Is American Way Middle a good school?

American Way Middle ranks in the bottom 8.5% of Tennessee middle schools.

How many students attend American Way Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 671 students attended American Way Middle.

What is the racial makeup of American Way Middle?

Students at American Way Middle are 62% African American, 35% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of American Way Middle attend?

Students who attend American Way Middle usually go on to attend Sheffield High

American Way Middle

Summary:

American Way Middle is a public middle school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving 690 students in grades 6-8. The school has a diverse student population, with a majority of African American and Hispanic students.

Despite its diverse student body, American Way Middle consistently ranks among the lowest-performing middle schools in Tennessee, with significantly below-average scores on state assessments across all subject areas and grade levels. The school's performance is particularly low for its African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status student subgroups, which rank in the bottom 10-20% of their respective subgroups statewide. American Way Middle spends slightly more per student than the district average, but its student-teacher ratio is similar to the district.

When compared to nearby schools, the underperformance of American Way Middle becomes even more apparent. For example, Maxine Smith STEAM Academy, just 4 miles away, consistently ranks among the top 5% of middle schools in the state and outperforms American Way Middle by a wide margin on state assessments. Despite the school's persistent low performance, it has not shown significant improvement over the past several years, raising concerns about the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district's ability to effectively support and improve its struggling schools.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3805 American Way
Memphis, TN 38118-1870

(901) 416-1250

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
537^th of 587 Tennessee Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,964

Students who attend American Way Middle usually attend:

High:

Sheffield High

Feeder schools for American Way Middle:

Elementary:	Getwell Elementary
	Sheffield Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.5

Number of students: 671

Racial breakdown:

African American:

62.0%

Hispanic:

34.9%

Two or more races:

2.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare American Way Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details American Way Middle is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2018 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.35. (See more...)

Compare Details American Way Middle ranks worse than 91.5% of middle schools in Tennessee. It also ranks 22^nd among 32 ranked middle schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.71. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (62%), Hispanic (34.9%), two or more races (2.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at American Way Middle is 16.5, which is the 14^th best among 32 middle schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare American Way Middle employs 40.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at American Way Middle is $13,964, which is the 12^th highest among 32 middle schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District.

Schooldigger 2018 Rankings:

American Way Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks American Way Middle 537^th of 587 Tennessee public middle schools. (See American Way Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Memphis-Shelby County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Memphis-Shelby County Schools 135^th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for American Way Middle?

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Rank History for American Way Middle

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.35	991^st	997	0.6%

See the entire list of Tennessee Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Tennessee Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for American Way Middle

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Rank History for all middle school students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	5.06	556^th	563	1.2%
2019	5.12	571^st	574	0.5%
2021	5.90	573^rd	576	0.5%
2022	7.38	552^nd	569	3.0%
2023	7.00	574^th	594	3.4%
2024	10.71	537^th	587	8.5%

See the entire list of Tennessee Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	37.92	18^th	32	43.8%
2024	28.00	65^th	73	11.0%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	17.69	258^th	260	0.8%
2024	18.53	284^th	299	5.0%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	10.09	471^st	481	2.1%
2019	8.79	487^th	490	0.6%
2021	8.37	483^rd	483	0.0%
2022	11.90	474^th	495	4.2%
2023	11.55	495^th	514	3.7%
2024	18.95	447^th	510	12.4%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Homeless students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	14.45	25^th	26	3.8%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	4.55	529^th	529	0.0%
2021	6.50	537^th	538	0.2%
2022	7.74	533^rd	552	3.4%
2023	6.60	552^nd	560	1.4%
2024	10.37	518^th	554	6.5%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	6.61	520^th	523	0.6%
2021	5.21	529^th	529	0.0%
2022	8.09	525^th	540	2.8%
2023	7.96	543^rd	557	2.5%
2024	12.53	500^th	560	10.7%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	13.93	270^th	284	4.9%
2019	13.43	291^st	293	0.7%
2022	16.06	277^th	299	7.4%
2023	14.66	303^rd	316	4.1%
2024	23.28	249^th	318	21.7%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at American Way Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	11.06	213^th	219	2.7%
2019	9.39	228^th	228	0.0%
2021	9.34	260^th	261	0.4%
2022	13.97	264^th	275	4.0%
2023	13.43	273^rd	285	4.2%
2024	16.79	261^st	285	8.4%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Tennessee Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

