared to female students at the 52nd. Cherokee also remains slightly below state averages in math (39.6% vs. 43.0%) and ELA (32.9% vs. 40.6%), so there is still room to grow. Still, the school's trajectory — from the bottom of the state to the middle in just three years — makes it one of the most improved elementary schools in the region and a potential model for turnaround.