• The south’s first Big Picture High School, which opened in August 2007
• Middle College High, located on the campus of Nashville State Technical Community College
• Smaller Learning Communities in the form of ninth-grade academies and Career and Thematic Academies
• Credit Recovery Program, an opportunity for students who have previously taken and failed a course to retake the class for a passing grade.
• Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID),
• Nashville Diploma Plus High School, for those that have been disengaged from the traditional system, are over-aged and under-credited, and demonstrate a wealth of creativity.
• The Academy, an adult high school with flexible hours for those who have dropped out but now want a regular diploma.

This year, the district has also contracted with the Ombudsman Program to provide another option to middle and high school students who may have special circumstances not met in the traditional high school setting. We added attendance workers, social workers and guidance staff to identify students who may need additional intervention to graduate.

Encore

The Encore Program is a regular education program that is designed to nurture, challenge, and develop the potential of gifted and talented students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

The School For Science and Math at Vanderbilt

The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt is a joint venture between Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The School, one of several programs from the Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach, offers high school students a four-year, interdisciplinary, research-centered learning experience -- at one of the nation's most prestigious universities. The students are able to study under internationally recognized professors, researchers, and doctors in diverse fields of scientific study.

Saint Thomas Scholars

Each year, a group of rising MNPS sophomores are invited to participate in the Saint Thomas Scholars program, which introduces students to careers in medicine and health care. The program gives students the opportunity to visit the various hospital departments at Saint Thomas, learn about anatomy and physiology, and engage in hands-on activities with health care professionals. Saint Thomas Scholars is a collaborative effort of PENCIL Foundation and Saint Thomas Hospital. Now in its 13th year, many Science Scholar graduates are now working in the health care industry, as doctors, nurses, midwives and various other aspects of the industry. For a complete list of this year's Saint Thomas Scholars, click here.