Crosstown High: Parent Guide to a Project-Based, Competency-Based Public Charter School

Crosstown High is a tuition-free public charter high school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving grades 9 through 12. It opened in 2018 with a founding class of approximately 150 ninth graders and graduated its first senior class in 2022 ¹. The school operates inside Crosstown Concourse, a ten-story mixed-use development that houses over 40 businesses and organizations, putting students in daily proximity to community partners, nonprofits, and health-care and arts organizations ²³. As of the 2025-2026 school year, the school reports enrolling 537 students drawn from 31 zip codes across Memphis and Shelby County, with a student body that is approximately 55% Black and intentionally diverse by design ⁴.

What makes Crosstown High non-traditional is its combined commitment to project-based learning, competency-based assessment, and deliberate racial and socioeconomic diversity. The school was conceived through a community design process that gathered input from over 200 students and community members, motivated in part by a goal of disrupting Memphis's patterns of school segregation ¹. It was one of the schools selected for funding through the XQ Super School Project, receiving a $2.5 million grant from the XQ Institute in August 2017 ⁵. The school describes its four pillars as diverse by design, project-based, competency-based, and relationship-driven, and it uses restorative practices rather than traditional disciplinary approaches to build community ¹⁶.

Snapshot facts

Field	Detail
Official name	Crosstown High
Operating status	Active, single campus
Founded	20181
Founders	Chris Terrill (co-founder, former Executive Director, now senior advisor at XQ Institute) and John Smarrelli (co-founder, founding board chair, President of Christian Brothers University)7
Current leadership	Erin Johnson, Head of School8
Primary location	1365 Tower Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, inside Crosstown Concourse2
Grades served	9-12
Public/charter status	Public charter school authorized by Shelby County Schools (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)6
Tuition	Tuition-free ($0), funded as a Tennessee public charter school
Admissions model	Lottery-based, open enrollment with sibling priority; no selective admissions 9
Educational model	Project-based and competency-based, guided by XQ Outcomes 12
Operator	Independently operated by Crosstown High School, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 81-0717938); no CMO/EMO
Evidence confidence	Mixed public and school-reported data 41011

What it is

Crosstown High is a single-site public charter high school, independently operated by Crosstown High School, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is authorized by Shelby County Schools, now known as Memphis-Shelby County Schools, and is accountable to the same state academic standards and standardized assessments as other Tennessee public schools⁶. The school does not belong to a charter management organization or education management organization. Its founding was supported by a $2.5 million grant from the XQ Institute as part of the XQ Super School Project, a national initiative to rethink high school design ⁵. The school is also a member of the XQ network of schools¹².

Educational model

Crosstown High's educational model rests on four stated pillars: diverse by design, project-based, competency-based, and relationship-driven ¹. Students learn through interdisciplinary projects organized around real-world challenges, often connected to Memphis community needs. Each semester is framed by an "essential question" that connects academic content to students' lives and communities ¹⁰¹³. Teachers design projects in collaboration with students through "project pitch" sessions, giving students a voice in shaping what they will study ⁶.

The competency-based approach means that learning is measured by what students can demonstrate rather than by seat time alone. The school defines 12 core competencies aligned with XQ Outcomes and Tennessee state standards, covering both academic knowledge and what the school describes as "life-ready skills" and habits ²⁶. Students self-assess their progress using competency trackers, and teachers provide feedback across four levels: developing, approaching, mastery, and exemplary ⁶. Each student has a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) and works with an advisor who helps set goals and track growth ¹⁰.

Juniors and seniors can pursue capstone projects organized into thematic "strands" such as the environment, health care, politics, and social and criminal justice. Capstone work involves expert interviews with community partners, presentations, and project showcases ³. The school also offers APEX courses, student-designed exploratory classes that may include topics like marine biology, filmmaking, and American Sign Language, often involving off-campus trips ². Juniors and seniors may earn academic credit through internships, apprenticeships, and paid work experiences ².

