COMPASS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS – Committed To Meet Students Where They Are.
The mission of Compass Community Schools is to prepare students for college and life-long success by developing the whole child through a focus on academic excellence, values-based character education, and service learning in the community. Compass Community Schools opened in July 2019 to serve students in the Memphis neighborhoods of Berclair, Binghampton, Frayser, Hickory Hill, Midtown, and Orange Mound. Today, Compass serves over 1400 K12 students across six campuses, making them the largest group of charter schools in a single charter network within the City of Memphis. TVAAS achievement and Reward School status Compass is also one of the highest-performing charter networks in the city. The Tennessee ValueAdded Assessment System (TVAAS) scores for the 2023-24 school year were recently released, and five out of six Compass schools were recognized as Level 5 schools, the [...]
COMPASS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS – Supports Teachers
Tools for Teachers Compass prioritizes the well-being of staff, promotes open communication and work-life balance, and provides resources for managing stress. Aside from direct benefits, Compass educators benefit from in-house professional development opportunities and coaching, 2.5 hours of planning time daily for K-8 teachers, small class sizes to foster a family environment, and professional learning communities (PLCs) and listening sessions to share ideas and strategies. Compass provides a world-class education within a supportive, joyful, and hopeful school culture. The schools are intentionally small to foster a family environment where teachers can focus on the individual child, ensuring they develop trusting, positive relationships with students. Thoughtful planning and strategic implementation of supports to identify and address the needs of all learners earned a Reward School status for 50% of Compass Schools and Level 5 TVAAS [...]
New Head of School Hired at Compass-Midtown
Sondra Morris was named the head of Compass Community Schools' Midtown campus. She will oversee academics and operations and design, launch, and lead the college and career readiness program, including College, Career, and Technical Education (CCTE) and dual enrollment partnerships. Career-connected education programs will spur a new generation of researchers, engineers, coders, manufacturers, and more positions in critical and high-demand industries. View Full Article Here>>>
Compass Counselors: Supporting Students Beyond Academics
Director of Student Services Latisha Harp and Guidance Counselor April Hibler represent Compass on Live at 9. They spoke about the importance of school counselors and supporting students beyond academics. We are so thankful for them and all they do for Compass students. View Full Segment>>>
Compass Executive Director Addresses Immigration Policies
Dear Compass community, We understand the fear and uncertainty that recent changes to immigration policies have caused for our families. These concerns are felt deeply across our schools. Know that you are not alone. We stand with you, and we are here to provide support, reassurance, and resources. Your students' safety is our top priority. Know that each Compass school has safety protocols in place, and we have updated those protocols this week in response to recent events. We do not allow people to enter our school buildings without permission and proper clearance. Compass’ vision statement calls for us to provide a “safe, supportive, joyful and hopeful school culture” and to “prepare our students to become positive agents of change in our communities.” We will do everything we can to uphold the sense of [...]
Nations’s Report Card Released 2024
Earlier this week, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released its results for the 2024 school year, and there is much to celebrate for Tennessee schools. NAEP, often referred to as the "Nation’s Report Card," is the largest ongoing assessment of student achievement in the United States. It evaluates representative samples of students across all 50 states, allowing for year-over-year comparisons in key subjects like math and reading. The dedication of Tennessee’s educators and students is reflected in several key highlights: Proficiency rates exceeding the national average in 4th and 8th grade reading and math. Notable increases of 2, 4, 6 and 7 percentage points in 4th and 8th grade reading and 4th and 8th grade math, with 4th-grade math scores approaching Tennessee’s highest recorded levels. An increase of 8 scale score points in 4th [...]
TDOE Releases School Letter Grades for 2023-24
Today, the Tennessee Department of Education released school letter grades for the 2023-2024 school year. These grades are calculated based on multiple metrics, including academic achievement and growth, and provide a comprehensive view of how well schools are supporting student success. Similar to last year, these grades demonstrate the great work that Tennessee’s charter schools are doing to serve our state’s students. Notable Highlights Statewide Improvement: An increase in the percentage of charters earning A’s and B’s in 2024 compared to 2023 – from 32% in 2023 to 36% in 2024. Shelby County: Charter schools earned A’s and B’s at a slightly higher rate than district schools, with 31% of charters compared to 28% of district schools. This represents a 6 percentage point increase over last year’s grades for Shelby County charters. Nashville: The difference between [...]
Compass Celebrates REWARD SCHOOL Designation
16 Charter Schools in Tennessee Earned Reward School Designation - 3 Of Those 16 Were Compass Community Schools. The Tennessee Department of Education announced school and district designations for the 2023-24 school year, including Reward Schools, Exemplary Districts, and In Need of Improvement districts. These designations are based on various performance indicators, including student achievement and growth. Across the state, 377 schools in 97 districts received the Reward School designation, 10 received the Exemplary District designation, and 10 received the In Need of Improvement designation. Sixteen of the 377 schools were charter schools, and three were Compass Community Schools. The complete list of district and school designations is available on the department‘s accountability webpage. “I am thrilled to highlight the 2023-24 Reward Schools and Exemplary Districts for their dedication to fostering student learning and growth in their classrooms [...]
Hispanic Heritage Month: Compass Community Schools a model for ELL success
The Catholic Diocese of Memphis support these schools, whose focus is educating children residing in the neighborhoods in which these schools are located. The Diocese of Memphis has leased school buildings to Compass Community Schools to serve Jubilee students as well as other students from the surrounding neighborhoods as they operate schools at the following campuses: Berclair, Binghampton, Frayser, Hickory Hill, Midtown, and Orange Mound. Compass Community Schools is led by Executive Director Kristi Baird.>>>>Click here to read more.
Compass Community Schools is a model Tennessee should follow
This year’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) results were rightfully cheered for the gains Tennessee students made, but it’s important to keep in mind achievement gaps still persist. This is especially true for students who are English Language Learners (ELL). These students scored 15 points lower than the state average in English Language Arts and 10 points lower in Math. As our state looks for solutions to the inequities that create these achievement gaps, we can learn much from the model that’s currently serving Memphis students at Compass Community Schools.>>>>>Read More>>>>>>>>