NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 12, 2022) — The following is a statement from Laurie Brown, Senior Vice President of Nashville Advocacy at the Tennessee Charter School Center, on the annual release of the list of Reward Schools from the Tennessee Department of Education. On the list, 14 of the 48 Nashville schools recognized for academic performance are charter schools.
“In Nashville, public charter schools serve a higher proportion of our most vulnerable students, including students of color and those who are economically disadvantaged. To see this many charter schools among our city’s top-performing schools is evidence that a variety of school types is critical to ensuring our most vulnerable students are well-served by our local school system. Recent TNReady data also show that as a group, Nashville’s public charter schools had double-digit gains in proficiency during the recent school year: 11 percentage points in both math and English-Language Arts. Also, more than 75% of local charters received a TVAAS Level 5 score for student growth. Charter schools are leading the academic growth and achievement for historically underserved students in Nashville.”
Approximately 20 percent of Metro Nashville Public Schools students attend a local charter school, yet Nashville’s public charter schools comprise nearly 30 percent of the district’s top performers. Nashville public charter schools on the Reward School list are:
- Smithson Craighead Academy
- KIPP Academy Nashville
- Liberty Collegiate Academy
- Nashville Prep
- East End Preparatory School
- KIPP Nashville College Prep
- Nashville Classical
- Valor Flagship Academy
- Purpose Prep
- Explore Community School
- Rocketship United
- Valor Voyager Academy
- KIPP Nashville College Prep Elementary
- Strive Collegiate Academy
