The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Kipp Memphis Collegiate Elementary
KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary is a public charter school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Memphis. It operates within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. The school is located in the northern part of the city, on Henry Avenue, and its enrollment is sizable for an elementary school serving these grade levels.
The student body is almost entirely Black, with a small Hispanic share and very small numbers of students from other racial backgrounds. Data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available. The school did not report figures for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the resources and staffing it has for those populations.
On Tennessee's state assessments, proficiency rates were below the midpoint among the county's district-level collection of schools. In math, about a quarter of students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, roughly a third of students met that bar. Science proficiency was in a similar range to math. Social studies data is older and comes from a period when the assessment itself changed, so it is not directly comparable to current results. Across all tested subjects for which current data is available, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quarter of schools relative to others in Shelby County districts. The school reports high participation rates on the tests, which means nearly all enrolled students took them, giving a clear picture of overall performance.
The school offers no high school programs, so there is no graduation rate to report. Since it serves only elementary grades, measures such as college readiness, advanced coursework, or career pathways do not apply here.
Memphis is a large city with a well-documented set of cultural and civic anchors. The Mississippi River, Beale Street, and landmarks such as the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, and the Stax Museum define much of the city's identity. Tom Lee Park downtown underwent a major renovation recently. Overton Park houses the Memphis Zoo and sits near Rhodes College. Shelby Farms Park in East Memphis is among the largest urban parks in the United States. The Memphis Area Transit Authority provides public bus service, with board members appointed by the mayor. The FedExForum downtown hosts the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.
Housing in the school's ZIP code is priced well below state and national benchmarks. Home values have declined over the past year. Rent is roughly in line with what a typical household in the area might afford, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is slightly higher than the median rent, a pattern that reflects national conditions. This is not a high-cost area for housing.
The district does not have publicly reported information readily available about recent school closures or the Reimagining 901 plan, and data on any recent property tax referendum was likewise absent. No district-level strategic priorities or boundary changes were found in available sources, so this narrative does not attempt to describe them.
This school fits a family looking for an elementary option in Memphis that is part of a well-known national charter network, with a student body that is predominantly Black and a size that allows for grade-level cohorts. The academic proficiency numbers are lower than those of many other schools in the county, and a parent choosing this school should expect that the state test results reflect that reality and may want to discuss with the school how it addresses academic gaps and supports student growth. The setting is urban Memphis, with the city's full range of amenities and challenges.
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