Southeast Tennessee School Report Card
2026 TCAP & End-of-Course ResultsOverviewFourteen Systems, Nine Counties
Southeast Tennessee's nine counties are served by fourteen public school systems — nine county districts plus five city and special districts nested inside them. Here's every one, ranked by the share of students meeting or exceeding expectations on the 2026 TCAP and end-of-course tests:
| School System | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DaytonRhea County | 48.0% | 1,838 | #39 of 145 | |
| Rhea CountyRhea County | 47.1% | 7,438 | #44 of 145 | |
| AthensMcMinn County | 45.7% | 3,531 | #53 of 145 | |
| Bradley CountyBradley County | 45.1% | 20,323 | #55 of 145 | |
| McMinn CountyMcMinn County | 43.2% | 9,295 | #65 of 145 | |
| Hamilton CountyHamilton County | 43.1% | 87,356 | #67 of 145 | |
| Bledsoe CountyBledsoe County | 39.6% | 2,773 | #88 of 145 | |
| Meigs CountyMeigs County | 37.7% | 3,416 | #99 of 145 | |
| Sequatchie CountySequatchie County | 36.6% | 3,663 | #104 of 145 | |
| Marion CountyMarion County | 36.5% | 7,212 | #105 of 145 | |
| EtowahMcMinn County | 35.0% | 689 | #112 of 145 | |
| ClevelandBradley County | 34.0% | 11,457 | #117 of 145 | |
| Polk CountyPolk County | 33.5% | 3,978 | #119 of 145 | |
| Richard CityMarion County | 24.5% | 379 | #138 of 145 |
Three patterns run through the region. Dayton and Rhea County lead, the two highest district ranks in this report. City/county splits cut both ways: Athens City beats surrounding McMinn County and Dayton City edges Rhea County, while Cleveland City trails Bradley County by 62 places. And Hamilton County's middling rank hides the region's widest extremes — it's home to both the best school around and thirteen of the region's fourteen lowest-ranked. One thing to watch this year: most systems gained points on 2025, yet several still slipped in statewide rank, because the state as a whole rose faster than they did — the Trends tab pulls that apart. Click into a county tab for the school-level detail, Statewide to see how we stack up against the rest of Tennessee, or Trends to see who's improved most.
Before the NumbersHow This Report Is Built
Same formula, every school, no exceptions. We didn't trim anyone to a "top 5" or a "bottom 5" — Hamilton County's 81 schools are all here, same as Sequatchie's three.
We call that formula the Ridge & Valley Proficiency Index (RVPI): the share of tested students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations, weighted by how many valid tests a school gave across every subject it teaches. It's ours — built from the state's raw files, not an official TDOE rating — and we're naming it so you can check our math.
Two symbols you'll see in the tables:
† Estimated. The state hides exact numbers below 5% or above 95% to protect student privacy. Where that happened, we used a conservative midpoint — 2.5% or 97.5% — the same way whether it helped or hurt a school's rank.
‡ Small sample. A handful of schools, mostly early-college programs, only test two or three subjects instead of the usual three to eight. Don't read their rank head-to-head against a comprehensive school.
One gap we can't close from the region's data alone: whether a school is a zoned neighborhood school, a magnet, a charter, or a program built for a specific population isn't in the state's files. (We ran that check by hand for the Statewide tab, where it mattered most — see below.) A raw proficiency number reflects both a school's teaching and who walks through its doors; Tennessee's TVAAS growth score, which isn't in this report, comes closer to isolating the former. The state's own School Report Card has both. And if you're wondering how we handle comparing scores across years, that's the Trends tab.
StatewideTennessee in Context
Zooming out from Southeast Tennessee: 1,760 schools statewide qualify for an RVPI rank, and the median one sits at 41.1% — up sharply from the high-30s a year ago, as scores rose across most of the state. Below are the ten highest and ten lowest in Tennessee under our methodology, with the same †/‡ markers used everywhere else in this report (see the Region tab). For this list only, we did one more thing before publishing: we checked what kind of school each low scorer actually is. Here's why that mattered.
