Chalkbeat

Memphis-Shelby County students show ‘steady growth’ in state reading, math tests

2025-07-09T00:12:44+00:00

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Students in Memphis-Shelby County Schools continue to improve on state standardized tests post-pandemic, with growth in scores in most categories in the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP, released Tuesday.

In an emailed statement, Memphis-Shelby County schools celebrated “steady growth” across almost all grades and subjects.

But reading and writing still pose a challenge for two key groups. High school English proficiency in the state’s largest district dropped and the majority of third grade students did not hit a critical reading benchmark.

These results are a bright spot for the district following a state legislative battle over control of MSCS. In the spring, Republican Rep. Mark White proposed a bill to create a state-appointed board to manage the district for at least four years, sharply criticizing its management and performance. The effort faced harsh criticism from Memphis locals, and eventually stalled in the Tennessee legislature.

“The 2025 TCAP results reflect more than a single year’s progress,” the district said in its statement. “They affirm a long-term trajectory of improvement and a deep-rooted belief that every student can achieve.”

The MSCS statement said district leaders “recognize areas of opportunity, particularly in the slight decline in English I and II,” the high school level reading and writing courses.

The district reported that 24.6% of all students met or exceeded expectations on TNReady reading assessments. That’s compared to 23.7% of students last year.

And just over 29% of students in grades 3-5 passed in reading. Tennessee law requires students to be held back or sign up for additional tutoring if they don’t hit those reading proficiency marks, though previous state data shows very few students are retained after completing intervention benchmarks like summer programs and tutoring.

Over 21% of all MSCS students also tested on track for math, up from 18.7% in 2024, MSCS leaders said. Algebra I and II students posted the largest gains.

“These increases reflect the district’s continued emphasis on algebra readiness, including the availability of 8th-grade Algebra I and summer Bridge Camps to prepare students for early success in advanced math,” MSCS said in the statement.

Statewide, around 40% of students met or exceeded TCAP proficiency in both reading and math. The six independent school districts that surround Memphis continue to outperform MSCS across the board.

Last year, well over half of the suburban students passed both math and reading sections. Here’s this year’s breakdown, for students in grades 3-8:

Bartlett City Schools: 48.6% passed TCAP reading, 55.6% passed in math
Germantown Municipal School District: 69% passed reading, 76.3% in math
Arlington Community Schools: 69.8% in reading, 72.8% in math
Millington Municipal Schools: 31.9% in reading, 33.4% in math
Collierville Schools: 69.2% passed in reading, 73.5% in math
Lakeland School System: 63.8% in reading, 66.4% in math

Interim Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond said in a statement that “growth is not optional” for the Memphis school district.

“At MSCS, we’re not waiting on greatness; we’re growing it,” he said. “The data confirms what we already know: we’re heading in the right direction. But good is not our goal.”

Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.

NAEP results: Tennessee students buck grim national trends on nation’s report card

2025-01-29T05:09:00+00:00

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Tennessee students held their ground on a major national test in a year when average student test scores declined nationwide.

Results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, released Wednesday, show that average test scores in Tennessee increased slightly in fourth and eighth grade reading and math, compared with 2022, though the gains were not statistically significant.

Tennessee’s latest post-pandemic results stood in contrast to declines seen nationwide and in many other states. And Tennessee students scored three to four points higher than the national average in math and one to two points higher in reading.

“Tennessee students did well relative to other states, and we did better than some of our neighbors,” Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds said.

“We didn’t move backwards, we moved a little bit forward, and we expect to do better next year,” added state Rep. Mark White, of Memphis, who chairs a key House education committee and also serves on the NAEP governing board.

Math scores outpace reading scores

Tennessee has launched numerous initiatives aimed at bolstering early literacy, but the latest NAEP showed the state’s most dramatic improvements came in math.

In fourth grade math, 42% of students scored proficient or advanced, an increase of 6 percentage points from 2022. The state was one of 29 jurisdictions that posted scores similar to 2019, before the pandemic. Only Alabama had average scores higher than 2019. Nationwide, average scores are down three points, and 22 states had declines.

In eighth grade math, Tennessee’s proficiency rate also grew, while the national average declined. Tennessee was one of just two jurisdictions with similar scores to 2019. Average scores dropped 9 points.

In fourth grade reading, Tennessee was one of 47 states with no statistical change from 2022. Nonetheless, its scores were up slightly, whereas the nationwide average dropped by two points from 2022 and by five points from 2019.

The small increases in eighth grade reading scores were not statistically different from 2022 or 2019, but again, the small increase stood in contrast to nationwide averages that dropped 5 points since 2019. Tennessee also saw more notable increases in scores among higher-performing students in the 75th percentile.

The relatively strong showing in math, according to state officials, could be tied to the full return to in-person learning, which studies show is especially important for math instruction; Tennessee’s 2021 adoption of new math standards; and the subsequent rollout of math curriculum to align with those standards.

They expect that trend to continue with passage of a 2024 state law spotlighting more analysis of and support for math instruction.

Tennessee was an early adopter of pandemic-era interventions

Tennessee has been held up as a model both for how it managed federal pandemic relief spending — quickly steering money into tutoring, summer learning camps, and afterschool programs aimed at students who had fallen furthest behind — and for its intense focus on early literacy. State test results from 2024 show students there making steady progress since 2021.

