Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 38018

Zip code 38018 in Cordova, Tennessee, is home to one middle school, Cordova Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 with an enrollment of 680 students. This school is part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, a system that currently ranks in the 3rd percentile statewide. Cordova Middle itself holds a 1-star rating and ranks 513 out of 594 Tennessee middle schools, placing it in the 14th percentile for the 2025–2026 school year. That represents a slight decline from the prior year's 19th percentile ranking, and the school has remained at 1 star for three consecutive years.

Academically, the school sits below both district and state averages in most core subjects. For example, only 14.1% of students are proficient in mathematics and 16.4% in English language arts, compared to state averages of 43.0% and 40.6%, respectively. Science proficiency is 21.6%, also well below the state's 46.9%. However, there is a striking exception: Algebra I. An impressive 61.1% of Cordova Middle students taking Algebra I scored proficient or advanced, more than triple the district rate (18.1%) and nearly double the state rate (32.3%). This reflects a 19-point improvement over the previous year. Social studies is the only other subject above the district average, at 31.6% proficiency, driven largely by a strong 7th-grade cohort (38.6%). Meanwhile, overall math proficiency dropped by 8 points year-over-year, and chronic absenteeism stands at a very high 33.1%—nearly double the state average of 18.3%.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Cordova Middle School is a mixed picture. The school clearly has pockets of excellence, particularly in advanced math and social studies, where students can outperform state averages. Yet the broader academic trend is concerning, with declines in core subjects and a worrying attendance crisis affecting one in three students. Spending per student is $13,481, which suggests funding is not the main obstacle. The most effective path forward would likely involve scaling the successful Algebra I and 7th-grade social studies strategies to other subjects, while making a serious, school-wide effort to reduce chronic absenteeism. Addressing attendance could be the single most impactful step toward raising proficiency and improving the school's 1-star rating over time.