Rickman Elementary, Rickman TN - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Rickman Elementary

Rickman Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through eighth grade in the rural, unincorporated community of Rickman in Overton County. It is a regular public school, neither a charter nor a magnet, and the only school in its immediate area. Because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and state testing covers only grades three through eight.

On the state assessments, the school’s results follow a pattern that parents will want to weigh carefully. In science and social studies, roughly half or more of tested students reached the proficient level, making those subjects relative bright spots. In math, the share of students scoring proficient was lower, and in English language arts it was lower still. A parent considering this school may want to ask the school directly about the instructional strategies in place for reading and math and how the school supports students who are not yet meeting the proficiency benchmark. The participation rates on the tests were very high, which means the results reflect nearly the entire student body.

The student body is overwhelmingly white, with very small numbers of children from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners were not available in the information we reviewed. Similarly, information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and course access was absent. A family exploring this school may want to ask the district or school office for those details, as they can shape a child’s daily experience.

Rickman itself is a low-density crossroads community with almost no commercial base. The school sits directly on the main highway, alongside the post office and several churches. There is no downtown, no public library in the village itself, and no public transit. Most residents commute to nearby Livingston or Cookeville for work and larger services. Home values and rents are below national averages, and the area has seen no major new housing or commercial development in recent search results. For a family seeking a quiet, rural setting with affordable housing, this community fits that description. For a family wanting walkable amenities or a denser social environment, it would not.

The district brief turned up little in the way of recent policy changes or notable initiatives for Overton County schools. That means the portrait of Rickman Elementary is largely what the assessment results and community profile reveal: a rural elementary and middle school serving a stable, low-growth area, with academic strengths in science and social studies and weaker results in math and reading that are worth investigating further. Without additional data on student support programs or enrichment offerings, a family would need to visit and ask questions to fill in the picture.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-849%

School 49% · District 41% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median

English language arts

Grades 3-844%

School 44% · District 36% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median

Science

Grades 3-857%

School 57% · District 48% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median

Social studies

Grades 3-857%

School 57% · District 47% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median

This schoolOverton 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 3Lower-income38%Higher-income40%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income53%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income15%Higher-income44%28 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income31%Higher-income47%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income38%Higher-income52%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income60%42 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income51%20 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income32%Higher-income51%19 pp gap