The challenge now will be to maintain progress and deploy state funds to replace federal pandemic relief aid that expired last year.

“We still have that obligation at the state level to continue to support districts in as many ways as possible,” said Reynolds, the state’s education chief. She cited free professional development resources provided to school systems by her department as one example.

“Local school officials also knew that the money was ending, so they’ve been building in their own sustainability practices to keep the work going,” she said.

White, the state lawmaker and NAEP official, said the state’s controversial 2021 third-grade reading intervention and retention law was a key part of the mix. It pushed children whose families might have opted for summer breaks into summer learning programs and motivated schools to increase support for struggling readers.

“If a child is not reading proficiently in third grade, we want to really understand why and not just pass them on,” he said.

State officials already are digging into the latest NAEP data on how various student groups performed — to study how they can offer better support.

Tennessee’s growing population of English language learners saw across-the-board improvement, while students with disabilities showed slight decreases.

The national results track with test score trends from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, which in 2024 showed that students continued to improve from post-pandemic lows.

The alignment of national and state data is important, said Amy Owen, the state’s senior education policy director, because “it shows that our students will be able to compete with students from across the country when they look at post-secondary and career opportunities.”

“We’re seeing steady increases, which is significant when you think about where our kids were during COVID,” added Reynolds. “Our fourth graders were kindergartners then, our eighth graders were fourth graders.”

Memphis district opts out of separate NAEP assessment

Since 2018, NAEP has also released results for Memphis Shelby County Schools, one of roughly two dozen large urban districts participating in national math and reading tests through the Trial Urban District Assessment program, which is designed to help those districts measure student performance against districts in other large cities.

But last year, leaders of the Memphis district chose not to participate in the program.

White, who represents part of Memphis, said the lack of participation represented a “leadership breakdown” as the district cycled through superintendents.

“That’s sad that we don’t have their scores,” he said. “We can’t continue that trend.”

What is NAEP?

Not every Tennessee fourth-grader or eighth-grader took the national test when the federal government administered the assessments in early 2024.

NAEP tests a nationally representative sample of students in every state. In Tennessee, each of the four assessments was taken by about 1,700-1,800 students in 80-90 schools.

The results, published as the nation’s report card, allow comparisons across states and are an important marker for showing how students are doing over time.

The last three testing cycles happened in 2019, 2022, and most recently in 2024, providing an especially helpful comparison of what students knew before the pandemic and how much they have rebounded from COVID-related learning disruptions.

Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor based in Colorado. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Few third- and fourth-graders are being retained under Tennessee reading law, data shows

2024-11-22T01:14:36+00:00

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Some 60% of Tennessee third-grade students scored below proficiency in English language arts on 2024 state tests. Fewer than than 1% of them were retained under the state’s reading and retention law, and about 2.5% are no longer enrolled in public schools, according to new data.

Among fourth graders who had been promoted by receiving tutoring during the 2023-24 academic year under the same law, just over 1% were held back this school year, while at least 4% have left their public school.

The findings, presented by Tennessee’s chief academic officer to the State Board of Education on Thursday, show some of the effects of Tennessee’s 2021 reading intervention and retention law aimed at accelerating learning after the pandemic.

The controversial statute was pushed by Gov. Bill Lee, who said he wanted to draw a hard line to “stop the cycle of passing without preparation.” The legislature has since approved several revisions to loosen the policies and provide more pathways to promotion for students who don’t test as proficient readers.

State leaders are ‘encouraged’ by tutoring and summer program data

The big question is whether students are becoming better readers with the state’s interventions.

That includes summer programming, which began in each school system in 2021 to mitigate the effects of disruptions to schooling during the pandemic. About 121,000 students went that first year, and participation has leveled off to about 90,000 in subsequent years.

Chief Academic Officer Kristy Brown, in her presentation to the board, said attendance rates improved for recent summer programs, indicating that parents are finding value in them.

As far as academics, she said: “What we’re really seeing is the effects of decreased summer slide, or the lack of it, for students who are participating, compared to those who are not.”

Summer slide, referring to when students’ academic proficiency regresses during summer break, is a common phenomenon, especially for historically disadvantaged populations.

As for required small group tutoring, which younger students receive weekly during the school year if they don’t meet expectations on state tests, Brown said students testing in the bottom level, called “below” proficiency, are moving in the right direction.

In addition, almost half of the 12,260 fourth graders who received required tutoring in 2023-24 showed improvement as the year progressed. Over 14% of them scored as proficient on their TCAPs last spring, and nearly 33% met the threshold for showing adequate growth based on a state formula.

The data is the first available for fourth-graders who started receiving additional support after scoring below proficiency in the third grade.

“To finally have the numbers — to see that the needle appears to have been moved in a positive way like that — I was glad to see,” said Ryan Holt, a member of the state board.

Several other board members also said they were “encouraged” by the data.

Brown, the state’s academic chief, cautioned that gains can’t be traced at this point to any single part of the state’s reading interventions.

“It’s a combination of the things that we’ve done,” she said, “with professional learning for teachers, and summer programming, and tutoring, and those things customized for those students to see the gains that I think we’ve seen in Tennessee.”

Many educators and parents have been less enthusiastic.

The high-stakes testing was well-intended, they say, but it’s taken an emotional toll on many of Tennessee’s youngest students, affecting their self-confidence and their feelings toward school.

