KIPP Memphis Academy Middle

KIPP Memphis Academy Middle is a public charter middle school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 228 students in grades 6-8, with a predominantly African American student population of 92.11%.

Despite spending significantly more per student ($13,985 in 2020-2021) compared to the district average and having a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 10.4, KIPP Memphis Academy Middle consistently ranks among the lowest-performing middle schools in Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The school's proficiency rates in core subjects like Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies are significantly lower than the state and district averages, with only 7.7% of students proficient or better in Mathematics in 2022-2023, compared to the state average of 38.1% and the district average of 17%. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as female students, male students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the bottom 20-30% of middle schools in Tennessee.

Interestingly, KIPP Memphis Academy Middle's academic performance is consistently lower than that of nearby public and charter middle schools, such as Kingsbury Middle, Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School, and Bellevue Middle, which generally outperform KIPP Memphis Academy Middle across various subject areas and student subgroups. Despite the school's higher per-student spending and lower student-teacher ratio, these resources do not appear to be translating into improved academic outcomes for students, as the school's performance has remained stagnant or even declined over the past several years.