StatewideTop 10 Schools in Tennessee
By RVPI. Most are magnet, early-college, or application/lottery schools — the same selection-effect pattern you'll see throughout this report. Nine of the ten carry † because the state hides their exact figure above 95%; we used a conservative 97.5% estimate, which is why the top 3 are tied.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McFadden School Of Excellence†Rutherford County · 1.0% econ. disadvantaged | 97.5% | 623 | #1 of 1,760 | |
| Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts†Rutherford County · 1.8% econ. disadvantaged | 97.5% | 1,747 | #2 of 1,760 | |
| Central Magnet School†Rutherford County · 2.4% econ. disadvantaged | 97.5% | 2,757 | #3 of 1,760 | |
| Merrol Hyde Magnet School†Sumner County · 0.7% econ. disadvantaged | 97.1% | 1,446 | #4 of 1,760 | |
| Meigs Middle†Davidson County · 5.1% econ. disadvantaged | 96.9% | 2,561 | #5 of 1,760 | |
| Discovery School†Murfreesboro · 2.8% econ. disadvantaged | 95.0% | 598 | #6 of 1,760 | |
| Hume - Fogg High†Davidson County · 4.1% econ. disadvantaged | 94.9% | 1,132 | #7 of 1,760 | |
| Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State†‡Hamilton County · 2.8% econ. disadvantaged | 94.7% | 141 | #8 of 1,760 | |
| Lockeland ElementaryDavidson County · 3.0% econ. disadvantaged | 92.9% | 492 | #9 of 1,760 | |
| Martin Luther King Jr School†Davidson County · 9.8% econ. disadvantaged | 89.6% | 2,606 | #10 of 1,760 |
StatewideBottom 10 Comparable Schools in Tennessee
By RVPI, among traditional zoned, charter, and comprehensive schools. Nine of the ten carry † for the same reason at the other end of the scale: the state hides their exact figure below 5%, so we used 2.5%.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickasaw Middle†Memphis-Shelby County Schools · 72.1% econ. disadvantaged | 2.5% | 1,220 | #1,760 of 1,760 | |
| Encompass Community School†Tennessee Public Charter School Commission · 67.6% econ. disadvantaged | 2.5% | 74 | #1,758 of 1,760 | |
| Hamilton School†Memphis-Shelby County Schools · 74.8% econ. disadvantaged | 3.3% | 1,477 | #1,756 of 1,760 | |
| G.W. Carver College and Career Academy†Memphis-Shelby County Schools · 68.5% econ. disadvantaged | 4.4% | 1,650 | #1,750 of 1,760 | |
| Melrose High†Memphis-Shelby County Schools · 61.1% econ. disadvantaged | 4.7% | 935 | #1,748 of 1,760 | |
| A. B. Hill Elementary†Memphis-Shelby County Schools · 75.1% econ. disadvantaged | 4.8% | 530 | #1,747 of 1,760 | |
| Caldwell-Guthrie†Memphis-Shelby County Schools · 75.6% econ. disadvantaged | 4.9% | 675 | #1,746 of 1,760 | |
| Hamilton High†Memphis-Shelby County Schools · 69.3% econ. disadvantaged | 6.5% | 856 | #1,742 of 1,760 | |
| Tri Star Middle†Manchester · 34.0% econ. disadvantaged | 6.5% | 765 | #1,741 of 1,760 | |
| Hardy Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 61.4% econ. disadvantaged | 6.6% | 651 | #1,740 of 1,760 |
StatewideWhy This List Isn't Just "The Bottom 10 By The Numbers"
The raw bottom of the statewide list isn't a clean set of struggling neighborhood schools. Several entries are special education schools, disciplinary alternative placements, virtual-only programs, or state-run facility schools — schools that were never meant to serve a general student population. Stacking their proficiency rate against a zoned elementary's isn't a fair comparison. Low scores at a school built for students with severe disabilities reflect who the school serves, not a failure to teach them.
So before we published this, we checked. We looked up the official type of every school in the raw bottom of the statewide list — Tennessee/NCES school locator records, or the school's own published mission — instead of trusting the name. That paid off both ways: a name like "Simon Springs Community School" or "Cora Howe" sounds generic but turned out to be a behavior-intervention placement and a special-education day school, while "G.W. Carver College and Career Academy" sounds alternative but is a verified regular zoned school that belongs in the comparison. Twelve schools got pulled from the "Bottom 10 Comparable Schools" table on that basis. We're not hiding them — they're listed below with their verified type and true statewide rank. We just won't compare them head-to-head against zoned schools built for a different job.
| School | Verified type | RVPI | TN Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Ward Cooper Education CenterDepartment Of Children's Services Education Division | Department of Children’s Services facility school | 2.5% | #1,759 |
| Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer AcademyKnox County | Alternative school (credit recovery / non-traditional) | 3.2% | #1,757 |
| Johnson Alternative Learning CenterDavidson County | Alternative learning center (disciplinary placement) | 3.5% | #1,755 |
| W.A. Bass Alternative Learning CenterDavidson County | Alternative learning center (disciplinary placement) | 3.6% | #1,754 |
| Cora Howe SchoolDavidson County | Special education day school (significant disabilities, K–12) | 3.9% | #1,753 |
| Tipton County Alternative Learning CenterTipton County | Alternative learning center (disciplinary placement) | 3.9% | #1,752 |
| Knox Adaptive Education CenterKnox County | Special education school (students with disabilities) | 4.3% | #1,751 |
| Richard Yoakley SchoolKnox County | Alternative school (disciplinary placement) | 4.4% | #1,749 |
| The Phoenix SchoolCumberland County | Alternative school (disciplinary / adult high school) | 5.3% | #1,745 |
| Murrell at Glenn SchoolDavidson County | Special education school (behavioral/therapeutic program) | 5.8% | #1,744 |
| Simon Springs Community SchoolRutherford County | Behavior-intervention placement (returns students to zoned school) | 6.0% | #1,743 |
| Ridgedale Alternative SchoolKnox County | Alternative school (disciplinary placement) | 7.1% | #1,736 |
Sources: TN/NCES public school locator records and each school's own published mission, checked one by one in August 2026.
TrendsFive Years of Progress, 2022–2026
The cleanest stretch in this data runs 2022 through 2026 — five straight years on the same assessment standard, no pandemic gap, no cut-score reset in between (more on that below). In that span, 12 of the region's 14 school systems gained ground, several by double digits. This section is for them: the students, teachers, and administrators who did that work.