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Enrollment information for American Way Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	2	586	0	106	0	2	696
2015	2	571	1	127	0	4	705
2016	3	546	0	131	1	2	683
2017	2	544	1	156	0	12	715
2018	10	503	5	172	0	13	703
2019	10	509	2	200	0	18	739
2020	9	502	2	226	0	9	748
2021	4	457	1	233	0	18	713
2022	2	441	1	248	0	15	707
2023	3	425	0	241	0	21	690
2024	2	416	0	234	0	19	671

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at American Way Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	696	45.3	15.3	97.8
2015	705	35.0	20.1	84.4
2016	683	39.0	17.5	87
2017	715	36.1	19.8	n/a
2018	703	41.6	16.8	n/a
2019	739	38.4	19.2	n/a
2020	748	34.6	21.6	n/a
2021	713	43.0	16.5	n/a
2022	707	44.0	16.0	n/a
2023	690	41.7	16.5	n/a
2024	671	40.5	16.5	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio American Way Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	696	45.3	15.3	97.8
2015	705	35.0	20.1	84.4
2016	683	39.0	17.5	87
2017	715	36.1	19.8	n/a
2018	703	41.6	16.8	n/a
2019	739	38.4	19.2	n/a
2020	748	34.6	21.6	n/a
2021	713	43.0	16.5	n/a
2022	707	44.0	16.0	n/a
2023	690	41.7	16.5	n/a
2024	671	40.5	16.5	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for American Way Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,106 (9.7%)	$9,630 (84.2%)	$11,432
2020	$1,063 (10.1%)	$8,810 (83.5%)	$10,546
2021	$1,864 (16.5%)	$8,959 (79.5%)	$11,269
2022	$2,872 (21.1%)	$10,092 (74.0%)	$13,642
2023	$3,182 (22.8%)	$10,093 (72.3%)	$13,964

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on American Way Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 571^st of 574 Middle schools	Ranks 574^th of 594 Middle schools	2.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (American Way Middle)	7.3	6.7	0.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	19.2	20.3	1.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.4	35.9	2.5%
6th Grade Social Studies (American Way Middle)	5.1	12.5	7.4%
6th Grade Social Studies (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	21.2	22.7	1.5%
6th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	38	43.4	5.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (American Way Middle)	6.7	5	1.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	20	18.2	1.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	35.4	36.1	0.7%
7th Grade Social Studies (American Way Middle)	6.8	7.7	0.9%
7th Grade Social Studies (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	25.4	22.1	3.3%
7th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	43.2	46.9	3.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (American Way Middle)	7.3	10.6	3.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	20.9	12.5	8.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	35.1	34	1.1%
8th Grade Social Studies (American Way Middle)	9.6	13.8	4.2%
8th Grade Social Studies (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	22.8	21.7	1.1%
8th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	41.5	41.6	0.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (American Way Middle)	5.7	6.4	0.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	20.6	20.7	0.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.7	36.6	2.9%
All Grades Social Studies (American Way Middle)	7	11.1	4.1%
All Grades Social Studies (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)	23.1	22.2	0.9%
All Grades Social Studies (Tennessee)	40.9	43.9	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	739	690	6.6%
African American	509	425	16.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	200	241	20.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	10	3	70%
Two or More Races	18	21	16.7%

