The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 45% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Woodland Elementary
Woodland Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and is one of the regular public elementary schools within the Oak Ridge district. The school itself sits in a city that was originally a planned government town, built for the Manhattan Project and now home to major federal scientific and security facilities: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex, and the Department of Energy. The community is car-dependent, with residential neighborhoods spread along ridge slopes, and its economy is driven by high-tech and scientific employers, a regional medical center, and new industrial development such as the recently announced Orano facility. Housing in the area is at a level typical for Tennessee, and the housing market has been relatively stable.
On state assessments for the 2024-2025 school year, Woodland students showed a pattern that varies by subject. In science, the share of students scoring proficient or above was higher than in math, and math in turn was higher than English language arts. Overall, when results across tested subjects are averaged together, Woodland’s performance sits below the midpoint among the three school districts in Anderson County. This means that compared with the other districts in the county, this school’s combined proficiency is in the lower half. Reading is the area where the school’s results are weakest relative to its own performance elsewhere, which is a soft spot a parent may want to follow up on with the school. Science and math are stronger. The school tested nearly all enrolled students, and participation was complete. Older social studies data exists from several years ago but is not comparable due to changes in the test and cut scores, so it should not be used to draw conclusions about current performance.
The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up a modest share, followed by smaller numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial children. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available in the data we examined. A parent looking for a full picture of economic need or support services would need to ask the school directly.
Woodland is part of the Oak Ridge school district, which has made several recent changes that directly affect this elementary school. The district adopted a new phonics-based literacy curriculum for all elementary schools starting in the 2023-2024 school year, aligning with a state initiative. That shift represents a lasting change in how reading is taught in grades K-4, and Woodland is part of that rollout. The district also launched a 1:1 technology initiative in 2022-2023, providing personal devices to students in grades 3 through 12, which means Woodland’s third and fourth graders now have individual devices for school use. In addition, the district changed school start times beginning in 2024-2025, with the earliest start at 7:45 a.m. and the latest at 8:30 a.m., a permanent schedule change that affects daily routines for families with children at this school.
For a parent choosing a school, Woodland offers a straightforward K-4 pathway in a district that has invested in early literacy and technology. The school’s academic results are mixed, with reading being the area to examine most closely. The community context is unique: Oak Ridge is not a typical small town but a place shaped by large-scale federal science and security work, with a stable housing market and ongoing industrial growth. The school itself is one of several elementary options in the district, and the district brief did not indicate any school choice or boundary policies, so attendance is likely determined by residence. A family considering Woodland should weigh the district’s recent curriculum investments against the school’s current proficiency profile, particularly in reading, and should inquire about student support resources that were not visible in the available data.
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