The legislature’s most recent revisions to the law were intended to give parents and educators more input into retention decisions.

Many students facing retention used alternative pathways to promotion

After the 2023-24 school year, most of the nearly 44,000 third graders who were at risk of retention used other pathways to promotion.

Nearly 27% were exempted for various reasons, including having a disability or suspected disability that impacts their reading; being an English language learner with less than two years of ELA instruction; and having been previously retained.

Over 4% retook the test at the end of the academic year and scored as proficient.

Others were promoted through a combination of tutoring and summer program participation.

For the 12,260 fourth graders who participated in tutoring last school year, over 14% scored as proficient on the state’s assessment in the spring.

Over 32% met the state’s “adequate growth” measure that’s tailored to each student. It’s based on testing measurements that the state uses to predict the probability that a student can become proficient by the eighth grade, when they take their last TCAP tests.

And nearly 44% of at-risk fourth graders were promoted by a new “conference” pathway that lawmakers approved on the last day of the 2024 legislative session. It allows the student to be promoted if their parents, teacher, and principal decide collectively that it’s in the child’s best interest.

Any fourth grader promoted to the fifth grade via the conference pathway must receive tutoring in the fifth grade.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Tennessee students’ results improve on reading, math tests, extending post-pandemic recovery

2024-06-25T19:54:10+00:00

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Tennessee students showed slightly better performance on this year’s state standardized tests in reading and math, continuing their recovery from post-pandemic lows.

About 39% of students met or exceeded expectations in reading on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Test, according to data from the state’s education department released Monday. That’s up a point from 38% in 2023.

The gains reflect steady improvement since 2021, the year TCAP resumed after the pandemic closed schools in 2020. Only 29.6% of the state’s public school students tested proficient in reading then.

“The 2023-24 TCAP results demonstrate student performance remains steady or shows growth and improvement across tested grades and subjects,” the state education department said in a statement.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the state’s largest school district, also recorded improved performance in reading, with 22.4% of students meeting or exceeding expectations on TCAP reading, compared with 20.7% in 2023. In 2021, the figure was just 13%.

MSCS officials also highlighted a few promising data points in the reading scores. The percentage of third, fourth, and fifth graders who scored proficient in reading rose to 26%, from 23.2% in 2023, according to the district’s preliminary calculations.

That’s consequential because third grade is when students face the prospect of being retained or sent to summer school if they don’t meet — or show progress toward — TCAP reading standards.

It’s also noteworthy because MSCS used $100 million in federal pandemic relief funds to hire 750 specialized education assistants to help bolster literacy instruction for students in kindergarten, first, and second grades — the years before they enter third grade.

But that money is drying up this year.

The district also cited improvements in math for third, fourth, and fifth graders: 23.7% met or exceeded the math standard on the TCAP this year, compared with 20.9% in 2023.

“We celebrate this positive momentum and are confident that we will continue to move in this direction,” MSCS Superintendent Marie Feagins said in a statement.

Statewide, preliminary data indicates that around 40% of students in grades 3 to 8 met or exceeded TCAP expectations in math, about a 2-percentage-point increase from 2023. Because of standards revisions for high school math, those scores are not included in the state’s initial summary, though they have been in past years.

In 2021, 28.4% of students statewide scored proficient on TCAP math.

In MSCS, the overall math proficiency rate rose to 20%, up from 17% in 2023 and vastly ahead of the post-pandemic rate of 7.4% in 2021.

Still, those gains — as well as the reading gains — left MSCS significantly below than the statewide math and reading averages. And Black and Hispanic students, as well as students from economically disadvantaged households, still lag behind white and wealthier counterparts in proficiency.

These graphs offer further insight into how various groups of MSCS students fared on the TCAP, as well as how MSCS students’ performance compared with the rest of the state.

Bureau Chief Tonyaa Weathersbee oversees Chalkbeat Tennessee’s education coverage. Reach her at tweathersbee@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat data and graphics reporter Kae Petrin and Chalkbeat data intern Mia Hollie contributed to this story

Tennessee fourth graders show big gains on state literacy tests as third graders hold steady

2024-06-13T17:50:48+00:00

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Tennessee fourth graders showed significant improvement on state tests for English language arts, while third grade scores were mostly steady after achieving historic gains last year, state officials said Thursday.

Fourth-grade proficiency increased by 2.9 percentage points to an overall rate of 46.4%, while third-grade proficiency improved by a half percentage point to 40.9% on tests used by the state to gauge reading levels under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

The rates are the highest since the state raised its academic standards in 2010 after receiving an “F” in 2007 from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for low academic expectations and for truth in advertising on its K-12 public education performance.

The state education department also reported fewer fourth graders scored “below expectations,” the bottom category for gauging proficiency.

However, the third grade scores put about three-fifths of those students at risk of being held back under Tennessee’s 2021 reading and retention law. Most of them still may advance, however, based on do-over test results and participation in various intervention options.

Last year, of the 60% of third graders who fell short of the state’s proficiency benchmark, only 1.2% were held back due to interventions, exemptions, and an appeals process.

In Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the state’s largest district, officials reported students made gains in both pivotal grades, with the most pronounced improvement by third graders.

ELA proficiency went up 3 percentage points to 26.6% for third graders and by 1.8 percentage points to 28.5% for fourth graders. But new Superintendent Marie Feagins said the improvements weren’t enough.

