The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in Science. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ridgeway Middle
Ridgeway Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Memphis, Tennessee, part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. The school draws from a residential area of the city where home values are above the national median and rents have been rising modestly, placing the neighborhood in a mid-range price tier for Memphis. The school itself is neither a charter nor a magnet, and no data was available on its Title I status, so a parent would want to confirm directly whether the school receives federal support for low-income students.
The student body is large for a middle school, with enrollment concentrated in the upper grades. Nearly all students identify as Black, with a smaller share identifying as Hispanic, and very small numbers of White or multiracial students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not reported, and figures for students with disabilities and English learners were also absent, leaving important gaps in understanding the school’s support context.
On the Tennessee TNReady state assessments, Ridgeway Middle’s overall proficiency across math, English language arts, science, and social studies placed the school in the bottom quartile when compared with other districts in Shelby County. In math, roughly one in nine students scored at the proficient or above level; in English language arts, about one in six were proficient. Science and social studies showed slightly higher but still low proficiency rates, with approximately one in five students meeting the bar in science and a similar share in social studies. This pattern suggests that a large majority of Ridgeway Middle students are not yet reaching grade-level benchmarks in core subjects, and a parent exploring the school would want to ask about the academic interventions and instructional supports in place, as well as how the school is working to improve student outcomes. Participation rates on the tests were near perfect, so the results reflect the full tested population.
The data does not include chronic absenteeism rates, discipline data, course access information, or staffing ratios, so family members considering the school cannot evaluate these dimensions from the available reporting. The school has no high school grade span, so there is no graduation rate to examine.
The broader context of Memphis shapes daily life for a Ridgeway Middle student. The city’s cultural and civic anchors include the Mississippi River, the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, and the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Public transit is provided by MATA, with board members appointed by the mayor. Tom Lee Park downtown underwent a major renovation in recent years, and Shelby Farms Park in East Memphis, near the school’s location, is one of the largest urban parks in the country. Overton Park, the Memphis Zoo, and Rhodes College are also nearby. The Memphis Public Libraries system serves residents across the city. The city itself is a large, diverse metropolitan area, and the school sits within a neighborhood where median home values are slightly below the statewide typical level but still substantial, and where renting is a common option.
No district brief results were found in the available data, so there is no publicly reported information on recent school closures such as the Reimagining 901 plan, nor on any property tax referendum activity. A parent may want to seek out current news from Memphis-Shelby County Schools about boundary changes, facility plans, or funding measures that could affect Ridgeway Middle.
In sum, Ridgeway Middle is a large, predominantly Black middle school where on recent state assessments the large majority of students scored below the proficient level across all tested subjects. The school sits in an Memphis area with solid housing values and clear civic amenities, but the academic performance data places it well below the midpoint of Shelby County districts. A family weighing this school as an option would benefit from investigating the school’s academic support programs, enrichment offerings, and any recent district-level changes that might affect the school’s direction.
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