Tennessee hits record-high graduation rates. How does your child's district stack up?

Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·3 min read

Tennessee public school graduation rates hit a record high of 90.6% for the class of 2023, marking a long-awaited milestone.

It is the first time the state's graduation rate has exceeded 90% and also the highest recorded since 2012, the Tennessee Department of Education said in a news release Monday.

The state saw steady gains in graduation rates since standards changed in 2011, but dropped off slightly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Graduation rates slid from 89.6% in the 2019-20 school year to 88.7% in 2020-21. They rebounded to 89.8% last year.

Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds said this year's 90.6% graduation rate is a direct reflection of the hard work of school leaders, administrators, educators, families and students.

Graduates sit during the Maplewood High School graduation ceremony at Lipscomb University Allen Arena, in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
Graduates sit during the Maplewood High School graduation ceremony at Lipscomb University Allen Arena, in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

"Earning a diploma and graduating high school is a milestone that unlocks so many opportunities for students as they begin their lives after K-12 education, and I am thrilled to see Tennessee’s graduation rate at a record high," Reynolds said in the release.

Here are a few highlights from the newly-released graduation data:

State highlights districts who marked standout growth

Tennessee calculates graduation rates by the number of students who graduate in four years plus a summer. The education department highlighted a few takeaways from this year's data, including:

  • Five districts hit a 100% graduation rate, including Alcoa City Schools, Clay County Schools, Fentress County Schools, Haywood County Schools and South Carroll Special School District.

  • 61 districts saw 95% or more of eligible students graduate on time.

  • 78 districts improved graduation rates from 2022 to 2023, with nine districts improving by five percentage points or more.

  • A total of 65,476 students graduated statewide, marking an increase of 896 students compared to last year

  • 29 districts improved graduation rates for students who are economically disadvantaged by five percentage points or more

  • 37 districts improved graduation rates for students with disabilities by five percentage points or more

Memphis-Shelby County Schools graduates of Whitehaven High School heard Gov. Bill Lee speak at their graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 21, 2022.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools graduates of Whitehaven High School heard Gov. Bill Lee speak at their graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 21, 2022.

How Tennessee graduation rates break down by student group

The education department also provided additional data on graduation rates for different student groups divided by things like race, ethnicity, gender and other factors. Here are some of those rates:

Race and ethnicity

  • American Indian or Alaskan Native: 90.2%

  • Asian: 97.3%

  • Black or African American: 86.3%

  • Black/Hispanic/Native American: 85%

  • Hispanic: 82.6%

  • Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 90.3%

  • Non-Black/Hispanic/Native American: 94%

  • White: 93.9%

Gender

  • Male: 88.5%

  • Female: 92.8%

Other factors

  • Economically disadvantaged: 84%

  • English learners*: 67.1%

  • Students with disabilities: 80%

*English learners are denoted as "transitional" students, ranked from levels 1-4.

Graduation rates for the Tennessee's largest school districts

Graduation rates varied widely for the state's five largest districts. Here's how they fared in the 2022-23 school year:

  • Memphis Shelby County Schools: 81.5%

  • Metro Nashville Public Schools: 81.2%

  • Knox County Schools: 91.9%

  • Rutherford County Schools: 96.2%

  • Hamilton County Schools: 89.5%

Graduation rates for school districts in Middle Tennessee

While most Middle Tennessee districts saw graduation rates above 90%, some landed lower for the 2022-23 school year. Here's how the numbers panned out:

  • Cheatham County School District: 93.8%

  • Clarksville-Montgomery County School System: 92.3%

  • Dickson County School District: 93.5%

  • Maury County Public Schools: 89%

  • Robertson County Schools: 83.6%

  • Sumner County Schools: 97.6%

  • Williamson County Schools: 97.8%

  • Wilson County Schools: 98.2%

See Tennessee graduation data for yourself

You can find the full set of graduation data for Tennessee, along with more datasets, at tn.gov/education/districts/federal-programs-and-oversight/data/data-downloads.html. Scroll down to the "additional data" section, then select the "graduation cohort data" drop-down tab. You can download graduation data spreadsheets for school years as far back as 2014-15.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee hits record-high graduation rates: How your district fared