The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Math. The lowest is 9% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Arrow Academy of Excellence
Arrow Academy of Excellence is a small charter elementary school in Memphis, part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade and is classified as a regular public school operating under a charter status, meaning it is publicly funded but independently run. It is one school within a large urban district. Its student body is small, with enrollment split across the elementary grades.
The student population is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic share and no White, Asian, or other racial groups present in the reported data. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not available, so a family interested in those dimensions of the school's support profile would need to ask the school directly.
Academically, state testing results for the most recent year show that the school's proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science were all well below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Shelby County. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, fell in the bottom quartile relative to the county's districts. In math, about a quarter of students tested scored at the proficient level or above. In science, roughly one in six did. In English language arts, fewer than one in ten students met the proficiency benchmark. These figures come from a small tested cohort, and the school's participation rate was complete, so the results reflect virtually all enrolled students at the tested grade levels. A parent considering Arrow Academy would want to inquire about the specific instructional strategies and support structures the school has in place to raise these outcomes.
Because Arrow Academy serves only elementary grades, there are no high school metrics such as a graduation rate or college readiness indicators to evaluate. The school also lacks data on chronic absenteeism and discipline, so those dimensions of the learning environment are not assessable from the available information. The housing context in the surrounding zip code shows home values that are below the state average and the national average, and rents are similarly positioned below national benchmarks, reflecting a relatively affordable corner of the Memphis housing market.
Memphis itself is a city rich in cultural and civic landmarks, from the National Civil Rights Museum to Beale Street, Graceland, and the Stax Museum. The Mississippi River is a defining geographic feature, and major parks include Tom Lee Park, which underwent a recent renovation, Shelby Farms Park, and Overton Park near the Memphis Zoo. The Memphis Area Transit Authority provides public bus service. The district brief indicated a search for information on school closures, the Reimagining 901 plan, and a property tax referendum, but the search results were not provided, so those potential changes affecting the district remain unreported here.
Arrow Academy of Excellence is a small, relatively new charter option in Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The academic results raise clear questions about student achievement in reading and math. A family choosing this school would want a clear picture of the instructional model, intervention programs, and any recent changes the school is making to address its proficiency levels. The school's size and charter status may offer a more intimate setting than some of the district's larger traditional elementary schools, but the available evidence does not indicate strong academic performance in the most recent testing year.
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