“Literacy is the anchor to the success that our 110,000 students deserve to experience,” Feagins said in a statement. “Thus, these data further support the need to direct more district resources directly to classrooms, with a target emphasis on a comprehensive literacy approach at every grade level.”

In a news release, Gov. Bill Lee credited the state’s comprehensive literacy strategy, including early investments in tutoring to help struggling readers improve after the pandemic disrupted schooling in 2020. Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds praised the hard work of students, educators, and families.

“As we continue our work to ensure that all Tennessee students can read at grade level, we remain committed to supporting teachers and empowering families with multiple pathways to achievement so every student can thrive in their academic journey,” Lee said.

The education department did not publicly release the data behind its report as it usually does. Spokesperson Brian Blackley said it will be published soon but could not give a specific date.

Impacts on retention decisions are uncertain

Data on how many third and fourth graders will be held back as a result of the scoring won’t be released until late summer before school starts, under tougher retention policies approved by the legislature after the pandemic.

“There are a lot of different pathways for student promotion, and some of those haven’t even occurred yet,” Blackley said, citing summer learning programs and third grade TCAP retakes that are still being scored.

A parent, guardian, or educator of a third grader who scored just below proficiency also can submit an appeal to the education department until June 28 based on certain conditions.

For students completing fourth grade who are at risk of retention, the state is to release its calculations by July 1 on whether they showed enough improvement to advance. If not, the parent or guardian must meet with their child’s teacher and principal to make that call. But many educators and parents have already been meeting to discuss those options and make plans.

A summer learning camp is in session at Rocks Spring Elementary School in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Low literacy rates have long bedeviled Tennessee

Third grade is considered a critical year for reading, because literacy is foundational to all subsequent learning. But reading scores have historically been mostly stagnant in Tennessee, with only about a third of the state’s third graders meeting the law’s high threshold for proficiency based on state tests.

For several decades, the state tried various strategies to move the needle, and with limited success.

After the pandemic, the state invested $100 million in COVID relief and federal grant funding to provide school systems with optional reading resources and support.

And during a special session called by Lee in 2021 to address pandemic-related learning losses, the legislature passed several laws to jumpstart the state’s literacy work. Among them: prioritizing reading improvements and investments in grades K-3, creating new tutoring and summer school programs, training teachers on the “science of reading,” including an emphasis on phonics, and — most controversial of all — strengthening retention requirements for grades 3 and 4 based on the results of TCAP testing in English language arts.

After getting significant pushback from parents and educators, lawmakers have revised the state’s retention laws several times to allow more students in those grades to advance.

Last month, the governor signed legislation to let each fourth grader’s parents, teacher, and principal decide collectively whether a student should be held back due to a second straight year of low reading scores, even after a year of tutoring.

The department expects to release statewide and district-level TCAP data in all testing subjects by the end of the summer.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Governor signs Tennessee law letting parents, educators make final 4th-grade retention decisions

2024-05-21T21:19:19+00:00

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Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation Tuesday to let each fourth grader’s parents, teacher, and principal decide collectively whether a student should be held back due to a second straight year of low reading scores, even after a year of tutoring.

The Tennessee law also requires more tutoring for public school students who advance to the fifth grade but didn’t test as proficient readers or show adequate growth by the end of fourth grade toward goals that are individualized for each student.

The changes will ease anxiety, and potentially provide extra resources, for thousands of students who are on the verge of completing fourth grade but at risk of being held back due to their performance this spring on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

And it comes as the state education department began releasing preliminary test score data to districts this week to help families of third and fourth graders know where their students stand.

“It’s definitely a relief,” said Nashville mom Carly Fair, after the bill was signed into law. Her daughter was one correct answer short of automatic promotion to the fourth grade on last year’s TCAP.

“Testing tells us something, but it doesn’t tell us everything,” she continued. “I’m thankful parents are now invited to the table to decide with their child’s teacher and principal what is best for each individual student.”

Under Tennessee’s previous reading and retention law signed by Lee in 2021, state officials projected about 6,000 students were at risk of having to repeat fourth grade next school year, with no additional learning supports planned for them. Those students had opted last year for yearlong tutoring in the fourth grade to avoid being retained in third grade.

But on the last day of the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers voted to revise retention policies for fourth graders who continue to pull low scores in English language arts on their TCAPs. They directed the student’s parents or guardian to meet with the teacher and principal to discuss whether it’s in the child’s best interest to be promoted or held back. Majority will rule.

The governor, who has supported a more aggressive retention stance, did not comment as he signed the law. But earlier this month, Lee acknowledged tensions about relaxing the state’s literacy requirements for promotion.

“What’s most important to me is we enact legislation that allows for the success of children,” he told reporters on May 6. “One of the worst things that we can do for that child is to push them into the fourth and fifth grade if they can’t read. It almost ensures their failure. We’re trying to ensure success for children.”

Lee signed the highly anticipated law nearly two weeks after lawmakers sent him the bill on May 10 — and just one day before it was set to become law without his signature. By contrast, the governor signed a controversial bill to let some public school employees carry handguns on the same day he received that legislation on April 26, which was the day after the legislature adjourned.

The timing for the latest signing was an administrative matter, according to his spokesperson.

“The governor reads every bill that reaches his desk, and there are a lot to get through at this time of year,” said Elizabeth Lane Johnson, his press secretary.

