The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Math. The lowest is 29% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Dickson Elementary
Dickson Elementary is a regular public school in Dickson, Tennessee, serving students in prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of Dickson County Schools. The school sits in the city of Dickson, a community where the housing market shows home values slightly above the state average and rents that consume a typical share of household income, according to available data. The national mortgage rate context suggests that buying and renting are both expensive options here, a factor any family considering a move should weigh.
The school is of a moderate size for an elementary school, with an enrollment that includes a predominantly white student body. Hispanic students make up a substantial share, with smaller proportions of Black students, students of two or more races, and very small numbers of Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, nor were numbers for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the level of economic diversity and the supports in place for these groups.
On state testing, Dickson Elementary’s results come from the TNReady assessments for grades three through five. In math, about two out of every five students scored at a proficient level or above. In English language arts, the result was similar, with a little over a third of students reaching proficiency. Science proficiency was also in that same range. These are not strong collective numbers. A parent considering this school would want to understand how individual student growth is tracked and what interventions are used for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks. Social studies data is from a much earlier year and under an assessment framework that has since changed, so it is not comparable to current results and should be set aside.
The school benefits from full participation in testing, meaning nearly every enrolled student took the assessments, which gives a complete picture of performance across the student body. There is no comparison data relative to other schools within Dickson County because Dickson County has only one school district at the county level, so the standard local benchmarking is not possible here.
The district, Dickson County Schools, appears to be in a period without major recent changes that would be immediately visible to parents. A search for recent district-level shifts did not turn up anything substantial. That stability can be a positive for families who do not want disruption, but it also means there is little public information about any active initiatives around curriculum, facilities, or programming.
For a family deciding whether this school fits, the academic picture is the central consideration. Proficiency rates in core subjects are below where many parents would hope to see them. The school serves a broad range of early grades in a single building, which can foster a sense of community among younger students and their families, but it also means that the academic program must cover a wide developmental span. The school’s setting in the city of Dickson places it within reach of local amenities, but families coming from outside the area will find a housing market that is not inexpensive.
Dickson Elementary is a school where the numbers on academic performance are soft, and a parent should expect to invest time in understanding how the school addresses those results before enrolling. The school is a straightforward, regular public elementary school in a county district that shows no signs of major flux, and the decision will likely come down to how its current achievement levels align with a family’s expectations and what supports a principal and teachers can describe in person.
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