Saved Schools

Crosstown High

Crosstown High, nominated by Tennessee Charter School Center, Transcend and an anonymous organization, is a high school in Memphis, Tennessee that describes itself as a public charter school serving learners from a primarily urban area.

Location Memphis, Tennessee

Governance Public charter school

Grades High

Students 519

Locale Urban

Director of Sustainability Ginger Spickler

Demographics

Percentage of students*

4%

English Learners

45%

Free/Reduced Lunch

12%

Students with Disabilities

African American or Black 53%

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian 2%

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Hispanic or Latino 10%

White 31%

2+ Races 4%

Why Crosstown High was nominated

At Crosstown High, students learn alongside businesses, nonprofits, health services, and civic organizations. It is a place for real-world learning where everyone benefits, strengthening the community and city at large. Located in a historic, renovated industrial building, Crosstown shares space with more than 40 organization committed to using arts and culture as a catalyst for change. Students get to have ownership over their own learning and the freedom to follow their curiosities and explore new interests. Crosstown has an intentional approach to creating "diversity-by-design," recruiting students from across the city and helping a rapidly evolving Memphis that's trying to put a history of segregation and inequality in the past., Project based learning, This school is a high-performing charter high school features many innovative experiences for its students, such as competency-based learning, project-based learning, maker spaces, and more.

Student experience design

At XTH, we believe that learning happens all the time, everywhere. Project-based learning begins in inquiry, requires foundational knowledge, and extends beyond the classroom. To make learning transparent, instruction concretely builds students’ development in clearly defined competencies. Learning communities prepare students for learning in every context - personal, interpersonal, professional, civic, and beyond. In spaces where this kind of learning takes place: -People are asking questions and collaborating to build knowledge together -There are continual cycles of iteration, reflection, feedback, and revision -People are practicing the thinking and behaviors of academic disciplines and professional careers -Community stakeholders and content experts are actively engaged as partners in learning, connecting people to world beyond the classroom/school At Crosstown High, we believe that all people are able to learn and grow.

Core Practices

Core Practices Length of Use

Co-leadership

5+ years

Competency/mastery-based Education

5+ years

Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles

5+ years

All Courses Designed For Inclusion

5+ years

Project-based Learning

5+ years

All Practices

Student Advisories

AI For Learning Materials

AI For Teacher Productivity

Assessments For Deeper Learning

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

Career Prep And Work-based Learning

Community And Business Partnerships

Competency Framework

Culturally Responsive Practices

Disaggregated Data On Student Participation

Hiring For Equity And Inclusion Values

Interdisciplinary

Interoperable Data From Multiple Technologies

Mental Health Services

Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics

No Tracked Classes

Multiple Opportunities To Demonstrate Mastery

Peer To Peer Support

Performance Based Assessment

High Quality Instructional Materials

Reallocation Of Resources For Those Most In Need

Restorative Practices

SEL Integration School-wide

Student-led Conferences

Student-led Goal Setting

Students Develop Projects

Trauma-informed Practices

Universal Design For Learning

key reasons for innovating

Increase student agency

Date Updated: 4/1/2025

*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.