Rockwood Middle School

Rockwood Middle School serves 274 students in grades 6–8 in Rockwood, Tennessee, as part of Roane County Schools. The school ranks in the 44th percentile statewide for 2025–2026, a meaningful improvement from the 29th percentile the previous year, but it still trails district and state averages in all four core subjects. Math proficiency is 33.5% compared to 47.1% districtwide and 43.0% statewide, while ELA is 30.5% versus 40.5% districtwide and 40.6% statewide. Among nearby schools, only Central Middle School in Morgan County scores lower overall. The other Roane County middle schools — Midway Middle School and Cherokee Middle School — both rank in the 85th–87th percentile statewide, outperforming Rockwood by roughly 20 percentage points or more in math and social studies. Harriman Middle School, the closest peer, still surpasses Rockwood in math, science, and social studies.

Grade-level results show a downward slide: 6th-grade ELA actually exceeds the state average (43.0% vs. 39.8%), but by 8th grade, math proficiency falls to just 23.3%, far behind the district's 42.2%. Chronic absenteeism improved dramatically from 26.7% in 2023–2024 to 17.3% in 2024–2025, now below the state average of 18.3% and close to Roane County's 15.9%. Subgroup results are encouraging: special education students jumped to the 62nd percentile statewide, and low-income students reached the 52nd percentile.

Advanced coursework is a standout — 90.9% of Algebra I students were proficient versus 23.2% statewide. Yet Rockwood spends $14,526 per student, higher than Cherokee ($12,252) and Central ($10,716), both of which outperform it, suggesting resources alone aren't the issue. The 2025–2026 rebound, including ELA jumping from 19.2% to 30.5% proficient, combined with lower absenteeism, suggests recent efforts are paying off — though the school remains below its pre-pandemic 66th-percentile ranking from 2018–2019.