Enrollment
693
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Memphis, TN
American Way Middle
Federal NCES profile for American Way Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470014802040
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
American Way Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Tennessee schools.
- #26 of 35
- middle schools in Memphis · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 693
- students enrolled
American Way Middle has class sizes larger than 76% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, American Way Middle ranks #26 of 35 middle schools in Memphis, TN.
School address
District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools · Tennessee
NCES ID 470014802040 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How American Way Middle compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at American Way Middle
American Way Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Memphis, Tennessee, enrolling 693 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 693 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (42%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 347 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Memphis-Shelby County Schools spends $13,650 per pupil, 26% above the Tennessee average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Memphis's middle schools, it stands alongside White Station Middle (1,127 students): American Way Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.9:1 vs 16.1:1).
Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students) and White Station High (2,046 students) alongside American Way Middle.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How American Way Middle compares
American Way Middle on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 10% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 693 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
693
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 76% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,650
per pupil, district-wide
- above Tennessee avg of $10,822
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 347 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 54.5%
Hispanic or Latino 42.3%
Two or More 2.0%
White 1.0%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 54.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.4, American Way Middle is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which includes American Way Middle.
$13,650
Per student
+26%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 37.0%
Federal 28.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How American Way Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordova High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Station High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Germantown High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southwind High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whitehaven High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to American Way Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,251
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,719
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,675
- Students per teacher
- 26.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,509
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools in Memphis
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
White Station Middle
Standard public school
1,127 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Colonial Middle
Standard public school
1,034 students 17:1 students per teacher
Kate Bond Middle School
Standard public school
1,002 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Hickory Ridge Middle
Standard public school
805 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Treadwell Middle School
Standard public school
764 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Sherwood Middle
Standard public school
743 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~693 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on American Way Middle's federal record.
- Compare American Way Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Memphis-Shelby County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about American Way Middle
How many students attend American Way Middle?
American Way Middle has 693 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Memphis, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at American Way Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at American Way Middle is 16.9:1, which is 10% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of American Way Middle?
The largest demographic group at American Way Middle is African American at 54.5% of enrollment, in Memphis, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for American Way Middle?
American Way Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does American Way Middle rank among middle schools in Memphis?
By Resource Investment Index, American Way Middle ranks #26 of 35 middle schools in Memphis, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Memphis on the city page.
Is American Way Middle a good school?
American Way Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Tennessee schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
Besides American Way Middle, Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students), White Station High (2,046 students), and Germantown High (1,719 students). See the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.