TrendsDistrict Progress, 2022–2026
RVPI by year, sorted by total gain. Bledsoe County posted the region's largest five-year gain (+12.4), followed by Dayton and Rhea County. A handful of systems eased back from their 2025 peak even while staying well ahead of 2022 — the two-year view below separates recent momentum from the longer climb.
| System | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bledsoe County | 27.2% | 32.9% | 34.5% | 40.8% | 39.6% | +12.4 |
| Dayton | 37.1% | 42.2% | 43.9% | 48.1% | 48.0% | +10.9 |
| Rhea County | 36.6% | 41.2% | 43.3% | 46.0% | 47.1% | +10.5 |
| McMinn County | 35.9% | 38.0% | 39.6% | 42.3% | 43.2% | +7.3 |
| Meigs County | 31.7% | 35.1% | 35.0% | 39.7% | 37.7% | +6.0 |
| Bradley County | 39.2% | 40.5% | 41.3% | 44.1% | 45.1% | +5.9 |
| Sequatchie County | 30.8% | 33.2% | 33.5% | 37.4% | 36.6% | +5.8 |
| Hamilton County | 37.6% | 40.8% | 40.7% | 41.3% | 43.1% | +5.5 |
| Marion County | 32.1% | 32.2% | 36.1% | 34.7% | 36.5% | +4.4 |
| Cleveland | 30.5% | 32.6% | 33.0% | 33.5% | 34.0% | +3.5 |
| Richard City | 21.4% | 23.5% | 22.5% | 26.7% | 24.5% | +3.1 |
| Athens | 44.1% | 46.1% | 45.4% | 44.9% | 45.7% | +1.6 |
| Polk County | 37.6% | 37.2% | 35.5% | 34.4% | 33.5% | -4.1 |
| Etowah | 39.3% | 38.0% | 37.7% | 33.9% | 35.0% | -4.3 |
TrendsThe Two-Year Picture, 2024–2026
The question readers ask most: are things still getting better, right now? This is the last two years only — 2024, 2025, 2026 — sorted by the two-year change, so a district's recent direction isn't hidden inside a five-year average. Bledsoe County leads with a +5.1-point swing; Polk County and Etowah are the only systems that lost ground.
| System | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2-Yr Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bledsoe County | 34.5% | 40.8% | 39.6% | +5.1 |
| Dayton | 43.9% | 48.1% | 48.0% | +4.1 |
| Rhea County | 43.3% | 46.0% | 47.1% | +3.8 |
| Bradley County | 41.3% | 44.1% | 45.1% | +3.8 |
| McMinn County | 39.6% | 42.3% | 43.2% | +3.6 |
| Sequatchie County | 33.5% | 37.4% | 36.6% | +3.1 |
| Meigs County | 35.0% | 39.7% | 37.7% | +2.7 |
| Hamilton County | 40.7% | 41.3% | 43.1% | +2.4 |
| Richard City | 22.5% | 26.7% | 24.5% | +2.0 |
| Cleveland | 33.0% | 33.5% | 34.0% | +1.0 |
| Marion County | 36.1% | 34.7% | 36.5% | +0.4 |
| Athens | 45.4% | 44.9% | 45.7% | +0.3 |
| Polk County | 35.5% | 34.4% | 33.5% | -2.0 |
| Etowah | 37.7% | 33.9% | 35.0% | -2.7 |
Read the two tables together. Most of the region is still climbing — 12 of 14 systems are up over 2024–2026, several by three to five points. But the gains are smaller than the 2022–2024 surge, and a few districts have flattened or slipped: Polk County and Etowah both gave back ground. And because the whole state improved this year, some systems posted higher scores yet lower statewide ranks than in 2025 — progress that's real but no longer fast enough to keep pace with everyone else.
TrendsMost Improved Schools, 2024–2026
Limited to regional schools with a clean two-year record — at least 60 valid tests in both 2024 and 2026, under the same name — so a boundary change or restructuring doesn't get mistaken for a real turnaround. Ranked by point gain, with relative gain alongside it: a school climbing from a low base tells a different story than one adding to an already-solid score.
| School | 2024 | 2026 | Point Gain | Relative Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary V Wheeler ElementaryBledsoe County | 31.8% | 46.9% | +15.1 | +47% |
| Cecil B Rigsby ElementaryBledsoe County | 31.2% | 45.2% | +14.0 | +45% |
| Battle Academy for Teaching and LearningHamilton County | 41.1% | 54.8% | +13.6 | +33% |
| Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga StateHamilton County | 81.8% | 94.7% | +12.9 | +16% |
| E K Baker ElementaryMcMinn County | 35.0% | 46.3% | +11.3 | +32% |
| Sale Creek Middle / High SchoolHamilton County | 46.7% | 57.8% | +11.1 | +24% |
| Hamilton County Virtual School (virtual school)Hamilton County | 23.9% | 34.3% | +10.4 | +43% |
| Meigs County High SchoolMeigs County | 30.0% | 39.4% | +9.4 | +31% |
| Chilhowee Middle SchoolPolk County | 32.7% | 41.4% | +8.6 | +26% |
| Rivermont Elementary SchoolHamilton County | 38.6% | 46.6% | +8.0 | +21% |
Mary V Wheeler Elementary in Bledsoe County led the region with a 15.1-point jump in two years, followed closely by Cecil B Rigsby Elementary. Bledsoe County places two elementaries near the top of this list, part of why the county leads the five-year district trend. Not everyone moved up — Copper Basin Elementary School dropped the most (-11.6 points), and a few other schools lost ground too. We're highlighting the gains here rather than laying out every school's trajectory — ask if you want the full breakdown.
TrendsA Longer View, and Why It's Handled Differently
The data goes back to 2018, but we can't stitch the earlier years onto 2022–2026 as one smooth line. Two things happened in between. 2020 has no assessment data at all — testing was canceled statewide for COVID. And Tennessee re-set its assessment standards in 2021, which changed both the performance-level names ("On Track/Mastered" became "Met/Exceeded Expectations") and, by the state's own account, the underlying cut scores for at least Science and Social Studies. Compare a school's 2019 score to its 2023 score as if they're the same ruler, and you risk mistaking a state-level rule change for what a school actually did.
