Tennessee: Comparing schools and districts based on student proficiency
The information below reflects the most recent data available to us; please contact us with questions or to request additional analyses.
Analysis: Comparing schools and districts on third grade proficiency in reading and math
The charts linked below allow you to compare schools and districts in Tennessee with their peers. The Y (vertical) axis shows the percentage of proficient 3rd graders in a subject; the X (horizontal) axis shows the percentage of students who qualify for the free or reduced rate lunch program, a common indicator of poverty in schools.
Available charts:
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2024)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2023)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2022)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2021)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2019)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2018)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2017)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2015)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2014)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2013)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading and math (2012)
- 3rd grade proficiency versus poverty in reading and math (2011)
- 3rd grade reading proficiency charts (PDF) (2011)
- School performance charts (2011)
- Map of Tennessee school performance (2011)
- Achievement versus growth (2011)
- District-level spending versus growth (2011)
- Economic Disadvantage vs. Third Grade Reading Proficiency showing Ethnic Makeup (2019)
- 6th grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2022)
- 7th grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2022)
- 8th grade proficiency versus poverty in reading (2022)
Note: For the 2023 reading chart, the chart reflects economically disadvantaged data from 2022. When 2023 economically disadvantaged data becomes available for public download, the chart will be updated.
Note: For the 2021 chart, if free and reduced lunch data was reported as “Greater than 95%” or “Less than 5%”, it was changed to whole numbers 95% and 5% for graphing purposes.
Note: For 2017, in Sumner County and Tullahoma school districts (with the exception of Merrol Hyde Magnet School), free and reduced lunch percentages were calculated by dividing the number of economically disadvantaged students with valid test scores by the number of all students with valid test scores.
Comparing Tennessee’s Proficiency Standards to the National “Gold Standard” (NAEP)
Each state defines for itself what “proficient” means; some states have a rigorous definition, while others are less strict in their standards. To see how states compare, ECF has published charts showing the percentage of students deemed proficient in various subjects and grade levels and compared them to percentages reported for each state by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, or “The Nation’s Report Card”), considered to be the gold standard.