MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Students at Memphis-Shelby County schools show TCAP scores are on the rise, but proficiency rates remain low, according to data released Tuesday.
The district reported that there have been gains, saying the percentage of MSCS students who met or exceeded expectations from 2022-2023 increased in 10 out of 11 categories, but said additional interventions are needed for 7th graders.
District leaders said they’re proud of the gains but acknowledge that there is still work to do.
According to the district:
- The number of MSCS students in grades 3-12 who Met or Exceeded Expectations in ELA rose from 21.4% in 2022 to 22.1% in 2023. Statewide, students meeting the same benchmark grew from 36.4% to 38%.
- The number of MSCS students in grades 3-12 who Met or Exceeded Expectations in Math rose from 12.8% in 2022 to 15.2% in 2023. Statewide, students meeting the same benchmark grew from 30.6% to 33.8%.
According to a MSCS press release, the district has invested heavily in extended learning opportunities, including the Fall, Spring, and Summer Learning Academy which allows students time with teachers during holiday breaks.
The summer learning academy with MSCS comes months after data was released saying 76% of third graders were not proficient in TCAP language arts.
Dorothy Bradshaw, an English language arts teacher at Shelby Oaks Elementary school, said she’s seen improvements following the extra lessons this summer. She also highlighted the importance of targeted instruction.
“The students showed substantial growth, and the reason I feel like they did because we had our own specialized, instructional teacher and also because we were able to pull them into small groups on a regular basis to really hone in on what they needed to work on,” said Bradshaw.
A look into her classroom comes as more TCAP results were released Tuesday afternoon. The district cited positive gains, but acknowledged the need for improvement in some English courses.
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“We feel like 7th grade is going to be a year that we really need to target. It was one that kinda stood out to us both in ELA and math. Something about those middle school years and being in the middle of those middle school years, so that’s one area that’s going to be a heavy focus.”
The district also talked about the need for families to sign up for tutoring, which starts September 6.