So we're showing 2018, 2019, and 2021 — the only pre-reset years in this archive — as their own separate trend, not glued onto the numbers above. Read it as pandemic context, not a credit list: most systems' 2021 scores are lower than their 2018 scores, and that's the pandemic talking, not a drop in effort. Which is exactly why the 2022–2026 recovery above is worth calling out on its own terms — a dozen systems gaining ground, several by double digits, all measured on one consistent scale. We won't put a number on how that stacks up against 2018 — that would mean measuring a post-reset score against a pre-reset one, the same comparison this page avoids everywhere else.
| System | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 30.6% | 33.1% | 32.8% | +2.2 |
| Etowah | 34.9% | 33.6% | 35.3% | +0.4 |
| Hamilton County | 37.0% | 37.9% | 36.6% | -0.4 |
| Marion County | 31.5% | 28.1% | 28.4% | -3.1 |
| Bradley County | 39.0% | 35.6% | 35.5% | -3.5 |
| Bledsoe County | 30.2% | 27.7% | 25.8% | -4.3 |
| McMinn County | 34.4% | 32.9% | 29.7% | -4.6 |
| Rhea County | 39.3% | 36.1% | 34.2% | -5.1 |
| Sequatchie County | 33.8% | 28.5% | 27.8% | -6.0 |
| Athens | 44.8% | 44.9% | 38.6% | -6.2 |
| Cleveland | 34.6% | 32.4% | 28.3% | -6.3 |
| Dayton | 41.7% | 41.2% | 33.4% | -8.2 |
| Richard City | 26.2% | 27.9% | 16.1% | -10.1 |
| Meigs County | 36.9% | 31.7% | 20.9% | -16.0 |
One limitation of the older files: 2018/2019/2021 mark extreme scores with a single symbol (“**”) that doesn't say whether the hidden number was unusually low or unusually high — the <5%/>95% split we get from 2022 on didn't exist yet. Rather than guess which way it went, we left those rows out of the 2018–2021 figures above. That makes those older numbers very slightly incomplete either way — a small, disclosed gap in the older format, not something we can fix after the fact.
Hamilton CountyDistrict Standing
Hamilton CountyAll 81 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State†‡Hamilton County · 2.8% econ. disadvantaged | 94.7% | 141 | #8 top 0% | |
| Nolan Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 3.4% econ. disadvantaged | 86.7% | 1,153 | #15 top 1% | |
| Thrasher Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 0.6% econ. disadvantaged | 86.2% | 945 | #18 top 1% | |
| Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts†Hamilton County · 6.6% econ. disadvantaged | 82.0% | 1,786 | #35 top 2% | |
| Chattanooga School For The Liberal ArtsHamilton County · 7.8% econ. disadvantaged | 78.4% | 2,123 | #52 top 3% | |
| Signal Mountain Middle/High SchoolHamilton County · 2.2% econ. disadvantaged | 75.9% | 3,627 | #68 top 4% | |
| Lookout Mountain Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 0.9% econ. disadvantaged | 75.1% | 333 | #75 top 4% | |
| STEM School ChattanoogaHamilton County · 11.9% econ. disadvantaged | 68.2% | 421 | #142 top 8% | |
| Wallace A. Smith Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 13.1% econ. disadvantaged | 67.8% | 822 | #144 top 8% | |
| Apison Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 8.9% econ. disadvantaged | 65.8% | 873 | #165 top 9% | |
| Westview Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 10.0% econ. disadvantaged | 65.4% | 869 | #170 top 10% | |
| Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences UpperHamilton County · 10.1% econ. disadvantaged | 63.8% | 1,799 | #187 89th pct | |
| Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences LowerHamilton County · 9.0% econ. disadvantaged | 63.5% | 632 | #191 89th pct | |
| Normal Park Museum Magnet School†Hamilton County · 12.0% econ. disadvantaged | 62.5% | 1,921 | #201 89th pct | |
| North Hamilton County Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 11.8% econ. disadvantaged | 60.6% | 586 | #229 87th pct | |
| Ooltewah Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 11.1% econ. disadvantaged | 60.6% | 1,192 | #231 87th pct | |
| Loftis Middle SchoolHamilton County · 11.4% econ. disadvantaged | 59.6% | 2,158 | #246 86th pct | |
| Big Ridge Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 11.1% econ. disadvantaged | 58.9% | 704 | #260 85th pct | |
| East Hamilton High SchoolHamilton County · 10.8% econ. disadvantaged | 58.6% | 1,650 | #268 85th pct | |
| Sale Creek Middle / High SchoolHamilton County · 11.0% econ. disadvantaged | 57.8% | 1,574 | #286 84th pct | |
| McConnell Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 15.3% econ. disadvantaged | 57.0% | 590 | #302 83th pct | |
| East Hamilton Middle School†Hamilton County · 14.5% econ. disadvantaged | 56.8% | 3,547 | #303 83th pct | |
| Hunter Middle SchoolHamilton County · 10.1% econ. disadvantaged | 55.9% | 2,810 | #327 81th pct | |
| Soddy Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 14.1% econ. disadvantaged | 55.6% | 554 | #336 81th pct | |
| Battle Academy for Teaching and LearningHamilton County · 33.1% econ. disadvantaged | 54.8% | 659 | #366 79th pct | |
| Allen Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 11.0% econ. disadvantaged | 54.4% | 629 | #373 79th pct | |
| Daisy Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 19.3% econ. disadvantaged | 52.5% | 560 | #429 76th pct | |
