Lead Southeast, Nashville TN - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Lead Southeast

LEAD Southeast is a public charter school in Nashville that serves students in fifth through twelfth grade. It is part of the Davidson County school district, but its charter status means it operates with its own governing board, separate from the Metro Nashville Public Schools system. The school is located at 531 Metroplex Drive, in an area of the city that sits within the broad, sprawling footprint of Nashville, a fast-growing state capital with a diverse economy anchored by healthcare, music, and higher education.

The student body is diverse. The largest group is Hispanic students, who make up roughly half of the enrollment. White students account for about a quarter of students, Black students for about a sixth, and Asian students for a smaller share. This composition reflects the broad demographics of the surrounding community. Free and reduced-price lunch data was not available in the profile, and counts for students with disabilities and English learners were also missing, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its support services for these groups. The school holds charter status, and publicly reported information may clarify its admissions process, as charter schools in Tennessee use a lottery system when oversubscribed.

On state assessments, LEAD Southeast’s results present a mixed picture. In social studies, roughly half of students scored at the proficient level or above, a figure that is relatively strong. In science, about a third of students met that bar. In math, about a third of students were proficient. In English language arts, less than a third of students were proficient. When measured on an overall proficiency index that combines all subjects and grade levels, the school’s performance lands in the top quartile among districts in Davidson County. That positioning is notable, though the comparison uses a county-level lens that includes only a small number of districts.

Because the school serves middle and high school grades, state testing data was available for grades five through eight. The school does not have a reported four-year graduation rate in this profile, and no chronic absenteeism data was provided. A family may want to request the school’s most recent graduation outcomes and attendance figures directly.

Nashville’s housing market is expensive relative to national benchmarks, with home values above the national median and rents also elevated. Mortgage rates recently have been in a moderate range, near six and a half percent, meaning the cost of buying in this area is significant. The city’s rapid growth continues to drive demand for housing and for school options.

What this school offers is a single-building pathway from elementary-level grades through high school, in a large urban charter network. For parents seeking a school with a diverse student body and a charter school structure that provides some independence from the traditional district, LEAD Southeast fits that description. The academic results show a school that exceeds the average in its county in overall proficiency, though individual subject outcomes are uneven; math and English scores are areas where a parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly to understand how the school supports students who enter below grade level and how it measures growth. The social studies and science results are stronger, and may suggest specific program strengths in those areas. The school’s size appears moderate for the grade span it covers. Nashville’s scale and sprawl mean that whether the commute works will depend heavily on where in the metro area a family lives.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 54 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

389 schools plotted. 19 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grades 3-838%

School 38% · District 32% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-829%

School 29% · District 31% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Science

Grades 3-837%

School 37% · District 34% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Social studies

Grades 3-850%

School 50% · District 38% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

This schoolDavidson County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income17%Higher-income33%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income39%11 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income30%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income21%Higher-income24%3 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income26%Higher-income31%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income43%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income40%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income40%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income32%Higher-income32%1 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income38%Higher-income38%0 pp gap