Rocketship Dream Community Prep School

Rocketship Dream Community Prep School is a K–5 charter school in Antioch, Tennessee, serving 447 students under the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, with a mixed academic record that places it in the lower-middle range statewide but shows genuine strengths when compared with nearby schools. The school's overall state ranking has bounced around considerably — from 562nd in 2024–2025 down to 763rd in 2025–2026, which puts it in the 25th percentile statewide. But that ranking tells only part of the story. In its immediate neighborhood, Rocketship actually outperforms most of the eight nearby Metro Nashville Public Schools elementary schools. Only KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary School, another charter in the same authorizer district, clearly beats it across every subject.

Reading is Rocketship's clear bright spot. In 2025–2026, 40.8% of students scored proficient in English language arts, essentially matching the state average of 40.6% and far exceeding the average of nearby Metro elementary schools, which sits at just 22.2%. This strength appears in the upper grades too — 4th and 5th grade reading proficiency exceeded state averages, which is unusual for schools in this area. The picture is different in math and science, where proficiency rates of 27.2% and 30.9% trail the state by roughly 16 points in each subject. Science, though, is a relative advantage locally, beating the nearby traditional school average of about 22.9%.

The most significant negative signal is math, which fell from 44.3% proficiency in 2024–2025 to 27.2% in 2025–2026 — a steep 17-point drop while the state average barely moved. Chronic absenteeism, however, has improved for three straight years to 17.2%, now below both the district average of 25.2% and the state average of 18.3%. Rocketship also serves English Learner students remarkably well, ranking in the 85th to 88th percentile statewide, and African American students have consistently performed in the mid-to-upper percentiles. That said, KIPP Antioch — spending nearly identical dollars per pupil — posts stronger results in every subject and a far lower absenteeism rate of 6.7%, suggesting the difference comes down more to instructional model and school culture than funding.