Enrollment
61
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 470102000327
New Directions Academy — Charlotte, TN
Federal NCES profile for New Directions Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 91
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 76
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Dickson County · Tennessee
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
2.3:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
-85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How New Directions Academy compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
New Directions Academy reports 61 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 2.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 85% below the Tennessee state mean of 15.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 86% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 122 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 57.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Dickson County spends $11,402 per pupil district-wide, below the Tennessee average of $12,324 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.6% from local sources (property taxes), 45.5% from the state, and 18.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How New Directions Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Tennessee state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 2.3:1 | ▼ 85% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 61 | top 3% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
2.3:1
students per teacher
— 85% below state mean
Top 1% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
57.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,402
per pupil, district-wide
— below Tennessee avg of $12,324
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 122 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 61 Top 3% in Tennessee — larger than 97% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 2.3:1 -85% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470102000327
Student demographics
White 67.2%
Hispanic or Latino 16.4%
Two or More 13.1%
African American 3.3%
Largest group: White at 67.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 122:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 57.4%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dickson County, which includes New Directions Academy.
$11,402
Per student
-7%
vs Tennessee
Avg $12,324
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.6%
State 45.5%
Federal 18.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,337
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 919
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 706
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
Similar other schools in Charlotte
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about New Directions Academy
How many students attend New Directions Academy?
New Directions Academy has 61 students enrolled. It is a other school in Charlotte, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at New Directions Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at New Directions Academy is 2.3:1, which is 85% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 86% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of New Directions Academy?
The largest demographic group at New Directions Academy is White at 67.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Charlotte, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for New Directions Academy?
New Directions Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.