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Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts

Q: Is Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts a good school?

Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts ranks 404 th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

404^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 32% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts is a grades 6–8 middle school in Nashville, TN, serving 269 students as part of Metro Nashville Public Schools. In the 2025–2026 SchoolDigger rankings, Creswell ranks 404th out of 594 Tennessee middle schools (32nd percentile, 2 stars) — notably stronger than its district, which ranks 126th of 141 districts statewide. The school has climbed steadily from the 2nd percentile in 2014–2015 to its current position, reflecting gradual, consistent improvement rather than a dramatic turnaround.

For parents, one of Creswell's biggest strengths is attendance: the chronic absenteeism rate is 17.9%, well below the district's 23.3% and comparable to the state average. Nearby schools like Haynes Middle School (51%) and John Early Middle School (42%) struggle far more with attendance. Academically, social studies is the signature subject, with 50.4% proficiency — nearly matching the state and well above the district's 42.1%. Sixth-grade social studies (60.3%) and 8th-grade ELA (33.8%) both exceed state averages, which is rare for a school in the bottom third. Creswell also runs a strong accelerated math track: 8th graders in Integrated Math I posted an 81.8% proficiency rate, above the state average and close to West End Middle School.

The biggest challenge is overall math proficiency, which sits at just 13.7% — far below the state's 43.0% — and grade-level math results range from 10.2% to 19.1%. Science also lags. Student outcomes vary significantly by group: male students and low-income students perform well below their peers, while other subgroups fare better. Creswell spends $19,608 per student, less than John Early Middle School ($29,546) and Moses McKissack Middle School ($27,891) while producing better results, though it doesn't yet match the outcomes of higher-performing nearby schools like Head Middle School or Meigs Middle School. Overall, Creswell is a school in transition, with real strengths in humanities, attendance, and advanced math, but with math and equity gaps that remain central challenges.

269

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,608

Per pupil spending ?

62.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3500 John Mallette Drive
Nashville, TN 37218

(615) 291-6515

District: Metro Nashville Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

76.2%

White:

13.4%

Hispanic:

4.5%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 7th percentile in 2014 → 32nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 25 percentile points since 2014

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (32% vs 45% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Mathematics scores 29 pts below the Tennessee average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg34%

Tennessee avg45%

404^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 18 pts since 2018

From bottom 14% (2018) to bottom 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th 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	35.0	404 of 594	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.9	405 of 583	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.4	431 of 587	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	470 of 594	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.6	503 of 569	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.7	524 of 576	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.4	513 of 574	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	484 of 563	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	7.6	481 of 492	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	13.5	453 of 485	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	16.8	446 of 475	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	8.5	450 of 466	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	13.6	425 of 462	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	18.1	389 of 435	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	189 of 328	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.1	187 of 312	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.6	201 of 318	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.3	197 of 316	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.5	245 of 299	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.2	228 of 277	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.4	234 of 293	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.3	200 of 284	29.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	39.3	338 of 546	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.9	383 of 554	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.8	438 of 560	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	484 of 552	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.5	500 of 538	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.5	469 of 529	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	34.8	327 of 478	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.9	336 of 490	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.0	394 of 510	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.2	393 of 514	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	456 of 495	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.8	422 of 483	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.3	411 of 490	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.1	395 of 481	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	17.5	470 of 550	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.2	455 of 560	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	449 of 557	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.3	454 of 540	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.2	451 of 529	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.9	463 of 523	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	37.0	192 of 349	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.1	210 of 299	29.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	74.8	93 of 494	81.2%	★★★★☆
2025	64.8	133 of 492	73.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	94 of 504	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	43.1	259 of 484	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.0	350 of 481	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2026)81st percentile+49 vs school

Special Education (2026)45th percentile+13 vs school

African American (2026)42nd percentile+10 vs school

Female (2025)38th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)15th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Integrated Math I82%+52 vs state

Social Studies50%~ state avg

English Language Arts31%-9 vs state

Science27%-20 vs state

Mathematics14%-29 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Monday, July 8, 2024

Isaiah T. Creswell Middle Magnet School of the Visual and Performing Arts is on the cusp of greatness. Their vibrant community features students actively engaged in their classes, parent tours for prospective families, and a bustling library where students dive into research and reading to boost their literacy skills. Teachers engage in collaborative planning to stay at the forefront of instructional practices, while students participate in a variety of rehearsals for dance, choir, drama, and band—including their renowned drumline.