It’s the second straight year Lee has signed off on revisions to the 2021 reading law, which authorized new summer school and after-school tutoring programs to help students catch up from the pandemic, while also strengthening retention policies for the two pivotal early grades.

Last year, when the statute’s tougher retention provision kicked in for third graders, lawmakers widened the promotion criteria to include both TCAP and benchmark test results, and ordered the creation of rules for appealing retention decisions.

Ultimately, only about 900 third graders, or 1.2% were retained in 2023 — not significantly more than in an average school year — after many families took advantage of the state’s intervention and appeals processes or received an automatic exemption, such as for students who have a disability or suspected disability that affects reading.

Now that the policy is officially revised for fourth graders, school and classroom leaders can relay promotion information to parents with more certainty, said Gary Lilly, executive director of the state superintendents organization.

“I think people are relieved that there is a path forward for so many fourth graders,” Lilly said, “and the fact it gives teachers, parents, and principals a voice in the process to determine what is best for each student.”

He continued: “I give a lot of credit to parents who reached out directly to legislators and school leaders about the anxiety their families were experiencing. It helped them to understand that this was a major issue for a lot of Tennesseans, just a year after they had experienced anxiety over the same law as it relates to third graders.”

Last week, in anticipation of Lee signing the law, the state education department published a tool to help families of third and fourth graders understand various pathways for promotion.

“As districts and schools begin to have essential conversations with families of students who are not yet proficient, we will continue to provide resources and supports so they can make informed decisions about their student’s education,” Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds said in a statement.

For students completing fourth grade who are still at risk of retention based on their preliminary scores, the state is to release its calculations by July 1 on whether they showed enough improvement to advance. If not, the parent or guardian must meet with their child’s teacher and principal to make that call. But many educators and parents have already been meeting to discuss those options and make plans.

The next few weeks will be especially busy for third-grade families and teachers.

Under Tennessee’s promotion timeline, the state was scheduled to report preliminary scores for third graders to districts by May 20 so they can begin communicating and planning with families about whether students will be automatically promoted to fourth grade or, depending on their scores, what their promotion options are.

Third graders scoring below proficiency in English language arts can retake their TCAPs between May 22 and 31. A parent, guardian, or authorized educator of a student who scored just below proficiency can submit an appeal to the education department between May 28 and June 28 based on certain conditions.

Additionally, third graders who scored “approaching expectations” on their TCAPs can be promoted if they scored at or above the 50th percentile on a separate reading screening test, as long as they also get tutoring throughout the fourth grade.

You can find more information about retention and promotion policies for third and fourth graders on the state education department’s website.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a parent’s comment.

Where Tennessee lawmakers landed on vouchers, guns, AI, and other education issues in 2024

2024-04-29T10:00:00+00:00

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Tennessee’s legislature is done for the year after a session marked by political infighting over private school vouchers and emotional debates about whether teachers and staff should be able to carry a gun in public schools.

The statewide voucher proposal fizzled after the Senate and House couldn’t agree on the specifics. Gov. Bill Lee quickly pledged to come back next year with another plan.

The bill to arm some school employees easily passed, defying dramatic protests at the state Capitol, a year after a Nashville school shooting in which three children, three adults, and the intruder were killed.

“This was a session of good, bad, and ugly,” Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari said after the legislature adjourned on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, some really really bad bills ended up passing,” the Memphis Democrat added.

Republican leaders hailed the four-month session as a success.

“We accomplished things that will benefit the people of this state,” the governor told reporters minutes after the gavel fell.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks with reporters at the close of the 2024 legislative session on April 25. He's flanked by the General Assembly's Republican leaders.

He cited the passage of a “historically important budget” that includes a consolation prize of $144 million for his Education Freedom Scholarship Act, in case it passes in future years. The failed voucher proposal seeks to give taxpayer money to any family who wants to send their children to private schools, regardless of their income.

“That shows a clear intent that we believe in this concept and that we expect that to get done next year,” Lee said.

By the end of the week, the governor had signed the bill to let some school employees carry guns, which took effect immediately.

The new law marks the biggest expansion of gun access in Tennessee since the killings at The Covenant School. Last year, the legislature appropriated $140 million to help place an armed officer in every public school, but many districts, especially in rural areas, haven’t been able to hire an officer for every campus.

“Districts have the option to choose,” Lee said earlier, arguing that some school systems need to let some employees carry a concealed handgun.

Protesters stage a "die-in" on the rotunda floor at the Tennessee State Capitol outside of the House chambers on April 23, 2024, after state lawmakers passed a bill to let certain teachers and school staff carry handguns in schools.

Legislation at the intersection of schools and guns

Lawmakers sorted through some 230-plus education bills filed in time for this year’s session — about 300 if you count those left over from last year in the two-year General Assembly. They ultimately passed about 70 that directly affect K-12 education.

For the second straight year, they made tweaks to a 2021 reading and retention law to address what many called unintended effects for students in grades three and four. Under a compromise approved on the last day of session, parents and educators of fourth graders will now have input on whether their students get held back because of low reading scores on state tests.

The legislature rejected tighter gun laws sought by Democrats and gun control advocates, and continued instead to pass legislation aimed at fortifying campuses. Among the initiatives: new school fire alarm protocols to take into account active-shooter situations; a pilot program to give teachers wearable alarms; increased safety training for school bus drivers; and guidelines to digitize school maps so first responders can access school layouts quickly in an emergency.

