Journey Coleman Academy

Journey Coleman Academy is a K-8 school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 629 students as part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, a district ranked near the bottom statewide. One of the most striking facts about Journey is its per-pupil spending: just $7,933 per student, which is roughly half of what every nearby school spends. For example, Lucie E. Campbell Elementary School spends about $14,879 per student, Scenic Hills Elementary School spends $16,062, and nearby schools average nearly $15,000. Despite this large funding gap, Journey is not the lowest-performing school in its cluster, and in some subjects it actually outperforms schools spending twice as much.

Academically, Journey is a mixed picture. Its overall test scores are low, and early-grade results are especially concerning: only 9.2% of 3rd graders are proficient in ELA, and 4th-grade math proficiency sits at 11.3%. However, the middle grades tell a very different story. Eighth-grade science proficiency is 45.2%, essentially matching the state average of 44.3% and nearly double the district’s 22.9%. Eighth-grade math (33.3%) also beats the district rate by a wide margin. Seventh-grade students similarly outperform district averages in science, ELA, and social studies. Social studies is a consistent bright spot across the school, with overall proficiency of 29.4% slightly above the district average and the highest among nearby K-8 schools reporting data—Granville T. Woods Academy of Innovation Charter School sits at 18.2% and Star Academy at 14.4%.

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at Journey, with 43.2% of students missing enough school to be considered chronically absent. That is well above the district rate of 30.2% and more than double the state rate, though it is not the worst among nearby schools—Lucie E. Campbell is at 54.9% and Scenic Hills at 44.0%. Interestingly, schools with much lower absenteeism, like Granville T. Woods (18.4%) and Star Academy (16.3%), do not consistently outperform Journey. This suggests attendance alone does not explain the differences. Journey’s low overall statewide ranking (7th percentile) masks real pockets of strength, particularly in middle-school science and math. The most urgent need is early-grade literacy and math, but the school’s success in later grades and in social studies shows that effective instruction is happening and could be built upon.