They also offer an extended day program with a variety of after-school clubs. Students can explore interests in ukulele, beats, cheerleading, theatre, Legos, drones, and robotics. Additionally, they provide opportunities for boys and girls to join basketball and soccer teams. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, July 20, 2014

This school has helped my child greatly in her art and her learning she has improved in a enormous way. She has even learned poetry going on a step team and studying and going at her goals in life.She has been inspired and taught by her teachers because its not just the students who have talents the some of teachers do to and i think sharing the same goal is the best learning experience a teacher and a student could have. People should send there kids to this school not only for a great education but if they have a talent or computer skills they will strive. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Worst school ever!!! My daughter has been bullied and teased and picked on since the second week of school. I have written emails to the Principal who told me that they would keep an eye on things and things are not getting any better. If and when something happens to her at school the teachers have her call me. What exactly am I going to do if something is happening at school it should be handled at school!!! I just found out a week ago that the bullying is now spilling out of school and onto the Metro bus she rides and she is being pushed around on and off the bus. I talked to her teachers and guidance counselor and they are making everything out to be my daughters fault. I think they are causing more problems than she is and they are treating her just as badly as the other students. There is little to no respect from the teachers and absolutely no respect for the parents who are trying to make sure their children have a safe and happy school. I now have to deal with my daughter crying in the morning because she doesn't want to go to school and a principal who will do nothing to get her out of that school and into one that she will feel more safe and comfortable in. I will never allow my children to go to that school again and if I have friends or family that want their children to go there I would let them know about all the issues that we have had within the first semester of the school year! Close Quote

Schools Near Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts

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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 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 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
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
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		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
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			8.0	21.4	12.6		14.3		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
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			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
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
KIPP Nashville College Prep School	Public, Charter	5-8	3410 Knight Drive	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 986-1465	348	13	26.7	81.6%	12 (3.4%)	262 (75.3%)	56 (16.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.0%)	55	253^rd of 594 public middle schools	57.4%		49	286^th of 583 public middle schools	50.9%	33	41.2	29.7	47.7	57.1	43.6	27.4	24.4	18.6	25.0	23.8			36.5	38.5	59.3	42.9	44.2	53.8	62.4	60.7	58.8	$19,320	$1,969	$15,955
Richard H. Dinkins Middle School	Public	6-8	2835 Brick Church PIKE	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(629) 910-5700	0											6.3	572^nd of 594 public middle schools	3.7%					(n/a)				11.8	5.9		8.9			5.0				13.6	9.3	20.0	13.7	23.8	9.5	6.3	13.8	$38,044	$1,997	$33,961
KIPP Academy Nashville School	Public, Charter	5-8	123 Douglas Avenue	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 514-6266	391	6	65.1	86.1%	7 (1.8%)	225 (57.5%)	153 (39.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	59.6	220^th of 594 public middle schools	63.0%		46.1	307^th of 583 public middle schools	47.3%	87	43.0	35.0	42.9	48.0	42.1	44.3	34.0	29.6	33.7	34.9			39.2	42.0	49.0	34.7	41.3	81.0	62.2	58.2	67.2	$19,368	$2,042	$16,088
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts

What is the racial makeup of Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts?

Students at Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts are 76% African American, 13% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 269 students attended Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts.

Is Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts a good school?

Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts ranks 404^th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts in?

Metro Nashville Public Schools

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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.