A rare bipartisan bill increases the penalty for anyone who threatens to commit an act of mass violence on school property or at a school-related activity.

Another measure, which Lee has signed into law, requires public schools to teach children age-appropriate firearms safety concepts as early as pre-kindergarten. The video-based training is to begin in the 2025-26 school year and, among other things, will instruct students who find a firearm that they shouldn’t touch it and should notify an adult immediately. The bill bars parents from opting their children out of the training.

So-called culture war issues played prominently again

One new law requires public school students to watch a video on fetal development produced by an anti-abortion group, or something comparable. Another measure will require public school employees to out transgender students to their parents. But a bill designed to ban LGBTQ+ flags in schools failed in the Senate amid concerns of a legal challenge based on First Amendment rights.

Tennessee’s age-appropriate materials law, championed by Lee in 2022 to cull certain titles from school libraries, now includes a definition of “suitable” materials for certain ages and maturity levels. And if a local school board doesn’t address a book complaint within 60 days, the complainant can now take the issue straight to the state textbook commission.

Another GOP bill that passed seeks to make sure that material related to “sexual activity” is excluded from the state’s mandatory family life curriculum for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade.

Meanwhile, legislation sponsored by Democrats directs the state education department to develop a program that public schools can use to teach students the skills of nonviolent conflict resolution.

Lawmakers exit the House of Representatives at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville on April 25 after adjourning their two-year session.

Social media and technology also were on the minds of lawmakers.

They signed off on legislation requiring minors to have parental consent to create social media accounts.

In addition, school districts, charter schools, and higher-education institutions must develop and implement their own policies on the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, if they haven’t already done so. Those policies could include restricting or outright prohibiting the use of AI.

Amid that discussion, one bill requires that Tennessee history be taught in fifth grade. Having that issue codified in state law settles, for now, a debate that erupts whenever the state revises its academic standards for social studies.

Memphis was the focus of more legislation

Rep. Mark White and Sen. Brent Taylor, both Memphis Republicans, drafted several proposals aimed at education in their community.

The legislature passed one bill allowing the University of Memphis to create its own K-12 school district and expand its innovative University Schools model beyond campus borders. University officials said they’ll launch the district this fall, even as they’re still in talks with Memphis-Shelby County Schools about their contract that runs through fall 2026.

Another proposal — giving the governor the power to appoint up to six new members to the board of Memphis-Shelby County Schools — was never heard in committees after White agreed to hold off and work with the existing board and the district’s new superintendent, Marie Feagins, on an improvement plan.

Rep. Antonio Parkinson D-Memphis, has sought for years to shut down the Achievement School District.

A Democratic-sponsored proposal to end the Tennessee Achievement School District, the state’s sputtering takeover and turnaround initiative, passed out of the Senate but not the House. Rep. Antonio Parkinson, the sponsor there, pulled the legislation on the last day of session when White sought to amend the bill. Still, the ASD continues to shrink on its own as its 10-year contracts with charter operators end.

An effort to expand a separate pilot school turnaround project — which started in 2021 in Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga — failed to clear budget committees.

Lawmakers passed House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s charter school proposal to create new alternative education options for Tennessee’s at-risk youth. The plan opens the door to residential charter schools, a concern of disability advocates who warned against any measure that could lead to the institutionalization of youth or commingling distinct student populations facing varying issues such as substance abuse, juvenile crime, chronic absenteeism, and teen pregnancy.

Sexton trumpeted his and other charter school legislation headed to the governor’s desk. One bill rewrites state law governing vacant and underutilized public school properties to give charter operators the “right of first refusal” to purchase those public assets.

“This session did more than it’s ever done in our history to continue to put (charter schools) on a path to give parents the choice and alternative to traditional schools,” Sexton said.

A tighter budget meant fewer education initiatives

Passing a budget for state government is the legislature’s only required constitutional duty, and the task was more challenging this year as tax revenues flattened and federal COVID relief funding ended.

Still, Republican lawmakers approved a $1.9 billion package of tax cuts and refunds to corporations and businesses.

Representatives on the floor of the Tennessee House in 2022

They ultimately approved a nearly $53 billion spending plan that allocates an additional $126 million to raise the annual minimum salary for public school teachers from $42,000 to $44,500. The goal is to get to $50,000 by the 2026-27 school year.

Also included is $8 million to hire more school-based behavioral health specialists amid record reports of students experiencing stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Another $15 million in non-recurring funds will help charter school operators pay for school facilities and maintenance.

But the legislature killed efforts to hire more school-based nurses and counselors, reimburse teachers for some of their child care expenses, and provide free feminine hygiene products in high schools, as well as separate proposals by a Democrat and a Republican to make school meals free for all students. It also said no to a bill to use tax revenue from Tennessee’s growing sports betting industry to offer child care scholarships to low- and middle-income families.

When the 114th General Assembly convenes next year, it will look somewhat different after this year’s elections. All seats of the 99-member House of Representatives and half of the Senate’s 33 seats will be on the ballot.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Changes to Tennessee’s 4th-grade reading law pass after compromise on retention policy

2024-04-25T22:01:13+00:00

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Parents of Tennessee fourth graders would have input on whether their children get held back because of low reading test scores, under compromise legislation that’s headed to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk.

