Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Colonial Middle School

Q: Is Colonial Middle School a good school?

Colonial Middle School ranks 436 th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Colonial Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,034 students attended Colonial Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Colonial Middle School?

Students at Colonial Middle School are 51% African American, 40% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% White.

Q: What high school do graduates of Colonial Middle School attend?

Students who attend Colonial Middle School usually go on to attend Overton High School

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

436^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 27% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Colonial Middle School serves 1,034 students in grades 6–8 in Memphis's 38117 ZIP code as part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. Within a district that ranks near the very bottom of Tennessee, Colonial stands out as the second-highest-performing middle school in its immediate area, behind only White Station Middle School (77th percentile) and ahead of Power Center Academy Middle School (21st), Ridgeway Middle School (10th), and other nearby campuses. The school ranks 436th of 594 Tennessee middle schools (27th percentile), but it clearly outpaces most of its neighborhood peers.

Colonial's clearest academic strengths are in social studies, science, and advanced math. Social studies proficiency is 39.8%, well above the district's 28.7%, and 7th grade social studies approaches the state average. Science proficiency (33.5%) also beats the district average of 28.4%. In 8th grade Algebra I, 64.3% of test-takers scored proficient, compared to the district's 58.0%. ELA proficiency of 26.1% is more than double that of Oakhaven Middle School, Sherwood Middle School, American Way Middle School, and Hickory Ridge Middle School. These gains have been building over time: social studies proficiency has risen 13 points since 2022-2023, with science improving as well.

Colonial also shows meaningful progress in supporting specific student groups. Special education students improved dramatically, moving from the 38th percentile of Tennessee schools serving similar students in 2023-2024 to the 71st percentile and a 4-star rating in 2025-2026. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 23.1% is below the district's 30.2% and far better than nearby Sherwood Middle School (45.3%) and Oakhaven Middle School (41.4%). While overall math proficiency (19.0%) and the school's 1-star state rating remain below state averages, Colonial's standing as the second-best middle school in its immediate area—and its steady improvement in several subjects—make it a relative bright spot within its district.

1,034

Students ?

19.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,858

Per pupil spending ?

53.9%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

1370 Colonial Road
Memphis, TN 38117

(901) 416-8980

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Students who attend Colonial Middle School usually attend:

High:

Overton High School

Feeder schools for Colonial Middle School:

Elementary:	Sea Isle Elementary School
	South Park Elementary School
	Willow Oaks Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.2%

Hispanic:

40.0%

Two or more races:

5.1%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Colonial Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 24th percentile in 2018 → 27th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (30% vs 44% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Mathematics scores 24 pts below the Tennessee average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg25%

Tennessee avg44%

436^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 3 pts since 2018

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 32Middle Schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools

137^th of 141Memphis-Shelby County Schools among Tennessee districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	29.4	436 of 594	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.2	419 of 583	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	450 of 587	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	450 of 594	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.4	458 of 569	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.1	488 of 576	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.0	395 of 574	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.9	428 of 563	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	52.2	135 of 328	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.9	131 of 312	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.1	158 of 318	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.7	150 of 316	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.9	152 of 299	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.1	180 of 277	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.1	91 of 293	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.9	111 of 284	60.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	28.6	80 of 100	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.2	69 of 73	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	37 of 42	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	25 of 39	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	31.1	394 of 546	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.5	424 of 554	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.9	419 of 560	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	442 of 552	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.0	456 of 538	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.3	301 of 529	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2024	28.3	14 of 15	6.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.6	13 of 17	23.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.4	21 of 23	8.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.7	38 of 39	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	48.6	24 of 35	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	33.1	205 of 302	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	165 of 286	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.7	202 of 285	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.0	219 of 285	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	239 of 275	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.9	243 of 261	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	33.9	151 of 228	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.1	173 of 219	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2024	25.3	20 of 23	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	275 of 478	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.8	225 of 490	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.7	304 of 510	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.6	336 of 514	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.9	381 of 495	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.9	413 of 483	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.5	290 of 490	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.2	331 of 481	31.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	27.7	410 of 550	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	443 of 560	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	447 of 557	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.6	443 of 540	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	463 of 529	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.2	411 of 523	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	51.8	102 of 349	70.8%	★★★★☆
2025	35.7	193 of 332	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.3	186 of 299	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.4	206 of 288	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.0	138 of 238	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.2	91 of 222	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	30.5	211 of 279	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	26.8	395 of 494	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.0	357 of 492	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	59.0	174 of 504	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	26.5	379 of 500	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.1	374 of 496	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.4	286 of 484	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.5	241 of 481	49.9%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Special Education (2026)71st percentile+44 vs school

African American (2026)59th percentile+32 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)42nd percentile+16 vs school

Hispanic (2026)32nd percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)28th percentile~ school

Male (2025)25th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)20th percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)20th percentile-8 vs school

Homeless (2024)13th percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2024)7th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I64%+32 vs state

Social Studies40%-12 vs state

Science34%-13 vs state

English Language Arts26%-14 vs state

Mathematics19%-24 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Colonial Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Colonial has one of the finest music departments in Shelby county TN. Close Quote

