The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in Social studies. The lowest is 78% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Maxine Smith Steam Academy
Maxine Smith STEAM Academy is a public middle school in Memphis, part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system. It serves grades six through eight and carries a focused identity as a STEAM school, emphasizing science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The school is a regular public school, not a charter; its magnet status is not listed in the available data.
Academically, this school performs at a level well above most peers in the district and across Shelby County. On Tennessee’s state assessments, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced was strong in every tested subject. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across math, English language arts, science, and social studies, placed it in the top quartile among the county’s districts. For a parent looking at test performance, this is a clear strength. The school also had full participation in testing, which supports the reliability of the results.
The student body is relatively small for a middle school. Racially and ethnically, the largest group is Black, followed by white students, with smaller shares of Hispanic students and students of two or more races. No data is available on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor on the percentages of students with disabilities or English learners. These are meaningful gaps for a family trying to understand the full support picture; a parent may want to ask the school directly about these populations and the resources available.
Because Maxine Smith STEAM Academy covers only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the data does not include chronic absenteeism or discipline records. The school’s location is in Memphis, a city with a well-known set of cultural and civic amenities: the Mississippi River defines much of the geography, downtown’s Tom Lee Park underwent a major renovation in recent years, Shelby Farms Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, and institutions like the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music draw visitors from across the region. The Memphis Area Transit Authority runs public bus service, and the mayor appoints its board members. For a family considering the area, these are features of the broader community that may matter for daily life and enrichment.
The housing market in the school’s zip code shows home values and rents that are below the state median, and both have seen modest declines in the past year. The estimated monthly mortgage payment and rent-to-income ratio suggest housing is relatively affordable compared to national norms, though the national unemployment rate and median household income provide a general economic backdrop rather than a local snapshot.
The district itself, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, has been undergoing changes. Publicly reported discussions include a “Reimagining 901” plan that involved school closures and consolidation in recent years, as well as a property tax referendum. A parent moving into the area may want to learn how those district-level shifts affect Maxine Smith STEAM Academy specifically, particularly around attendance zones and program continuity.
This is a school that delivers consistently high test scores in a focused middle-school STEAM model. Its small size may appeal to families who want a more intimate school environment, and its academic record is well above what most county peers show. The main unknowns are the economic and special-education demographics, which are not in the available data, and the broader district changes that could shape the school’s future.
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