The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 36% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Cedar Grove Elementary
Cedar Grove Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Smyrna, Tennessee, as part of Rutherford County Schools. Smyrna is a rapidly growing suburban town that has expanded significantly in recent decades, driven by industrial employers including a major automotive assembly plant and the broader Nashville metropolitan area's outward growth. The town has a strongly family-oriented residential base, and the school's enrollment is substantial for an elementary school in this grade band.
The student population is diverse. The largest share of students identifies as Hispanic, followed by a substantial share of White students, Black students, Asian students, and students of two or more races, with very small numbers of American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, nor were counts for students with disabilities or English learners. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these support programs and the socioeconomic context of the student body.
On state assessments administered in grades three through five, the school's proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science all fall below half of tested students. The school's overall proficiency across tested subjects places it above the midpoint among districts in Rutherford County. Because the comparison set includes only two districts, this positioning is a narrow one and reflects the school's standing relative to the county's other district. Social studies data from an older year is not comparable due to assessment changes and should not be read as current. Multi-year trend data was not available for recent years. Since the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not provided.
The district has made several changes that affect this school. Rutherford County Schools shifted to a new phonics-based literacy curriculum aligned with a statewide reading initiative, so reading instruction across all elementary schools has been restructured. The district also completed a 1:1 technology initiative, providing a computing device to every student. In 2022, voters approved a bond referendum for new school construction and renovations to address rapid enrollment growth that has been adding a substantial number of new students each year. This growth context matters: the district is actively building and expanding facilities to keep pace with population increases in Smyrna and the surrounding area. Housing values in the area sit around the midpoint between state and national benchmarks, with rents at a similar level.
Information about specific program offerings at Cedar Grove, such as extracurricular activities, arts, or specialized academic tracks, was not available in the source data. Data on teacher staffing, class sizes, and discipline patterns was also not provided, so those aspects of the school environment remain uncharacterized here. A parent may want to visit the school's website or contact the school directly to learn about enrichment opportunities and classroom conditions beyond the core curriculum.
With its diverse student body, academic performance that falls in the middle ground relative to the county's small set of districts, and a location in a high-growth suburban area where the district is investing in facilities and curriculum, Cedar Grove Elementary serves as a neighborhood school in a community that is still being shaped by rapid development. Families moving to the area should be aware that the school's size and the district's growth mean the experience may shift as new schools open and attendance boundaries adjust.
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