| Soddy Daisy High SchoolHamilton County · 11.7% econ. disadvantaged | 49.8% | 1,604 | #534 70th pct | |
| Alpine Crest Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 18.9% econ. disadvantaged | 48.4% | 380 | #576 67th pct | |
| Ivy Academy's Skillern ElementaryHamilton County · 13.2% econ. disadvantaged | 48.3% | 385 | #579 67th pct | |
| Soddy Daisy Middle School†Hamilton County · 19.4% econ. disadvantaged | 48.1% | 1,642 | #586 67th pct | |
| Lookout Valley Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 25.2% econ. disadvantaged | 48.1% | 385 | #587 67th pct | |
| Middle Valley Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 16.9% econ. disadvantaged | 48.0% | 1,066 | #590 66th pct | |
| Rivermont Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 31.2% econ. disadvantaged | 46.6% | 436 | #649 63th pct | |
| Snow Hill Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 24.1% econ. disadvantaged | 46.3% | 810 | #661 62th pct | |
| Wolftever Creek Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 23.0% econ. disadvantaged | 45.1% | 900 | #710 60th pct | |
| Ooltewah High SchoolHamilton County · 14.3% econ. disadvantaged | 42.2% | 1,688 | #831 53th pct | |
| East Brainerd Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 26.7% econ. disadvantaged | 37.4% | 1,549 | #1,028 42th pct | |
| Hixson Middle SchoolHamilton County · 24.3% econ. disadvantaged | 36.6% | 2,214 | #1,066 39th pct | |
| Hixson High SchoolHamilton County · 19.1% econ. disadvantaged | 36.2% | 1,289 | #1,075 39th pct | |
| Ivy Academy, Inc.Hamilton County · 9.4% econ. disadvantaged | 36.1% | 1,287 | #1,083 38th pct | |
| Ooltewah Middle SchoolHamilton County · 22.8% econ. disadvantaged | 35.4% | 1,941 | #1,116 37th pct | |
| Chattanooga Girls Leadership AcademyHamilton County · 38.9% econ. disadvantaged | 34.7% | 985 | #1,142 35th pct | |
| Hamilton County Virtual School†Hamilton County · 21.3% econ. disadvantaged | 34.3% | 436 | #1,156 34th pct | |
| Red Bank Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 31.2% econ. disadvantaged | 33.8% | 842 | #1,168 34th pct | |
| Barger Academy of Fine ArtsHamilton County · 46.9% econ. disadvantaged | 30.6% | 503 | #1,275 28th pct | |
| Lookout Valley Middle / High SchoolHamilton County · 27.2% econ. disadvantaged | 30.6% | 767 | #1,277 27th pct | |
| Red Bank Middle SchoolHamilton County · 30.1% econ. disadvantaged | 29.4% | 1,994 | #1,310 26th pct | |
| East Lake Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 49.8% econ. disadvantaged | 27.8% | 867 | #1,351 23th pct | |
| Bess T Shepherd Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 36.8% econ. disadvantaged | 27.8% | 832 | #1,352 23th pct | |
| Tyner Middle High AcademyHamilton County · 44.6% econ. disadvantaged | 27.5% | 2,667 | #1,363 23th pct | |
| Red Bank High School†Hamilton County · 24.3% econ. disadvantaged | 26.6% | 1,022 | #1,384 21th pct | |
| Spring Creek Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 38.6% econ. disadvantaged | 25.6% | 893 | #1,401 20th pct | |
| Central High SchoolHamilton County · 37.0% econ. disadvantaged | 24.9% | 837 | #1,420 19th pct | |
| Brown Middle SchoolHamilton County · 38.0% econ. disadvantaged | 24.8% | 1,138 | #1,424 19th pct | |
| Hixson Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 36.0% econ. disadvantaged | 23.1% | 598 | #1,462 17th pct | |
| East Side Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 53.1% econ. disadvantaged | 23.1% | 780 | #1,463 17th pct | |
| East Ridge High SchoolHamilton County · 31.2% econ. disadvantaged | 21.9% | 1,150 | #1,488 15th pct | |
| East Ridge Middle School†Hamilton County · 67.9% econ. disadvantaged | 21.9% | 2,090 | #1,490 15th pct | |
| Chatt Academy Community SchoolHamilton County · 18.8% econ. disadvantaged | 21.7% | 653 | #1,494 15th pct | |
| Clifton Hills Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 48.6% econ. disadvantaged | 21.6% | 944 | #1,499 15th pct | |
| DuPont Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 32.4% econ. disadvantaged | 21.6% | 333 | #1,500 15th pct | |
| Woodmore Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 57.1% econ. disadvantaged | 20.9% | 354 | #1,511 14th pct | |
| Chattanooga Preparatory School†Hamilton County · 32.9% econ. disadvantaged | 20.0% | 1,350 | #1,530 13th pct | |
| East Lake Academy Of Fine ArtsHamilton County · 48.3% econ. disadvantaged | 18.0% | 2,075 | #1,560 11th pct | |
| East Ridge Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 33.9% econ. disadvantaged | 17.9% | 1,161 | #1,564 11th pct | |
| Sequoyah High School†Hamilton County · 15.4% econ. disadvantaged | 17.5% | 143 | #1,571 11th pct | |
| Harrison Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 49.1% econ. disadvantaged | 16.8% | 1,040 | #1,584 10th pct | |
| Montessori Elementary at Highland ParkHamilton County · 48.8% econ. disadvantaged | 15.7% | 381 | #1,610 bottom 9% | |
| The Howard School†Hamilton County · 49.6% econ. disadvantaged | 14.7% | 1,483 | #1,623 bottom 8% | |
| Tommie F. Brown AcademyHamilton County · 63.6% econ. disadvantaged | 14.5% | 352 | #1,624 bottom 8% | |
