In the state of Tennessee, Memphis schools are lagging behind. With 80-81% of Tennessee 4th graders performing on grade level in both math and reading, Memphis school children lag far behind in the 63-66% range. Dropout rates also affect Tennessee’s largest district. 32.5% of students will drop out of Memphis schools before graduating.
When the “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLBA) became law in 2002, every school in the nation was held accountable for meeting a minimum level of proficiency. In 2004, the Tennessee Department of Education rated 148 of Memphis schools as failures by those standards.
To address these concerns, Memphis schools have focused on math and literacy initiatives, the adoption of new textbooks, and better teacher training. In Memphis schools, where 71% of students qualify for free or reduced lunches, the impact of teacher development on increasing test scores is critical. The influence teachers have on student achievement and the quality of professionals working in struggling schools has been a topic of debate in Memphis schools for years.
A recent $ 10 million federal grant from the Peabody Center for Education Policy can help clear up some of these issues. Memphis schools could eventually benefit, or change course, depending on the finding of the trials that will be funded by the grant. The five-year grant will investigate the correlation between significant teacher salary increases and student achievement. That makes a difference of several thousand versus several hundred dollars per year.
How well do Memphis schools pay their teachers? Well, that depends. When you adjust for cost of living, Memphis schools look pretty good. Scholastic’s Instructor Magazine recently placed Memphis schools on its list of the top 5 cities where teacher pay goes the furthest. The point is, no one is really sure how important that is. What will it mean for Memphis schools if the grant finds little correlation between teacher salary and student achievement? It could mean that teachers are simply not motivated by money. It could mean that the family environment trumps the school environment. Or it could mean something else altogether.
Meanwhile, Memphis schools are trying to improve their standing by creating better community engagement and reevaluating educational goals and outcomes. Ultimately, educators and the administrator make daily decisions without full knowledge of areas such as teacher incentives. Perhaps more studies like this will begin to bridge the gap between what we think and what we know about education in Memphis schools and in general.