Student experience

The school occupies the fourth and fifth floors of Crosstown Concourse, a renovated Sears distribution center turned vertical community hub ²⁶. Students interact regularly with the building's tenants and visitors, and projects frequently involve community partners as experts, mentors, and audiences ²⁶. The school emphasizes restorative practices over exclusionary discipline, framing relationship-building as a core part of the learning environment ¹.

Every student participates in an advisory group, and the school aims for each student to have at least one experiential learning opportunity each year, such as field trips or community-based learning ². College and career counseling begins in junior year, with one-on-one support from a counselor exploring options including college, trades, apprenticeships, military service, and gap years ². The school's founding journey was documented in the film "The First Class," which follows the inaugural cohort of students ¹.

Curriculum, assessment, and progression

The curriculum integrates state academic standards with the school's 12 core competencies. Learning is organized around team-taught interdisciplinary blocks and a dedicated project period, rather than traditional departmentalized classes ¹⁰. Assessment includes multiple rounds of feedback and revision, with input from teachers, peers, and community partners. Students are expected to revise their work until it meets established standards ².

The school reports designing an extended transcript that captures competencies alongside traditional course credits ¹¹. As a Tennessee public school, Crosstown High administers the same state-mandated standardized assessments as other public schools, including the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program and the ACT ⁶⁹. Students in advanced grades have access to AP coursework, and the school participates in dual-enrollment and college-credit partnerships².

Public, charter, private, nonprofit, program, network, or platform status

Crosstown High is a public charter school, not a private school or a program within a larger network. It is authorized by Shelby County Schools (Memphis-Shelby County Schools) and operated by Crosstown High School, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with no charter management organization or external education management operator. The school is a member of the XQ network of schools and partners with the Carnegie Foundation's Future of High School Network for research and development. Its founding and early operations were supported by the XQ Institute's $2.5 million grant ⁵, and it maintains higher-education partnerships with Christian Brothers University for dual-enrollment courses and with the University of Memphis⁷.

Locations and availability

Crosstown High operates a single campus at 1365 Tower Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, on the fourth and fifth floors of the Crosstown Concourse building⁶. There are no additional campuses, satellite locations, or announced expansion plans. The school does not offer virtual or online learning; all instruction is in person.

Tuition, admissions, and eligibility

As a Tennessee public charter school, Crosstown High charges no tuition. Admission is by lottery, administered through the SchoolMint platform, with no academic entrance requirements or selective criteria ⁹. Applications are open to rising 9th, 10th, and 11th graders; the school does not accept new 12th-grade applicants. Siblings of currently enrolled students receive priority in the lottery but must still complete the full application process ⁹. The priority application period typically opens in mid-October and closes at the end of the calendar year, with the lottery conducted by mid-January. Families offered a seat must complete registration, including proof of residence and transcripts, by stated deadlines ⁹.

Credits, transcripts, diplomas, and accreditation

• Crosstown High issues a standard Tennessee high school diploma, and students must meet Tennessee state graduation requirements.
• The school reports developing an extended transcript that documents competency mastery in addition to traditional course grades ¹¹.
• Through partnerships with Christian Brothers University and the University of Memphis, students may earn college credit via dual enrollment⁷.
• No formal accreditation is listed in the verified data block.
• A search of publicly available sources did not confirm a specific accreditation status (such as Cognia or AdvancED).
• The NCES school locator explicitly notes that inclusion in its database does not constitute an endorsement or imply accreditation ⁸.
• Parents should verify current accreditation status directly with the school.

Evidence and outcomes

Crosstown High's first graduating class, in 2022, achieved a 95% on-time graduation rate, according to a school-reported account published by The 74 Million, which also noted stronger results for students from low-income families and students of color compared to local and state counterparts ⁷. Public data compiled by Public School Review show a graduation rate of 95% in 2022 and 92% in 2023, compared to Tennessee's state average of 90% and the Memphis-Shelby County Schools average of 80-81% ⁴. These figures are school-reported and drawn from public databases.