The legislation also provides additional tutoring to students who advance to the fifth grade, even if they didn’t test as proficient readers or show adequate improvement in grades three and four.

The Senate and House agreed on the provisions Thursday to address longstanding concerns about Lee’s 2021 reading and retention law, which threatens to hold back an estimated 6,000 struggling fourth-grade readers.

Under the current law, which Lee proposed, fourth graders who don’t score well enough on state tests have to repeat fourth grade, and receive no additional learning supports and resources during that year. But legislators said that wasn’t their intent when they voted to strengthen retention requirements for third- and fourth-graders during a special session to deal with disruptions to schooling from the pandemic.

The governor signaled later that he will sign the bill.

The legislature’s vote came on the final day of a 2024 legislative session that began in January — and nearly two weeks after students began testing under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP, which the state uses to determine reading proficiency.

Educators and families called the timing of the bill’s passage ironic, given that lawmakers have received pushback about the law for several years.

“They could have saved many fourth-grade students and their parents a whole lot of anxiety if they’d passed this earlier,” said Michael Ramsey, an instructional coach for Grainger County Schools, near Knoxville.

Different versions of the bill passed last week out of the House and Senate. When neither side backed down, they turned to negotiators to reach a compromise.

Both chambers were in agreement about directing the child’s parent or guardian to meet with the teacher and principal to discuss whether it’s in the child’s best interest to be promoted or held back. But on Thursday, negotiators added that the parent won’t make the final call. The majority will rule.

The final bill also sets TCAP scores as the only promotion criteria, and tutoring as the only required intervention for advancing.

Tennessee 4th graders await test scores — and outcome of debate that could hold back thousands

The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Gary Hicks of Rogersville, would have let schools take into account the results of a local benchmark test too. And it would have allowed families to choose between participating in a summer learning program or tutoring in fifth grade if promoted.

But in a concession, the Senate, where the bill was sponsored by Dawn White of Murfreesboro, agreed to drop its insistence that the changes take place for only two years. That provision likely would have required lawmakers to revisit the law in 2026.

This is not the first time the legislature has revised the law.

Last year, when the statute’s retention provision kicked in for third graders, lawmakers widened criteria to include both TCAP and benchmark test results to determine which third graders are at risk of being held back.

Third grade is considered a critical year for reading because literacy is the basis for all subsequent learning.

But there’s a growing consensus among Tennessee policymakers that third grade is too late to identify and help struggling readers.

Last month, in a rare action, the state Board of Education approved a resolution asking the legislature to refocus the state’s intervention efforts on grades as early as kindergarten.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with Lee signaling he’ll sign the bill.

Tennessee 4th graders await test scores — and outcome of debate on policies that could hold back thousands

2024-04-24T22:11:11+00:00

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Carly Fair, who has three children in Tennessee public schools, took on the role of an unpaid mom-lobbyist at the state Capitol this year on behalf of families like hers who have a fourth-grade child at risk of being held back under a 2021 reading law.

The law was well intended, she believes: If children are behind on their reading skills in grades three and four, they need tutoring and individualized attention to help them catch up.

But the law also says students in those critical early years may have to repeat a grade if they don’t score as proficient in English language arts on their annual state test, or show adequate growth as defined by the state.

“It feels like we’ve been in a pressure cooker for two years,” said Fair, whose daughter was one correct answer short of automatic promotion on last year’s state tests known as the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

“It was a real blow to her self-confidence,” Fair recalls about her daughter, then 8. “There were a lot of tears.”

Many third graders like Fair’s were able to advance to fourth grade last fall by attending a summer learning camp or receiving tutoring this school year.

But now, their families are waiting anxiously for the results of this spring’s TCAP assessment. If those students don’t demonstrate enough improvement, the law requires them to be held back — without receiving more tutoring or extra learning supports next year.

They’re also watching to see if lawmakers pass legislation to address what they believe are shortcomings in the statute — and outright missteps when it comes to thousands of struggling readers who took advantage of interventions to get promoted.

“The shocking part to me was they get no services, they get no tutoring, they get nothing, other than just retained in fourth grade,” Sen. Dawn White, a Murfreesboro Republican, told lawmakers earlier this year.

White is co-sponsoring legislation to revise the law to give fourth-grade parents a bigger say about retention decisions, and to provide additional learning services for students whose reading skills continue to lag.

She was among legislators who voted for the law in 2021 during a weeklong special session called by Gov. Bill Lee to address pandemic-related disruptions to schooling. The statute, which Lee pushed for, created summer learning camps and tutoring programs that have been popular with most families.

But Tennessee’s new retention policies, which started with last year’s class of third graders, have been controversial.

About 900 third-graders, or 1.2% from that class who took TCAPs, were retained last year. That’s significantly less than earlier projections after many families took advantage of intervention options and an appeals process.

For Memphis 3rd graders, threat of retention has hovered since kindergarten

This year, the state education department projects about 6,000 fourth graders could be retained — without the promise of additional supports.

That, Fair says, seems contrary to the law’s intent, which is to identify struggling readers, then to give them the tools they need to improve.

“TCAPs should be used as an alert system to assemble a team to determine where a student is,” she said, “and then to develop a plan to get them where they need to be.”

