Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School, Memphis TN

Original Research by School Decision on Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School

Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School serves grades five through eight in downtown Memphis and is part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. It is a regular public school operating under a charter, which means it has some autonomy from the district in exchange for meeting specific performance goals in its charter agreement.

The student body is predominantly Black, with a small share of Hispanic students and a small share of white students. The school serves roughly the middle grades only, with no primary or high school grades on site. State testing data from a recent year shows that student proficiency in mathematics and English language arts was below the midpoint of districts in Shelby County, a pattern that a parent may want to look into further with the school. Science proficiency was higher, and social studies proficiency was the strongest of the four subjects tested, with a majority of students reaching the proficient or above level. Participation rates on all state assessments were high, so the results reflect nearly the entire tested population. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.

The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across all tested subjects and grades, was below the midpoint when compared with other districts across Shelby County. This comparison is based on the full set of eight districts in the county and gives a sense of where the school sits relative to a broad local peer group.

Housing in the zip code that serves the school has a moderate cost, with home values roughly in line with the state median but slightly below the national median. Rents have risen recently, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment and typical rent are relatively close, suggesting that renting and buying are both feasible options for families. The broader Memphis area offers a wide array of cultural and recreational amenities, including Tom Lee Park, a downtown riverfront park that completed a major renovation recently, as well as Shelby Farms Park, Overton Park, and Beale Street. The Memphis Area Transit Authority provides public bus service. Cultural landmarks such as the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Stax Museum are all within the city.

The charter status means that enrollment is by application rather than by residential assignment, so families outside the immediate neighborhood can apply for a seat. Because the school is a charter within a large district, its operations and accountability are separate from the district's traditional schools, though it remains under the district's oversight. A family considering this school would want to understand how its academic approach and support services fit their child's needs, especially given the proficiency pattern in math and English language arts. The absence of high school grades means that students who attend here will need to transition to another school for ninth grade.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-837%

School 37% · District 23% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-821%

School 21% · District 24% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grades 3-840%

School 40% · District 27% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Social studies

Grades 3-858%

School 58% · District 26% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

This schoolMemphis-Shelby County Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income33%Higher-income26%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income15%Higher-income17%2 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income19%Higher-income23%4 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income31%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income23%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income52%Higher-income53%1 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income38%Higher-income34%4 pp gap