Testing Results Confirm: Emerald Academy Scholars Outperform City, Statewide Peers
New statewide testing data for the 2023-2024 school year confirms Emerald Academy, Knoxville’s first public, K-8 charter school, is changing the trajectory of learning outcomes for urban youth and supporting dramatic academic gains among students.
Key Achievements from Statewide Testing:
40% Increase in Proficiency Rate: Over the past four years, the scholar proficiency rate schoolwide has surged by an impressive 40%.
Strong Academic Growth: The schoolwide academic growth of Emerald Academy’s scholars earned a Level 4 rating, a clear reflection of sustained academic progress across multiple subject areas.
Top-Performing Urban Middle School in Knoxville: For the fourth consecutive year, Emerald Academy is the highest-achieving urban middle school in Knoxville. Notably, Black scholars at Emerald Academy attained the highest reading proficiency scores among Black students countywide in both 6th and 8th grades.
Changing the Academic Trajectory for Minority and Lower-Income Students: The impressive increase in Emerald Academy’s proficiency rate has fueled the school to surpass performance metrics for minority and economically disadvantaged scholars across Tennessee’s four largest metropolitan school districts for the third year in a row.
"One of our school’s core values is excellence. We keep pushing ourselves to be the best," said Emerald Academy School Director Carlissa Weeks. “Our high expectations for faculty, scholars and families are paying off, and I believe this dedication will lead to even greater achievements in the near future.”
Undergirding these academic results is a commitment to a strong overall school culture that is reflective of the school’s values. This is evidenced by the fact that the chronic absenteeism rate has decreased by over 50% in the past three years, and the scholar attrition rate reached an all-time low in 2023-24, further reinforcing the school’s impact.
“Our mission is clear: to prepare scholars for the college of their choice and for impactful leadership in their communities,” said Steve Diggs, president of Emerald Charter Schools. “We are making strides every day, and these milestones confirm that we are on the right path to fulfilling that mission.”
Emerald Academy offers a tuition-free, college preparatory education for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. For more information or to apply, visit emeraldacademy.org or call (865) 249-7223. Translation services are available.