Schools Near American Way Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				TNReady Mathematics (2024)				TNReady English Language Arts (2024)				TNReady Algebra I (2024)		TNReady Science (2024)				TNReady Social Studies (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
American Way Middle	Public	6-8	3805 American Way	Memphis	38118	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-1250	671	41	16.5		2 (0.3%)	416 (62.0%)	234 (34.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.8%)	10.7	537^th of 587 public middle schools	8.5%		7	574^th of 594 public middle schools	3.4%	37	6.5	10.3	5.0	7.3	12.4	11.9	7.6	10.7			20.5	21.6	14.7	19.0	27.5	17.5	15.8	20.5	$13,964	$3,182	$10,093
Sherwood Middle	Public	6-8	3480 Rhodes Ave	Memphis	38111	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-4870	670	46	14.5		4 (0.6%)	468 (69.9%)	185 (27.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.8%)	4.2	587^th of 587 public middle schools	0.0%		4.1	592^nd of 594 public middle schools	0.3%	5						5.4					9.8	11.3		8.1		8.0		5.2	$13,317	$3,013	$9,574
Colonial Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1370 Colonial RD	Memphis	38117	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-8980	1,088	56	19.6		31 (2.8%)	584 (53.7%)	423 (38.9%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (4.0%)	24.5	450^th of 587 public middle schools	23.3%		24.2	450^th of 594 public middle schools	24.2%		15.9	16.5	21.8	17.9	22.4	22.9	16.3	20.6	57.1	57.1	32.8	36.6	16.9	29.1	28.0	39.1	19.3	28.9	$12,695	$2,492	$9,523
Oakhaven Middle	Public	6-8	3125 Ladbrook Rd	Memphis	38118	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-2380	270	16	17.4		2 (0.7%)	213 (78.9%)	47 (17.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.0%)	4.7	585^th of 587 public middle schools	0.3%		5.6	584^th of 594 public middle schools	1.7%	1					8.0		5.1	5.4			10.3	7.4		6.9	10.3	7.4		6.6	$11,955	$2,463	$9,177
Wooddale Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3467 Castleman ST	Memphis	38118	Shelby County	Achievement School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 730-4086	552	28	20.0		7 (1.3%)	311 (56.3%)	226 (40.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	12.2	522^nd of 587 public middle schools	11.1%		10.5	544^th of 594 public middle schools	8.4%	22		16.4	22.6	14.5	5.4	15.8	6.7	9.2			13.0	17.7	13.4	14.7	25.4	22.6	14.0	20.7
University Middle	Public	6-8	330 Innovation DR	Memphis	38152	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	No	(901) 678-2285	268	26	10.3		141 (52.6%)	87 (32.5%)	12 (4.5%)	8 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.5%)	91.8	33^rd of 587 public middle schools	94.4%		92.3	31^st of 594 public middle schools	94.8%	2	73.8	68.8	27.9	58.9	75.0	74.2	60.7	69.8	85.0	85.0	80.0	84.9	47.8	72.9	80.0	84.9	70.8	78.6	$7,206	$2,001	$4,626
Power Center Academy Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	5449 Winchester RD	Memphis	38115	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 333-6874	449	21	21.0		1 (0.2%)	288 (64.1%)	157 (35.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	22.6	458^th of 587 public middle schools	22.0%		18.3	486^th of 594 public middle schools	18.2%	28	15.7		24.5	15.0	26.1	19.4	11.9	19.1			21.3	29.0	20.8	23.7	39.0	22.2	25.2	28.7	$15,408	$2,001	$13,091
Maxine Smith STEAM Academy	Public	6-8	750 E Parkway S	Memphis	38104	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	No	(901) 416-4536	397	24	16.8		120 (30.2%)	215 (54.2%)	33 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	98.2	9^th of 587 public middle schools	98.5%		96.7	17^th of 594 public middle schools	97.1%	8	62.2	64.8		68.8	76.4	76.5	65.1	73.3			87.2	86.8		87.0	87.8	89.0	88.1	88.3	$11,963	$2,001	$9,014
Veritas College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-8	1500 Dunn AVE	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 526-1900	135	11	12.2		0 (0.0%)	125 (92.6%)	5 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	9	558^th of 587 public middle schools	4.9%		12.5	530^th of 594 public middle schools	10.8%	28	6.8		10.8	7.1	6.8	8.9	16.2	10.3			9.1	11.1	8.1	9.5	20.5	24.4	8.1	18.3	$19,979	$5,577	$14,086
A. Maceo Walker Middle	Public	6-8	1900 East Raines RD	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-1030	637	35	18.2		5 (0.8%)	577 (90.6%)	28 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.2%)	10.2	544^th of 587 public middle schools	7.3%		12.1	533^rd of 594 public middle schools	10.3%	11		15.6	16.0	12.3	5.3	11.4	6.4	7.9			12.3	12.3	13.9	12.8	16.0	24.6	20.3	20.5	$13,024	$3,615	$8,687

American Way Middle

American Way Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Memphis-Shelby County Schools:

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Rank History for American Way Middle

Rank History for American Way Middle

Rank History for all middle school students at American Way Middle

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at American Way Middle

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at American Way Middle

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at American Way Middle

Rank History for middle school Homeless students at American Way Middle

Rank History for middle school Female students at American Way Middle

Rank History for middle school Male students at American Way Middle

Rank History for middle school African American students at American Way Middle

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at American Way Middle

Enrollment information for American Way Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at American Way Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio American Way Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for American Way Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on American Way Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near American Way Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about American Way Middle

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