| Brainerd High School†Hamilton County · 49.7% econ. disadvantaged | 14.2% | 773 | #1,628 bottom 8% | |
| Orchard Knob Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 62.4% econ. disadvantaged | 14.1% | 567 | #1,629 bottom 8% | |
| Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence High†Hamilton County · 57.1% econ. disadvantaged | 12.6% | 261 | #1,664 bottom 6% | |
| Howard Connect Academy†Hamilton County · 48.4% econ. disadvantaged | 12.3% | 155 | #1,669 bottom 6% | |
| Chattanooga Charter School of ExcellenceHamilton County · 61.2% econ. disadvantaged | 12.2% | 588 | #1,671 bottom 6% | |
| Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence MiddleHamilton County · 47.9% econ. disadvantaged | 11.7% | 896 | #1,679 bottom 5% | |
| Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science AcademyHamilton County · 61.9% econ. disadvantaged | 11.7% | 554 | #1,681 bottom 5% | |
| Dalewood Middle SchoolHamilton County · 48.9% econ. disadvantaged | 10.2% | 1,011 | #1,697 bottom 4% | |
| Orchard Knob Middle School†Hamilton County · 62.3% econ. disadvantaged | 10.2% | 996 | #1,699 bottom 4% | |
| Hardy Elementary SchoolHamilton County · 61.4% econ. disadvantaged | 6.6% | 651 | #1,740 bottom 2% |
Hamilton CountyReading the Numbers
The barbell district. Hamilton County averages out to the middle of the state (#67 of 145) while containing both extremes: 11 of its schools rank in Tennessee's top 10% and 13 in the bottom 10%. The top performers are the mountain-community elementaries and application-based magnets serving 0–9% economically disadvantaged students; the bottom tier serves urban-core neighborhoods where disadvantage runs 50–74%. Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State (#8 statewide) is the best school in the nine-county region, and the county holds most of the region's lowest-ranked schools as well — the widest spread anywhere in Southeast Tennessee.
Marion CountyDistrict Standing
Marion CountyAll 10 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitwell Middle SchoolMarion County · 19.6% econ. disadvantaged | 50.8% | 1,014 | #500 72th pct | |
| Monteagle ElementaryMarion County · 23.0% econ. disadvantaged | 43.7% | 417 | #768 56th pct | |
| Jasper Elementary SchoolMarion County · 20.9% econ. disadvantaged | 42.5% | 675 | #818 54th pct | |
| Whitwell ElementaryMarion County · 33.3% econ. disadvantaged | 42.4% | 486 | #824 53th pct | |
| Whitwell High SchoolMarion County · 20.3% econ. disadvantaged | 41.7% | 472 | #855 51th pct | |
| Marion County High SchoolMarion County · 13.5% econ. disadvantaged | 33.6% | 836 | #1,174 33th pct | |
| Jasper Middle SchoolMarion County · 24.2% econ. disadvantaged | 31.7% | 1,581 | #1,242 29th pct | |
| South Pittsburg ElementaryMarion County · 37.2% econ. disadvantaged | 28.5% | 748 | #1,337 24th pct | |
| South Pittsburg High SchoolMarion County · 26.7% econ. disadvantaged | 25.3% | 933 | #1,410 20th pct | |
| Richard Hardy Memorial School†Richard City · 36.7% econ. disadvantaged | 24.5% | 379 | #1,433 19th pct |
Marion CountyReading the Numbers
Marion County ranks #105 of 145, and the tiny Richard City Special School District (one K–12 school in South Pittsburg) ranks #138. The bright spot is Whitwell Middle School at 50.8% (#500 statewide), the county's strongest school. The South Pittsburg end of the county continues to trail the Whitwell/Jasper end.
Sequatchie CountyDistrict Standing
Sequatchie CountyAll 3 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Griffith ElementarySequatchie County · 31.4% econ. disadvantaged | 42.8% | 848 | #804 54th pct | |
| Sequatchie County High SchoolSequatchie County · 24.2% econ. disadvantaged | 40.9% | 888 | #887 50th pct | |
| Sequatchie County Middle SchoolSequatchie County · 29.7% econ. disadvantaged | 31.8% | 1,927 | #1,240 30th pct |
Sequatchie CountyReading the Numbers
A three-school district in Dunlap ranking #104 of 145. Performance stays unusually uniform — all three schools land within a few points of each other, around the state median. No school stands out in either direction, which itself sets Sequatchie apart from every larger district in the region.
Bledsoe CountyDistrict Standing
Bledsoe CountyAll 5 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary V Wheeler ElementaryBledsoe County · 23.1% econ. disadvantaged | 46.9% | 273 | #638 64th pct | |
| Cecil B Rigsby ElementaryBledsoe County · 39.7% econ. disadvantaged | 45.2% | 219 | #705 60th pct | |
| Bledsoe County Middle SchoolBledsoe County · 29.7% econ. disadvantaged | 39.1% | 1,172 | #963 45th pct | |
| Pikeville ElementaryBledsoe County · 43.9% econ. disadvantaged | 37.2% | 465 | #1,038 41th pct | |
| Bledsoe County High SchoolBledsoe County · 24.8% econ. disadvantaged | 37.1% | 644 | #1,042 41th pct |
Bledsoe CountyReading the Numbers
Bledsoe ranks #88 of 145. It posted the region's largest four-year gain (2022–2026) even after easing back slightly from its 2025 peak — two of its elementaries, Mary V Wheeler and Cecil B Rigsby, are among the most-improved schools in the region since 2024 (see Trends). Mary V Wheeler Elementary leads the district at 46.9%, strong low-income results for an entirely rural county.
