Summary:
Zip code 38103 in Memphis, Tennessee contains just one middle school — Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School — which serves 306 students in grades 5 through 8 as part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The school's standout strength is 8th-grade mathematics, where 52.9% of students are proficient, more than triple the district rate of 16.6% and well above the state rate of 38.3%. Science and social studies are also relative bright spots, with proficiency rates of 42.9% and 45.2% respectively, outperforming the district by roughly 14 to 16 percentage points.
English language arts is the school's clearest weakness, with 23.1% proficiency overall — below the district's 24.6% and far below the state's 40.6%. ELA proficiency declines steadily as students advance, falling from 29.7% in 6th grade to 22.9% in 7th grade and just 16.5% in 8th grade. The school has earned a 2-star state rating for three consecutive years, with its ranking fluctuating between the 34th and 50th percentiles. Chronic absenteeism affects 26.4% of students — better than the district's 30.2% but far above the state's 18.3%. Per-student spending is $16,860, a substantial figure that does not translate into top-tier academic results.
Year-over-year trends show notable volatility. Social studies proficiency plunged 12.5 points, from 57.7% to 45.2%, and math fell 8.6 points, from 36.6% to 28.0%, while ELA and science improved modestly. The school outperforms its district in every subject except ELA, but the district itself ranks in the 3rd percentile of Tennessee districts, so statewide comparisons remain sobering. For parents, the picture is mixed: strengths in 8th-grade math, science, and social studies are genuine, but persistent ELA struggles, high absenteeism, and inconsistent year-to-year performance indicate the school has yet to achieve broad-based, reliable improvement.
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