The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in Science. The lowest is 25% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Memphis School of Excellence Elementary Cordova
Memphis School of Excellence Elementary Cordova is a charter school serving kindergarten through fifth grade, located in the Cordova area of Shelby County. It operates as part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, a large urban system, but with its own governance as a charter school. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, and the student body is predominantly Black, with a notable Hispanic population and smaller shares of white students and students of two or more races. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, as well as the number of students with disabilities or identified as English learners, was not reported in the available information, so a family would need to ask the school directly for those details.
Academically, the school’s state assessment results are a soft spot. On the TNReady tests, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was below the midpoint in math, English language arts, and science. When compared across all districts in Shelby County, the school’s overall proficiency index landed in the bottom quartile. This means that, relative to other schools in the county, the typical student here is less likely to be meeting state benchmarks. Participation rates were full, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students. Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to consider, and no data on chronic absenteeism was available to provide a fuller picture of attendance challenges or school climate.
The school is a regular public charter, not a magnet or alternative program. The curriculum and academic approach were not detailed in the available data, so a parent would want to learn directly from the school about its instructional model, class sizes, and any specialized supports. No information was provided about course access, staffing ratios, or extracurricular offerings; for an elementary school, families often want to know about art, music, physical education, and before- or after-care options. Those details are missing from this profile.
Cordova itself is a heavily suburban area, a mix of residential subdivisions and major commercial corridors. The school’s address on Macon Road places it in a part of the community that has grown rapidly, with retail centers like the Wolfchase Galleria and big-box shopping along Germantown Parkway nearby. The built environment is car-dependent; walking or biking to school would be limited by the arterial roads. Housing in the surrounding zip code is priced near the national median, and home values have seen a slight decline in the past year, while rents have edged up. The median household income in the region is modestly above national figures, but the cost of borrowing for a home is relatively high given current mortgage rates.
Cordova has retained a small historic core, but most of its civic life is organized around community centers and a library branch on Trinity Road. The area has undergone significant annexation battles with Memphis, and as of recent years there have been organized efforts by some residents to pursue de-annexation or separate municipal status. This adds a layer of flux to the local governance landscape, though the school remains zoned to Memphis-Shelby County Schools regardless of any future boundary changes.
For a parent considering this school, the profile is straightforward. The student body is diverse, the setting is suburban and car-oriented, and the school is a charter within a large district. The academic performance on state tests is lower than most other schools in the county. A family weighing this option would want to investigate what academic interventions, enrichment, and student supports the school offers, and to compare those against other elementary options in the area, including both traditional public schools and other charters. The available data does not paint a picture of a school with strong academic outcomes on standardized measures, but it also does not capture what happens in the classroom day to day. A visit and conversation with the administration would be necessary to get a full sense of the environment.
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