Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS vs Compass Community School Berclair Campus

Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS holds an overall rating of 9.4/10 against Compass Community School Berclair Campus's 8.9/10 — a half-point gap that translates to a significant difference in state standing. Ida B. Wells Academy ranks #11 of 1,785 schools in Tennessee, placing it in the top 1% statewide. Compass Community School Berclair Campus ranks #59 of 1,785 — a strong result, but 48 positions behind. Both are K–8 schools in Memphis separated by 6.7 miles.

The academic scores tell the sharpest story between these two schools. Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS scores 8.4/10 in academics compared to Compass Community School Berclair Campus's 6.5/10 — a 1.9-point gap on proficiency-based measures. Growth tells the opposite story almost exactly: Compass Community School Berclair Campus earns a 9.9/10 growth score versus Ida B. Wells Academy's 9.8/10, a statistical dead heat. Both schools are developing students at an exceptional rate relative to peers statewide; the meaningful difference between them is where students start and how proficient they are at grade level, not how fast they're moving.

Ida B. Wells Academy ES/MS enrolls 98 students compared to Compass Community School Berclair Campus's 229, making it a considerably smaller environment. The student-teacher ratio at Ida B. Wells Academy is 6.1:1 versus 10.9:1 at Compass Community School Berclair Campus — meaning Ida B. Wells students have, on average, nearly twice as much teacher access per student. Structurally, the two schools differ in governance: Ida B. Wells Academy is a regular public school while Compass Community School Berclair Campus operates as a charter school, which affects enrollment processes, autonomy over curriculum, and school culture in ways families should research directly with each school.

Both schools serve grades KG–08, so neither requires a mid-childhood transition for elementary families. Ida B. Wells Academy's combination of a #11 state rank with a 6.1:1 student-teacher ratio is uncommon — very few high-ranking Tennessee schools offer that level of individual attention. Compass Community School Berclair Campus's near-perfect 9.9/10 growth score signals that its charter model is producing consistent academic momentum even where current proficiency scores are more moderate.