MEMPHIS, Tenn. – While Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) test scores for the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) improved for a fourth year in a row, more than 75% of the students did not meet expectations or did not score “proficient.”
MSCS Interim Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond told FOX13 perspective is important when we look at these numbers. He said too often when these scores are released many compare MSCS to neighboring suburban districts, like Collierville.
RELATED: MSCS’s TCAP scores show improvements but still below statewide averages
He said comparing performance to other large, urban districts is a fairer comparison and gives a better scope of how Memphis children are actually performing.
“When compared to other districts and the demographic of students that we serve, we’re probably one of the best in class in serving our demographic of student,” Dr. Richmond said. “You’re not comparing apples to apples when you look at a suburban district versus an urban district. I would compare us to how the Metro Nashville Public Schools do, but I would also look at a school districts like Oakland, Miami-Dade, L.A. Unified, Baltimore, or the District of Columbia.”
FOX13 took a look at some of these comparisons.
FOX13 pulled TCAP scores for Nashville, MSCS and Collierville. Memphis and Nashville had similar performance levels and similar demographics. Both had about a quarter of students who met standards, with MSCS having a 24.6% proficiency rate and Nashville having a 31% proficiency rate. Collierville’s proficiency rate is 70%.
Both MSCS and Metro Nashville districts also have a larger economically disadvantaged student population, according to the Tennessee Department of Education, 53% and 31%, respectively, compared to 6% in Collierville.
“Because we know when you’re looking at students who are coming from under-resourced areas, the traumas and adverse childhood experiences that they deal with, just for students to get up to and come to school, in my opinion, is a testament to them being dedicated, to wanting to be educated in our schools being safe places for them, and for those academic outcomes to occur,” said Richmond.
Richmond also noted comparisons to cities more similar demographically to Memphis: Baltimore or Oakland. FOX13 found in 2024 that both of those districts also had only about a quarter of their students meeting standards on state testing.
“Our ‘approaching’ (proficient) went up,” said Richmond. “So really, you could say some of our students could have been on the bubble of really being in the in the quartile of meeting expectations or being proficient. But we’ve been focused on our bottom 30% and putting in place what you would call our responses to intervention. So ensuring that our tier two and tier three interventions are helping to move the needle.”
While Richmond admits the work is far from over, he says the ‘steady growth’ year after year is a step in the right direction.
“I want people to know that we have a great school system, we have a great school district, we have great teachers, leaders and students,” said Richmond. “The charge I’ve given my team, as well as teachers and leaders, we want to be the number one urban district in the country, and we’re not going to stop until we accomplish that.”
Dr. Richmond said he intends to opt the district back into NAEP, better known as the Nation’s Report Card, to better keep track of performance compared to similar districts. You can take a closer look at the TCAP scores, here.
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