Rhea CountyDistrict Standing
Rhea CountyAll 8 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring City ElementaryRhea County · 27.2% econ. disadvantaged | 59.4% | 795 | #250 86th pct | |
| Spring City Middle SchoolRhea County · 22.9% econ. disadvantaged | 56.4% | 1,013 | #314 82th pct | |
| Frazier ElementaryRhea County · 21.7% econ. disadvantaged | 55.3% | 456 | #351 80th pct | |
| Dayton City ElementaryDayton · 23.2% econ. disadvantaged | 48.0% | 1,838 | #588 67th pct | |
| Rhea Middle SchoolRhea County · 23.6% econ. disadvantaged | 45.1% | 2,053 | #712 60th pct | |
| Rhea Central ElementaryRhea County · 30.3% econ. disadvantaged | 43.7% | 783 | #767 56th pct | |
| Graysville Elementary SchoolRhea County · 34.9% econ. disadvantaged | 41.4% | 249 | #867 51th pct | |
| Rhea County High SchoolRhea County · 23.8% econ. disadvantaged | 40.1% | 2,089 | #918 48th pct |
Rhea CountyReading the Numbers
The strongest county in the region. Rhea County ranks #44 of 145 and the small Dayton City district ranks #39 — the two highest district ranks in this report. Spring City Elementary leads at 59.4% (#250 statewide), and Rhea County was one of the few regional systems to keep gaining ground in 2026 even as the state as a whole rose.
Meigs CountyDistrict Standing
Meigs CountyAll 4 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meigs North ElementaryMeigs County · 26.6% econ. disadvantaged | 40.3% | 621 | #910 48th pct | |
| Meigs County High SchoolMeigs County · 19.9% econ. disadvantaged | 39.4% | 818 | #949 46th pct | |
| Meigs Middle SchoolMeigs County · 22.2% econ. disadvantaged | 36.6% | 1,476 | #1,065 39th pct | |
| Meigs South ElementaryMeigs County · 28.1% econ. disadvantaged | 34.7% | 501 | #1,144 35th pct |
Meigs CountyReading the Numbers
A four-school district ranking #99 of 145. The spread is narrow — from Meigs North Elementary at the top (40.3%) to Meigs South Elementary at the bottom (34.7%) — with the familiar regional pattern of elementary grades outperforming secondary. Meigs slipped in the statewide district ranking this year even though the rest of the region mostly gained.
McMinn CountyDistrict Standing
McMinn CountyAll 12 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riceville ElementaryMcMinn County · 26.9% econ. disadvantaged | 52.7% | 1,299 | #421 76th pct | |
| Athens City IntermediateAthens · 27.5% econ. disadvantaged | 50.8% | 1,503 | #496 72th pct | |
| Calhoun ElementaryMcMinn County · 22.3% econ. disadvantaged | 48.6% | 646 | #570 68th pct | |
| Englewood ElementaryMcMinn County · 29.3% econ. disadvantaged | 46.3% | 1,166 | #658 63th pct | |
| E K Baker ElementaryMcMinn County · 28.6% econ. disadvantaged | 46.3% | 665 | #659 63th pct | |
| Central High SchoolMcMinn County · 20.1% econ. disadvantaged | 45.5% | 776 | #689 61th pct | |
| Mountain View ElementaryMcMinn County · 26.3% econ. disadvantaged | 42.5% | 1,314 | #819 53th pct | |
| Athens City Middle SchoolAthens · 25.2% econ. disadvantaged | 41.9% | 2,028 | #850 52th pct | |
| McMinn High SchoolMcMinn County · 25.5% econ. disadvantaged | 39.0% | 1,693 | #968 45th pct | |
| Rogers Creek ElementaryMcMinn County · 34.5% econ. disadvantaged | 38.2% | 650 | #997 43th pct | |
| Etowah ElementaryEtowah · 31.5% econ. disadvantaged | 35.0% | 689 | #1,127 36th pct | |
| Niota ElementaryMcMinn County · 29.7% econ. disadvantaged | 32.1% | 1,086 | #1,229 30th pct |
McMinn CountyReading the Numbers
Three systems share the county: Athens City (#53) outranks McMinn County (#65), while tiny Etowah City (#112) trails. The county's rural elementaries are its best performers, comfortably above the state median, while the high schools sit lower — the usual elementary-to-secondary drop-off.