Schools Near Colonial Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)				TNReady English Language Arts (2026)				TNReady Algebra I (2026)				TNReady Geometry (2026)			TNReady Science (2026)				TNReady Social Studies (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 6th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 7th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Geometry 7th Grade	TNReady Geometry 8th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Colonial Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1370 Colonial Road	Memphis	38117	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-8980	1,088	56	19.6	53.9%	31 (2.8%)	584 (53.7%)	423 (38.9%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (4.0%)	29.4	436^th of 594 public middle schools	26.6%		30.2	419^th of 583 public middle schools	28.1%	17	11.0	22.0	22.9	19.0	32.7	27.1	19.7	26.1			64.3	64.3				28.2	38.0	33.4	33.5	36.1	47.4	35.5	39.8	$13,858	$1,407	$11,661
American Way Middle School	Public	6-8	3805 American Way	Memphis	38118	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-1250	671	41	16.5	59.3%	2 (0.3%)	416 (62.0%)	234 (34.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.8%)	9.1	553^rd of 594 public middle schools	6.9%		10.4	527^th of 583 public middle schools	9.6%	26	5.7	10.8	13.9	10.1	15.6	10.3	5.6	10.5								19.4	12.0	23.5	18.6	21.0	13.0	25.6	20.2	$15,004	$2,216	$11,901
Sherwood Middle School	Public	6-8	3480 Rhodes Ave	Memphis	38111	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-4870	670	46	14.5	66.9%	4 (0.6%)	468 (69.9%)	185 (27.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.8%)	4.2	584^th of 594 public middle schools	1.7%		5	576^th of 583 public middle schools	1.2%	8	< 5%	< 5%	6.1	< 5%	8.8	< 5%	< 5%	5.7								9.1	10.2	14.1	11.1	11.2	15.0	8.0	11.4	$14,013	$1,948	$11,204
Wooddale Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3467 Castleman Street	Memphis	38118	Shelby County	Tennessee Public Charter School Commission	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(901) 730-4086				—															(n/a)	8.3	7.7	5.5	7.1	5.5	7.7	< 5%	6.1								17.4	19.0	17.8	18.1	36.4	32.2	23.1	30.0
University Middle School	Public	6-8	330 Fogelman Drive	Memphis	38152	Shelby County	University Schools - Memphis	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(901) 678-4200	0			10.6%								94.6	25^th of 594 public middle schools	95.8%					(n/a)	68.8	66.3	50.0	63.6	73.1	65.9	71.4	70.1			≥ 95%	≥ 95%				75.3	78.0	65.3	74.2	67.7	85.6	88.3	80.0	$13,446	$219	$13,068
Ridgeway Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	6333 Quince Road	Memphis	38119	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-1588	557	36	15.4	55.9%	8 (1.4%)	471 (84.6%)	63 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.7%)	11	537^th of 594 public middle schools	9.6%		11.9	521^st of 583 public middle schools	10.6%	16	12.9	11.4	6.4	10.4	20.2	16.7	10.5	16.0								16.5	27.6	17.0	20.7	20.1	27.6	21.1	23.1	$13,552	$1,585	$11,036
Power Center Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	5449 Winchester Road	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 333-6874	449	21	21.0	57.6%	1 (0.2%)	288 (64.1%)	157 (35.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	24	469^th of 594 public middle schools	21.0%		27.5	440^th of 583 public middle schools	24.5%	29	28.7	18.8	34.0	27.0	26.6	11.6	9.9	16.0								36.6	17.2	14.2	22.7	53.5	23.4	33.8	36.9	$14,387	$1,455	$12,565
White Station Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	5465 Mason Rd	Memphis	38120	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-2184	1,091	69	15.8	31.2%	263 (24.1%)	465 (42.6%)	198 (18.1%)	80 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	84 (7.7%)	72.1	137^th of 594 public middle schools	76.9%		79.4	85^th of 583 public middle schools	85.4%	52	38.9	50.6	36.3	42.4	54.1	50.1	43.7	49.3		≥ 95%	≥ 95%	≥ 95%		≥ 95%	≥ 95%	54.3	55.1	44.9	52.0	61.0	60.6	55.1	58.9	$13,651	$1,299	$11,699
Hickory Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	3920 Ridgeway Road	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-9337	865	44	19.8	65.7%	5 (0.6%)	651 (75.3%)	183 (21.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.9%)	10.4	543^rd of 594 public middle schools	8.6%		9.6	541^st of 583 public middle schools	7.2%	2	11.2	18.6	8.8	12.4	12.6	15.8	9.6	12.4								17.8	29.0	15.7	20.2	21.2	30.7	16.7	22.1	$13,297	$1,575	$10,887
Oakhaven Middle School	Public	6-8	3125 Ladbrook Rd	Memphis	38108	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-2380	270	16	17.4	68.6%	2 (0.7%)	213 (78.9%)	47 (17.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.0%)	8.2	558^th of 594 public middle schools	6.1%		9.8	536^th of 583 public middle schools	8.1%	22	5.2	< 5%	6.5	5.1	12.5	13.0	< 5%	10.0								14.6	22.8	10.9	16.3	23.7	25.2	19.4	22.9	$12,947	$1,579	$11,001

Frequently Asked Questions about Colonial Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Colonial Middle School?

Students at Colonial Middle School are 51% African American, 40% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% White.

How many students attend Colonial Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,034 students attended Colonial Middle School.

What district is Colonial Middle School in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

What high school do graduates of Colonial Middle School attend?

Students who attend Colonial Middle School usually go on to attend Overton High School

Is Colonial Middle School a good school?

Colonial Middle School ranks 436^th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Colonial Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

TNTennessee Middle School Rankings

TNTennessee District Rankings

Schools in Memphis, TN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Colonial Middle School!

Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.