MSCS Academic Plan 2025–2030
Report-BackedThe district's own five-year academic plan, adopted before the Oversight Board was appointed. Whether the new board keeps, revises, or abandons these pre-takeover commitments is itself worth tracking.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools — Academic Plan 2025–2030
The district's own five-year academic plan, adopted before the Oversight Board was appointed. Its Executive Summary sets seven measurable 2030 targets against a 2023–24 baseline, plus a separate 3rd Grade Literacy Commitment. Whether the new board keeps, revises, or abandons these commitments is itself worth tracking.
| Goal | Baseline (as published) | Target | Where MSCS stands |
|---|---|---|---|
3rd grade reading on grade level By 2030, at least 75% of MSCS students will read on grade level by the end of 3rd grade. | Not stated in the cited source | 75% by 2030 | The plan measures this via universal screeners (aimswebPlus, i-Ready), explicitly distinct from TCAP proficiency (plan pp. 24–25); no public screener data exists to track it. MSCS 3rd grade TCAP ELA proficiency was 31.8% in 2025-26 (TDOE TCAP). |
3rd grade ELA proficiency ELA Proficiency (Grade 3): from a 27.5% baseline (2023–24) to 52.0% by 2030. | 27.5% (2023-24 TCAP) | 52% by 2030 | 31.8% MSCS 3rd grade ELA proficiency (TDOE TCAP Assessment File, 2025-26) |
ELA proficiency (grades 3–12) ELA Proficiency (Grades 3–12): from a 23.7% baseline (2023–24) to 51.0% by 2030. | 23.7% (2023-24 TCAP) | 51% by 2030 | This dashboard publishes a grades 3–8 composite, not 3–12: MSCS grades 3–8 ELA proficiency was 24.6% in 2025-26 (TDOE TCAP). |
Math proficiency (grades 3–12) Math Proficiency (Grades 3–12): from an 18.5% baseline (2023–24) to 47.0% by 2030. | 18.5% (2023-24 TCAP) | 47% by 2030 | This dashboard publishes a grades 3–8 composite, not 3–12: MSCS grades 3–8 math proficiency was 22.1% in 2025-26 (TDOE TCAP). |
Science proficiency (grades 3–12) Science Proficiency (Grades 3–12): from a 26.6% baseline (2023–24) to 52.0% by 2030. | 26.6% (2023-24 TCAP) | 52% by 2030 | Science proficiency is not yet published on this dashboard. |
Social studies proficiency Social Studies Proficiency: from a 25.1% baseline (2023–24) to 51.0% by 2030. | 25.1% (2023-24 TCAP) | 51% by 2030 | Social studies proficiency is not yet published on this dashboard. |
On-time graduation rate On-Time Graduation Rate: from an 83.4% baseline (2023–24) to 95.0% by 2030. | 83.4% (2023-24) | 95% by 2030 | 84.1% MSCS 4-year cohort graduation rate (TDOE Graduation Cohort Data, 2024-25) |
ACT composite ≥ 21 ACT Composite ≥ 21: from a 16.5% baseline (2023–24) to 35.0% of students by 2030. | 16.5% of students (2023-24) | 35% by 2030 | This dashboard publishes the average ACT composite (MSCS 16.4, Class of 2025), not the share of students scoring 21 or above. |
Oversight Board Accountability
The board has the power. These are the numbers they’ll be judged by — the baseline they inherit, defined before anyone can redefine it after the fact.
Created by 2026 Tennessee Public Chapter 1057 (Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-1-616), which defines the body as an “oversight board” throughout — not “Board of Managers,” a term that doesn’t appear in the statute. Read the public chapter.