On standardized assessments, public data indicate mixed results. Public School Review reports math proficiency at 19% (below the Tennessee state average of 34%) and reading/language arts proficiency at 47% (above the state average of 37%) ⁴. The student-teacher ratio is reported at 14:1, slightly lower than the Tennessee state level of 15:1 ⁴. NCES data for the 2024-2025 school year list total enrollment at 520 students, with 216 students eligible for free lunch by direct certification ⁸. The school's own website reports 537 students for 2025-2026 ⁴.

Best fit

Crosstown High may be a strong fit for families seeking a public, tuition-free high school that emphasizes real-world projects, community engagement, and competency-based learning over traditional lecture-and-test instruction. Students who thrive with autonomy, collaboration, and iterative feedback may respond well to the model. Families whose students prefer highly structured, traditional classroom formats or who prioritize extensive AP course catalogs may want to weigh the school's project-based approach carefully. The school's "diverse by design" mission and restorative practices approach may appeal to families who value intentional diversity and relationship-centered school culture.

Questions parents should ask

• How does the competency-based transcript interact with college admissions, particularly for out-of-state institutions unfamiliar with this format?
• What is the school's current accreditation status, and is it pursuing accreditation through Cognia or another regional body?
• How are dual-enrollment credits through Christian Brothers University and the University of Memphis structured, and what costs, if any, do families bear?
• What support is available for students who struggle with the transition from traditional to project-based learning?
• How does the school handle state standardized test preparation within a project-based framework?
• What are the waitlist odds for 10th and 11th grade transfers, given limited upper-grade seats?

Sources

[1] "Mission and Vision," Crosstown High, https://crosstownhigh.org/mission-vision, accessed July 22, 2026. [2] "Academics at Crosstown," Crosstown High, https://crosstownhigh.org/academics, accessed July 22, 2026. [3] "Learning at the Concourse: Crosstown High," Getting Smart, https://www.gettingsmart.com/2021/09/30/learning-at-the-concourse-crosstown-high/, accessed July 22, 2026. [4] "Crosstown High School Profile," Public School Review, https://www.publicschoolreview.com/crosstown-high-school-profile, accessed July 22, 2026. [5] "Crosstown High wins $2.5 million to help reinvent high school in Memphis," Chalkbeat, https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2017/8/16/21100793/crosstown-high-wins-2-5-million-to-help-reinvent-high-school-in-memphis/, accessed July 22, 2026. [6] "At Crosstown High, student agency flourishes on a bedrock of strong relationships," Education Evolving, https://www.educationevolving.org/blog/2021/06/crosstown-high, accessed July 22, 2026. [7] "Transforming How High School Is Taught Is Tough, But Possible: How I Did It," The 74 Million, https://www.the74million.org/article/transforming-how-high-school-is-taught-is-tough-but-possible-how-i-did-it/, accessed July 22, 2026. [8] "Search for Public Schools - Crosstown High School," National Center for Education Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?ID=470014802548, accessed July 22, 2026. [9] "Apply," Crosstown High, https://crosstownhigh.org/apply, accessed July 22, 2026. [10] "Crosstown High (Memphis, Tennessee) Public Charter School," XQ Institute school profile (hosted via Educate Texas), https://edtx.org/resource/crosstown-high-school-memphis-tn/, accessed July 22, 2026. [11] "Crosstown High School, Memphis, TN," Educate Texas, https://edtx.org/resource/crosstown-high-school-memphis-tn/, accessed July 22, 2026. [12] "Where We Work: Crosstown High," XQ Institute, https://xqsuperschool.org/where-we-work/crosstown-high/, accessed July 22, 2026. [13] "How a Memphis High School Built a Model for Education from Scratch," Crosstown Concourse, https://crosstownconcourse.com/how-a-memphis-high-school-built-a-model-for-education-from-scratch/, accessed July 22, 2026.