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Moses McKissack Middle School

Q: Is Moses McKissack Middle School a good school?

Moses McKissack Middle School ranks in the bottom 15.7% of Tennessee middle schools.

Q: How many students attend Moses McKissack Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 114 students attended Moses McKissack Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Moses McKissack Middle School?

Students at Moses McKissack Middle School are 85% African American, 9% Hispanic, 4% White, 2% Two or more races.

Q: What high school do graduates of Moses McKissack Middle School attend?

Students who attend Moses McKissack Middle School usually go on to attend Pearl-Cohn High School

Public Grades 6-8

501^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 16% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Moses McKissack Middle School is a small urban middle school in Nashville, TN, serving 114 students in grades 6–8 as part of Metro Nashville Public Schools. The school has historically ranked near the very bottom of Tennessee's middle schools, but 2025–2026 data show meaningful progress: McKissack now ranks 501st of 594 Tennessee middle schools, placing it in the 16th percentile and earning one star. While proficiency rates remain well below district and state averages in all tested subjects, the school is showing clear upward momentum in both academic performance and attendance.

One of the most striking features of McKissack's profile is its spending. The school spends $27,891 per student, far more than most neighboring schools. By comparison, Meigs Middle School — the #1 ranked middle school in Tennessee — spends just $15,849 per student while achieving dramatically better results. Academic performance remains the school's biggest challenge: only 12.6% of students are proficient in math, compared with 43.0% statewide, and math is the most urgent area of need. Social studies is the relative strength, with 27.8% proficiency and the smallest gap to district and state averages. Despite the low absolute numbers, the direction is positive: math proficiency rose from 7.4% to 12.6%, and science proficiency more than tripled from 5.8% to 19.6%.

Attendance is a high-leverage success story. Chronic absenteeism fell from 47.9% in 2022–2023 to 28.2% in 2024–2025, a dramatic improvement that is likely connected to the recent academic gains. Still, the rate remains above the district average of 23.3% and far above schools like Head Middle School, which has just 5.3% chronic absenteeism and ranks 117th in the state. Nearby schools prove that dramatic improvement is possible in the same district — Meigs Middle is the top-ranked middle school in Tennessee — and McKissack's recent trajectory suggests it is moving in the right direction, even if a long road remains.

114

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,891

Per pupil spending ?

95.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

915 38th Ave N
Nashville, TN 37209

(615) 329-8170

District: Metro Nashville Public Schools

Students who attend Moses McKissack Middle School usually attend:

High:

Pearl-Cohn High School

Feeder schools for Moses McKissack Middle School:

Elementary:	Cockrill Elementary School
	Park Avenue Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

85.1%

Hispanic:

8.8%

White:

3.5%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Moses McKissack Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 2nd percentile in 2013 → 16th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (19% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (28% vs 18% Tennessee)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school19%

District avg34%

Tennessee avg45%

501^st of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 16%▲ up 14 pts since 2018

From bottom 1% (2018) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 38Middle Schools in the Metro Nashville Public Schools

126^th of 141Metro Nashville Public Schools among Tennessee districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	16.6	501 of 594	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	8.0	557 of 583	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.9	569 of 587	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.9	593 of 594	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.8	561 of 576	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.1	572 of 574	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.2	555 of 563	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	10.5	473 of 492	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	6.7	468 of 485	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.9	467 of 475	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	33.8	348 of 466	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	7.6	450 of 462	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	11.7	415 of 435	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	205 of 328	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.5	276 of 312	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.5	286 of 318	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	316 of 316	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.4	275 of 284	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	519 of 546	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.2	553 of 554	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.8	559 of 560	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.3	521 of 529	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2018	24.0	181 of 219	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	33.0	344 of 478	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.5	450 of 490	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	474 of 510	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	513 of 514	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.7	481 of 483	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	483 of 490	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.9	475 of 481	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	11.7	505 of 550	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.0	473 of 560	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2026)38th percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)28th percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2018)17th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2025)8th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)5th percentile~ school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies28%-24 vs state