Baseline Scorecard — Year Zero (2024-25)
| Metric | Baseline | Source | Why the board answers for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd grade ELA proficiency | 31.8% | TDOE TCAP Assessment File, 2025-26 | Primary reading accountability metric |
| Graduation rate (4-year) | 84.1% | TDOE Graduation Cohort Data, 2024-25 | Completion benchmark |
| Ready Graduate rate | 58.4% | TDOE Ready Graduate Data, 2024-25 | College/career readiness |
| TVAAS composite (5-level) | Level 5 of 5 | TDOE District Wide TVAAS Composite, 2024-25 | Growth under their governance |
| Chronic absenteeism rate | 30.2% | TDOE Chronic Absenteeism, 2024-25 | Engagement + access signal |
| Black-White proficiency gap (ELA) | 36.3 pts | TDOE TCAP + CRDC, 2025 | Equity measure |
| Teacher retention rate | 81.7% | TDOE Teacher Retention, 2024-25 | Workforce stability |
| Per-pupil expenditure | $14,595 | TDOE Finance / Report Card expenditure file, 2024-25 | Investment accountability |
| Out-of-school suspension rate | 11.5% | TDOE Discipline Data, 2024-25 | School climate |
| Post-secondary enrollment rate | 49.1% | TDOE Post-Secondary Enrollment, class of 2023 | Pipeline output |
Baseline values freeze at the Oversight Board’s Year Zero and update annually as TDOE releases new files. The accountability framing is advocacy content from Stand for Children Tennessee, clearly labeled as such — not neutral reporting.
What success looks like — defined proactively
- •Stabilize enrollment decline
- •Establish a transparent public data reporting cadence
- •Address the teacher vacancy crisis
- •Increase 3rd grade ELA proficiency by ≥3 percentage points
- •Reduce chronic absenteeism by ≥5 points
- •Close the Black-White proficiency gap by a measurable margin
- •Achieve a graduation rate at or above the state average
- •Maintain TVAAS Composite 4 or 5 (high growth)
- •Increase the Ready Graduate rate annually
Structural accountability questions the community should keep asking
- — Is the board publishing regular data reports accessible to the public?
- — Is community input being meaningfully incorporated in major decisions?
- — Are school improvement resources following the schools with greatest need?
- — Are disciplinary practices equitable across race and disability status?
- — Is the charter sector being held to the same accountability standards as zone schools?
Oversight Board milestones
Success milestones this project proposed for the state-appointed Oversight Board, defined proactively against a frozen Year-Zero baseline — shown directly below the board's own scorecard, above. Advocacy content, clearly labeled — not neutral reporting.
TN SCORE — TN2030
Report-BackedSCORE's data-driven statewide vision for Tennessee by 2030, with MSCS's own numbers shown alongside for context — not as if the district had adopted them.
TN SCORE — TN2030
SCORE's data-driven statewide vision: the gains Tennessee could make if one more student per classroom succeeds each year through 2030. Four goals at the milestones that most shape life outcomes, with district-level dashboards — including one for MSCS — tracking local progress.
| Goal | Baseline (as published) | Target | Where MSCS stands |
|---|---|---|---|
3rd grade ELA By 2030, 71% of Tennessee third graders are reading and writing on grade level. | 42% statewide (2025 TCAP) | 71% by 2030 | 31.8% MSCS 3rd grade ELA proficiency (TDOE TCAP Assessment File, 2025-26) |
7th grade math By 2030, 58% of Tennessee seventh graders are proficient in math. | 39% statewide (2025 TCAP) | 58% by 2030 | This dashboard does not yet publish a 7th-grade-only cut; MSCS grades 3–8 math proficiency was 22.1% in 2025-26 (TDOE TCAP). |
Postsecondary enrollment By 2030, 77% of graduating Tennessee high school students pursue a postsecondary opportunity — college or training in a trade. | Not stated in the cited source | 77% by 2030 | 49.1% MSCS post-secondary enrollment rate (TDOE Post-Secondary Enrollment, class of 2023) |
Postsecondary completion By 2030, 64% of Tennessee postsecondary students complete a degree or credential, with 75% of those being impact credentials aligned to workforce needs. | 45% statewide (per SCORE, 2025) | 64% by 2030 | Measured statewide by THEC; no district-level analog is published. |
Statewide targets are not district targets
TN2030’s numbers are goals for Tennessee as a whole; MSCS values are shown beside them for context, not as if the district had adopted them. The gap they reveal is the point: statewide goals are only reachable if Memphis — the state’s largest district — moves. SCORE’s own MSCS dashboard tracks the district-level view of the same milestones.