Metro Nashville Public Schools

Curriculum & Instruction by Tier

The curriculum, goals, standards and experiences your student can expect in their K to 12 education.

Elementary School

The elementary student experience captures the natural curiosity and wonder students have about the world. Through a variety of fun, hands-on, and interactive lessons, students pursue a journey of new ideas as they begin to learn about themselves, others and the community around them. 

Elementary levels align all core subjects with state standards and district learning goals. Teachers provide instruction in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies using a variety of teaching tools to actively engage students. 

Students will learn critical foundational reading skills, explore a variety of topics critical to developing their understanding of the world and others through rich, engaging texts, and begin to develop their voice through personal writing craft.  Elementary students learn fundamentals of numbers and arithmetic operations to solve increasingly complex math problems and explore various geometric shapes.  Students also have access to rich related arts experiences including visual arts, music, physical education, and more.  

Social-emotional learning is a key component to the curriculum and day-to-day environment. Upon completion of elementary grades, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills in technology, music, visual arts and physical education, read and write at or above grade level, demonstrate proficiency in math, and be academically prepared for the transition to middle school. 

Foundational Literacy Skills Plan 

Read our district's Foundational Literacy Skills Plan.

Middle School

Middle school is a pivotal time in a child’s education.  

Through a collaborative planning approach, in all our 29 middle school buildings, educators challenge students to think critically, be creative, communicate and collaborate with their peers. Students are empowered to better understand how their skills fit into our complex world. 

All middle school students will experience rich content though core academic areas in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies with all learning goals aligned to TN state academic standards.  

Middle school students will build on their elementary experiences further developing their command of language through exposure to novel study and extended writing.  In math, students build on number sense and begin exploring concepts fundamental to algebraic thinking.  Students learn how energy impacts Earth’s natural resources and processes, basic biology of life, and physical forces in our universe.  Students will explore history and geography from ancient civilizations to the middle ages to the colonization of North America while developing skills necessary to analyze and synthesize a variety of historical documents.   

All middle school students will have access to a robust set of related arts courses including visual and a variety of performing arts opportunities, technology, health and physical education and more.  After completing middle school, students will be academically prepared for the transition to high school and to make education and career plans for high school and beyond.

Fifth Grade Transition to Elementary Schools

In the 2024-25 school year, the transition of 5th grade to elementary schools will be complete and there will no longer be MNPS-run middle schools with 5th grade.

High School 

High school offers students personalized, thematic learning tied to real-world experiences. At the end of grade 12, students will be academically prepared to transition to college and career, read and write at or above grade level, and be on track to enroll in a credit bearing math course in college. 

Throughout grades 9-12, students will formulate and follow a plan for post-secondary education and/or career by completing at least one advanced course and obtaining college credit and/or a nationally recognized professional certification, as well as contributing through one or more work-based internships and/or service-learning experiences.

Metro Schools high schoolers also have access to experiences that will further enrich their high school experience and prepare them for college or career, such as:

• Advanced Placement classes
• dual enrollment
• dual credit
• industry certifications

Curricular Resources