Science20%-27 vs state

English Language Arts14%-26 vs state

Mathematics13%-30 vs state

★

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Schools Near Moses McKissack Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)					TNReady English Language Arts (2026)					TNReady Algebra I (2026)		TNReady Integrated Math I (2026)		TNReady Science (2026)					TNReady Social Studies (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2016)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Integrated Math I 8th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math I All Grades	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Moses McKissack Middle School	Public	6-8	915 38th Ave N	Nashville	37209	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 329-8170	122	9	14.2	95.1%	2 (1.6%)	109 (89.3%)	5 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.9%)	16.6	501^st of 594 public middle schools	15.7%		8	557^th of 583 public middle schools	4.5%	56		< 5%	8.0	21.4	12.6		14.3	< 5%	20.5	14.4						17.9	12.0	25.0	19.6	10.7	40.0	31.8	27.8	$27,891	$1,610	$25,349
Nashville Prep School	Public, Charter	5-8	1300 56th Ave N	Nashville	37209	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 921-8440	211	3	70.3	75.8%	10 (4.7%)	92 (43.6%)	103 (48.8%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	15.3	510^th of 594 public middle schools	14.1%		9.9	535^th of 583 public middle schools	8.2%	25	7.7	16.7	10.6	14.6	13.5	8.3	14.6	19.1	8.3	13.5					27.3	25.0	27.7	22.9	25.3	27.1	39.1	29.2	31.7	$15,824	$2,114	$12,252
Head Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1830 Jo Johnston Avenue	Nashville	37203	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 329-8160	551	31	17.9	41.9%	183 (33.2%)	283 (51.4%)	41 (7.4%)	24 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.3%)	74	117^th of 594 public middle schools	80.3%		74.5	113^th of 583 public middle schools	80.6%	4		67.3	31.1	50.7	54.7		69.1	31.1	29.6	50.2						72.8	48.6	25.5	57.7	85.8	51.4	45.7	67.5	$18,927	$1,229	$16,728
West End Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	3529 West End Avenue	Nashville	37205	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(615) 298-8425	332	23	14.1	41.9%	152 (45.8%)	133 (40.1%)	22 (6.6%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	17 (5.1%)	57.2	236^th of 594 public middle schools	60.3%		62.7	188^th of 583 public middle schools	67.8%	48		28.6	40.9	26.1	32.4		43.9	36.5	35.0	38.2			83.9	83.9		50.6	46.6	44.2	47.2	58.8	65.5	36.4	52.8	$17,869	$1,037	$15,969
John Early Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1000 Cass Street	Nashville	37208	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 291-6369	169	16	10.3	80.1%	6 (3.6%)	133 (78.7%)	23 (13.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (3.0%)	9	554^th of 594 public middle schools	6.7%		7.8	558^th of 583 public middle schools	4.3%	4		14.3	< 5%	6.7	9.1		11.4	9.1	18.2	13.3						11.4	13.0	24.2	16.5	11.4	21.7	18.2	16.5	$29,546	$2,245	$25,638
Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts	Public, Magnet	6-8	3500 John Mallette Drive	Nashville	37218	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 291-6515	302	23	13.3	62.8%	46 (15.2%)	227 (75.2%)	16 (5.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.6%)	35	404^th of 594 public middle schools	32.0%		31.9	405^th of 583 public middle schools	30.5%	1		19.1	10.2	13.8	13.7		39.7	24.1	33.8	31.3			81.8	81.8		36.8	26.9	15.5	26.9	60.3	40.7	55.0	50.4	$19,608	$1,812	$16,592
Rose Park Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1025 9th Avenue South	Nashville	37203	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 291-6405	387	25	15.7	58.3%	95 (24.5%)	231 (59.7%)	38 (9.8%)	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	48.6	299^th of 594 public middle schools	49.7%		51	266^th of 583 public middle schools	54.4%	33		36.3	25.4	44.3	34.1		37.9	41.5	26.1	35.3			81.5	81.5		46.6	44.6	23.9	39.6	52.4	50.8	36.5	46.6	$18,515	$1,145	$16,493
H. G. Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	150 Davidson Road	Nashville	37205	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 353-2020	433	29	14.9	72.4%	127 (29.3%)	97 (22.4%)	161 (37.2%)	29 (6.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.2%)	28.1	443^rd of 594 public middle schools	25.4%		26.4	446^th of 583 public middle schools	23.5%	3		12.2	31.5	16.3	20.3		23.7	28.5	13.1	21.9			89.5	89.5		38.2	43.8	29.3	37.2	29.0	47.7	22.1	33.2	$17,239	$897	$15,431
LEAD Cameron School	Public, Charter	5-8	1034 1st Avenue South	Nashville	37210	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 806-6320	496	47	10.6	75.6%	36 (7.3%)	110 (22.2%)	337 (67.9%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	14.1	514^th of 594 public middle schools	13.5%		18.3	487^th of 583 public middle schools	16.5%	27	34.3	10.7	19.0	17.6	17.6	20.0	12.6	11.1	10.0	11.9					20.0	17.0	34.9	22.7	24.7	29.7	34.9	20.0	28.1	$19,871	$2,545	$16,413
Haynes Middle School	Public	6-8	510 West Trinity Lane	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 262-6688	252	11	23.8	84.8%	21 (8.3%)	188 (74.6%)	32 (12.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.0%)	9.5	549^th of 594 public middle schools	7.6%		8.1	555^th of 583 public middle schools	4.8%	6		< 5%	10.0	5.2	6.2		15.9	14.3	10.0	13.1						22.2	21.1	11.1	18.0	23.8	32.8	13.9	23.0	$20,855	$2,051	$17,509

Frequently Asked Questions about Moses McKissack Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Moses McKissack Middle School?

Students at Moses McKissack Middle School are 85% African American, 9% Hispanic, 4% White, 2% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Moses McKissack Middle School attend?

Students who attend Moses McKissack Middle School usually go on to attend Pearl-Cohn High School

What district is Moses McKissack Middle School in?

Metro Nashville Public Schools

Is Moses McKissack Middle School a good school?

Moses McKissack Middle School ranks in the bottom 15.7% of Tennessee middle schools.

How many students attend Moses McKissack Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 114 students attended Moses McKissack Middle School.

Rate Moses McKissack Middle School!

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.