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 highest growth rating a school can achieve. In addition, three out of six Compass schools were named Reward Schools by the state of Tennessee, demonstrating high levels of performance and improvement. Compass attributes these honors to several factors, such as utilizing differentiated instruction, developing academic supports and programs, and providing teachers with the tools they need to be effective.
Differentiated Instruction
Meeting the needs of all learners is a top priority. A“flex block” is built into the daily schedule where every student receives differentiated instruction on their level. As Compass evolves, new strategies and levels of support are added to meet the needs of the students. The academic program at Compass ensures all students are taught grade-level standards in the classroom. Still, there is time each day to provide differentiated instruction to all students, whether that is remediation to address gaps in a student's learning, reteaching content to gain understanding, or accelerated learning for students at or above grade level. This past year, monthly “data dig days” were added to analyze and use data to guide differentiated instruction.
Academic Programs and Supports
There is not enough time in the school day to address all the students' needs. For that reason, Compass provides additional academic support for students through after-school tutoring and summer programming. Students identified as at risk in third grade and the high school level are targeted for after-school tutoring throughout the school year. Compass also hosts a four-week academic camp in June. Over 350 students attend the educational camp.
Approximately 68% of Compass students have a home language other than English, and a third of all students at Compass qualify for additional support through Compass’s Multi-Language Learner (MLL) program. Kristi worked with Compass’s director and manager of MLL to provide MLL teachers with materials that are aligned to support the ELA curriculum. Additionally, PLCs and coaching for MLL teachers were explicitly planned and implemented to ensure language objectives were taught systematically and the new resources were being utilized with fidelity.
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 status for 83% of Compass Schools. Significant growth, as characterized by a Level 5 TVAAS and the Reward School designation, means Compass students are rebounding from the negative impacts of the pandemic, the teachers are effectively helping students reach academic goals, and the curriculum plan is getting results. These honors prove Compass is successfully moving students toward proficiency and beyond.
