The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Math. The lowest is 40% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Memphis Stem Academy
Memphis STEM Academy is a public charter school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Frayser neighborhood of Memphis. It is part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, but as a charter it operates under its own governance and instructional model, which is built around a science, technology, engineering, and math focus starting in the earliest grades. The school is small for an elementary of this grade range, with enrollment that gives each grade a modest class size and the potential for more individualized attention.
On the state's TNReady assessments, the school's results present a mixed picture. In math, a majority of students met the proficiency bar, a solid showing that stands out from the rest of the school's performance. In English language arts and science, fewer than half of students reached that same level. When placed alongside other districts in Shelby County, the school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, falls below the midpoint of the county's districts. A parent considering the school will want to look into how the school supports reading and science skills, whether through its STEM curriculum or through additional interventions, and what recent trend data might show.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a notable Hispanic share and a very small number of students of two or more races. Data on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status were not reported, so it is not possible to say from this source how those factors play out in the school's support systems. The school has no graduation rate because it ends at fifth grade; there is no information on what middle schools its students typically feed into.
The housing market immediately around the school is notably affordable by national and even statewide measures. Home values in the area are well below the typical levels for Tennessee and the country, and rents are modest relative to incomes for a household earning the national median. This cost profile can be an important factor for families seeking stability in a neighborhood that has seen home values soften in the recent past. The broader city of Memphis offers extensive amenities: major downtown parks renovated in recent years, a large urban park in the eastern part of the city, the cultural anchors of Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, and Sun Studio, as well as professional sports at FedExForum. Public transit is available through MATA, though coverage and frequency vary by neighborhood.
For a family, Memphis STEM Academy fits as an option for parents who want a small charter elementary with an explicit emphasis on STEM from an early age and who are comfortable with a school where reading and science scores are below the district-level median for the county. The affordable housing in the immediate area can make this a practical choice for residents, but the lack of available data on special populations and supports means a prospective family should ask directly about services for students who need extra help.
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