Bradley CountyDistrict Standing
Bradley CountyAll 24 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Avenue Elementary SchoolBradley County · 17.3% econ. disadvantaged | 68.6% | 649 | #137 top 8% | |
| North Lee Elementary SchoolBradley County · 8.6% econ. disadvantaged | 59.7% | 695 | #244 86th pct | |
| Park View Elementary SchoolBradley County · 20.2% econ. disadvantaged | 53.8% | 485 | #388 78th pct | |
| Candy's Creek Cherokee ElementaryCleveland · 12.6% econ. disadvantaged | 52.7% | 693 | #423 76th pct | |
| Walker Valley High SchoolBradley County · 11.4% econ. disadvantaged | 51.3% | 2,353 | #470 73th pct | |
| Ocoee Middle SchoolBradley County · 14.8% econ. disadvantaged | 51.0% | 4,328 | #485 72th pct | |
| Hopewell Elementary SchoolBradley County · 18.4% econ. disadvantaged | 51.0% | 618 | #487 72th pct | |
| Charleston Elementary SchoolBradley County · 15.0% econ. disadvantaged | 47.8% | 579 | #597 66th pct | |
| E.L. Ross ElementaryCleveland · 24.2% econ. disadvantaged | 45.4% | 806 | #692 61th pct | |
| Black Fox Elementary SchoolBradley County · 22.4% econ. disadvantaged | 45.2% | 710 | #704 60th pct | |
| Waterville Community Elementary SchoolBradley County · 27.4% econ. disadvantaged | 43.9% | 855 | #761 57th pct | |
| Prospect Elementary SchoolBradley County · 20.9% econ. disadvantaged | 42.0% | 617 | #845 52th pct | |
| Valley View Elementary SchoolBradley County · 23.2% econ. disadvantaged | 40.4% | 465 | #905 49th pct | |
| Bradley Central High SchoolBradley County · 20.7% econ. disadvantaged | 40.2% | 2,599 | #912 48th pct | |
| Bradley County Virtual SchoolBradley County · 17.0% econ. disadvantaged | 39.7% | 229 | #939 47th pct | |
| Oak Grove Elementary SchoolBradley County · 29.0% econ. disadvantaged | 37.7% | 507 | #1,021 42th pct | |
| Mayfield ElementaryCleveland · 25.7% econ. disadvantaged | 36.2% | 602 | #1,077 39th pct | |
| Taylor Elementary SchoolBradley County · 25.3% econ. disadvantaged | 34.8% | 368 | #1,138 35th pct | |
| Lake Forest Middle SchoolBradley County · 22.9% econ. disadvantaged | 33.7% | 4,266 | #1,169 34th pct | |
| Cleveland HighCleveland · 23.4% econ. disadvantaged | 32.9% | 2,675 | #1,198 32th pct | |
| Cleveland MiddleCleveland · 27.4% econ. disadvantaged | 31.9% | 4,998 | #1,237 30th pct | |
| Blythe-Bower ElementaryCleveland · 41.5% econ. disadvantaged | 29.5% | 939 | #1,309 26th pct | |
| G.R. Stuart ElementaryCleveland · 37.9% econ. disadvantaged | 26.5% | 309 | #1,385 21th pct | |
| Arnold Memorial ElementaryCleveland · 33.1% econ. disadvantaged | 24.6% | 435 | #1,432 19th pct |
Bradley CountyReading the Numbers
The region's other city/county divide, and its starkest: Bradley County ranks #55 while Cleveland City ranks #117 — a 62-place gap between systems that share one county seat. Bradley County's Michigan Avenue Elementary School (#137 statewide) is the best non-Hamilton school in the region. Cleveland City's schools cluster in the state's bottom third, with Arnold Memorial Elementary lowest at 24.6%.
Polk CountyDistrict Standing
Polk CountyAll 7 Schools
Ranked by RVPI, all tested subjects. TN Rank is out of 1,760 schools statewide — see the Region tab for what † and ‡ mean.
| School | RVPI | Tests | TN Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilhowee Middle SchoolPolk County · 22.2% econ. disadvantaged | 41.4% | 1,081 | #868 51th pct | |
| South Polk ElementaryPolk County · 27.0% econ. disadvantaged | 40.2% | 430 | #911 48th pct | |
| Polk County High SchoolPolk County · 18.1% econ. disadvantaged | 37.1% | 612 | #1,043 41th pct | |
| Copper Basin High SchoolPolk County · 26.2% econ. disadvantaged | 35.0% | 477 | #1,125 36th pct | |
| Benton ElementaryPolk County · 30.7% econ. disadvantaged | 30.5% | 554 | #1,279 27th pct | |
| Copper Basin Elementary SchoolPolk County · 38.8% econ. disadvantaged | 24.9% | 505 | #1,417 19th pct | |
| Polk Innovative Learning Academy†Polk County · 30.1% econ. disadvantaged | 8.5% | 319 | #1,716 bottom 3% |
Polk CountyReading the Numbers
Polk ranks #119 of 145 and was one of only two regional systems to lose ground over 2024–2026. Its traditional schools cluster in a narrow band around the state median, led by Chilhowee Middle School (41.4%). The outlier is Polk Innovative Learning Academy, an alternative program whose 8.5% (#1,716 statewide) reflects the population it serves and shouldn't be read alongside zoned schools.
Method. Source: Tennessee assessment release files (school, district, state), 2018–2026, All Students group, all subjects and grade bands. Score is the Ridge & Valley Proficiency Index (RVPI): percent met/exceeded expectations, weighted by valid tests, same formula for every school and district here. Schools need 60+ valid tests to make the ranking (1,760 qualify statewide in 2026); districts need 200+ (145 qualify). We impute suppressed results — “<5%” at 2.5%, “>95%” at 97.5% (and the district files' “<1%”/“>99%” at 0.5%/99.5%) — and mark them †; results hidden for privacy (under 10 students) get dropped from a school's subject mix but the school still counts overall. Schools tested on unusually few subjects are marked ‡. City and special districts sit under their home county. Every county tab shows its full school list — no trimming. Statewide and Trends are the only two tabs that show a ranked subset instead of everyone, and both spell out exactly what got left out and why. A raw proficiency number reflects a school's teaching and who it serves in equal measure; Tennessee's TVAAS growth score is the fairer read on what a school actually adds.
Prepared August 2026 from the Tennessee Department of Education suppressed public release files, 2018–2026.
© 2026 The Ridge & Valley. The underlying test data is public record; our analysis, the Ridge & Valley Proficiency Index methodology, and the writing on this page are original work, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. You're welcome to cite, quote, or build on this reporting — just credit “The Ridge & Valley” with a link back to this page, and keep it non-commercial. Wholesale republication of this page's text or tables without attribution isn't permitted.