The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Science. The lowest is 7% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Sheffield Elementary
Sheffield Elementary is a regular public school in Memphis, serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system, a large district that covers the city and the surrounding county. The school is neighborhood-based, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment makes it a school of modest size for an elementary serving the full PK-5 span.
The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population and a very small number of white students or students of two or more races; children of other backgrounds are not present in the data. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is not reported, and data on students with disabilities or English learner status is also absent. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports, as the reported demographics alone suggest a school with a high proportion of students who bring a variety of language backgrounds and economic needs, though the data does not confirm that.
When it comes to state testing, Sheffield’s results are low. On the most recent TNReady assessments, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was very low in both math and English language arts, and low in science. An older social studies result, from several years ago, was also very low; the assessment changed in the years since, so direct comparison is not possible. Participation rates on the tests were full, so the results reflect nearly all tested students. Placed in the context of Shelby County, the school’s overall proficiency across subjects lands in the bottom quarter of the county’s districts. That is a wide gap: even the district-level median across the county is much higher than what Sheffield’s own students show. A family looking at this data would see a school where academic attainment is a clear challenge and where the work ahead is substantial.
Outside of testing, the picture is thin. The data does not include chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing measures. No information on programs such as art, music, after-school offerings, or specialized academic tracks is available, so it is not possible to say whether enrichment options exist beyond the core curriculum. A parent touring the school would want to ask about class size, teacher experience, and what supports are in place for struggling students.
The housing market around Sheffield is moderate relative to national and state benchmarks. Home values in the ZIP code are well below the state median and the national median, and they have declined slightly over the past year. Rents are modest and have risen a little. For a household considering this area, the affordability of housing is a real advantage, but the overall economic context, including mortgage rates and a national unemployment rate that has held steady, means that many families in this part of Memphis are likely working with limited disposable income.
The broader community context is Memphis itself. The city is anchored by the Mississippi River, and publicly reported information points to major public parks including Tom Lee Park downtown, which underwent a large renovation in recent years, and Shelby Farms Park in East Memphis. Cultural landmarks such as the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Stax Museum are part of the city’s identity. Beale Street, the Memphis Zoo, and FedExForum, home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, are well-known destinations. The Memphis Area Transit Authority runs bus service, with board members appointed by the mayor. For a school like Sheffield, these citywide amenities matter less day to day than what happens in the classroom, but they define the environment in which the school operates.
Sheffield Elementary fits a family that wants a neighborhood school close to home in a part of Memphis with lower housing costs. But the academic performance data is clear: students here are not reaching proficiency at levels that families might expect from schools in higher-performing parts of the city or county. A parent should investigate what efforts the school and district are making to improve outcomes, and consider whether the supports available match their child’s needs.
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