Sponsors of this year’s revision bill seem to agree.

Details stand in the way of an agreement

The Senate and House disagree about some specifics and appear to be headed toward a conference committee to try to negotiate a compromise before the legislature adjourns this week.

The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Gary Hicks of Rogersville, allows schools to take into account both TCAP scores and the results of a local benchmark test when determining whether a student is improving enough. If they aren’t, the student’s parent or guardian must meet with the teacher and principal to discuss whether it’s in the child’s best interest to be promoted or held back. If advancing, the student must take advantage of a summer learning program or tutoring during the fifth grade.

The Senate bill, sponsored by White, uses only TCAP results to determine whether the student is improving enough. While it allows parents and educators to jointly decide whether a student can be promoted, it requires tutoring throughout fifth grade, not summer learning, as the required intervention. And it puts the policy in place for only two years.

“We don’t want to come back and go through this all over again in two years,” Hicks, the House co-sponsor, told Chalkbeat after his chamber refused to concur with the Senate version.

But Senate Education Committee Chairman Jon Lundberg, a Bristol Republican, likes the idea of putting a time limit on the changes. He was against relaxing the retention policy in the first place.

“We drew a line in the sand a few years ago,” Lundberg said, “and it’s a good line.”

Policy decisions trickle down to students

For Fair, whose child attends an elementary school in Nashville, following legislative debates about the issue has been a learning process. Last year, she began attending committee meetings at the state Capitol. Over the months, she’s met with lawmakers, members of the State Board of Education, and even representatives of the governor to talk about her family’s experience.

While officials have been accessible, “the disconnect from reality and how this affects people can happen pretty quickly,” she said.

Fair continued: “The emotional and relational toll that this can have 9- and 10-year-olds is pretty great. I don’t know if high schoolers experience this much pressure with their ACT and SAT tests.”

For now, she and other parents of fourth graders are watching for legislative developments and waiting for TCAP scores. Fair’s daughter took her assessment last week.

“She walked into it a little nervous, but brave,” said Fair. “I’m so proud of her.”

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Tennessee bill to ease reading law’s retention policy for 4th graders clears first hurdle

2024-03-20T01:56:23+00:00

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State lawmakers advanced legislation Tuesday that would put fewer fourth graders at risk of being held back this year under Tennessee’s 2021 reading law.

Similar to changes passed last year to address worries about the state’s tough new retention policies for third graders, the proposal seeks to widen criteria for determining which fourth graders could be held back if they aren’t deemed proficient readers, or aren’t showing adequate growth.

The current policy bases those decisions on the results of state tests this spring in English language arts under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP. Under the proposal that advanced Tuesday, on a unanimous vote by the House K-12 subcommittee, results from a second locally adopted benchmark test could be considered, too.

And if the student doesn’t show enough improvement under either test, the school’s principal and teacher must meet with the parent or guardian to decide whether the child should be promoted or held back. If advancing, the student must receive academic interventions that could include summer learning programs and tutoring during fifth grade.

The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to take up the bill on Wednesday.

Projections show thousands of students could have to repeat fourth grade this year, even after participating in state-funded tutoring and summer learning programs.

Lawmakers have gotten pushback from families and educators about retention policies that began affecting last year’s third graders and this year’s fourth graders under the 2021 literacy law. Backed by Gov. Bill Lee, that law passed during a weeklong special legislative session to address pandemic-related learning disruptions.

Last year, due to the intervention options and an appeals process that many families used, only about 900 third graders, or 1.2% from that class who took the test, were retained because of low reading scores.

But currently, no such alternatives are available for this year’s struggling fourth-grade readers.

“This bill is going to give us some alternative pathways to get from fourth grade to fifth grade,” said Rep. Gary Hicks, the Rogersville Republican co-sponsoring it with Sen. Dawn White, a Republican from Murfreesboro.

The House’s massive school voucher bill, which advanced Monday with a positive recommendation from the chamber’s Government Operations Committee, includes one public school provision to add several pathways to address the fourth-grade retention quandary. But since the Senate’s voucher bill is strictly about school choice, there’s no guarantee that any public school provisions will remain if both versions pass and legislative negotiators have to reach a compromise.

Rep. Mark White, the Memphis Republican who chairs the House Education Administration Committee and is helping to shepherd the voucher legislation, praised Hicks for offering up an option.

“If the omnibus bill doesn’t make it, we don’t want to be left hanging with the fourth-grade retention issue,” White told Chalkbeat earlier. “It’s just in case the other one falters.”

Gary Lilly, executive director of the state’s superintendent organization, said parents and educators have been hopeful for a “legislative fix” to give more options to fourth-grade families.

“As written, we knew the law would put a lot of students in a bad situation,” Lilly said. “Certainly, a lot of legislators agree that something needs to be done. This way retains academic supports for students, but it still allows them to progress to the next grade, provided there’s agreement that it’s in the best interest of the child.”

You can track the bill on the General Assembly’s website.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Tennessee reading law’s retention policies should start as early as kindergarten, state board says

2024-03-04T23:54:55+00:00

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Tennessee’s top education policy board is urging Gov. Bill Lee and state lawmakers to refocus efforts to identify and help struggling readers on students in lower grades — as early as kindergarten — rather than waiting until third or fourth grade to intervene.

In a rare action, the state Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution Monday asking elected officials to revisit the state’s 2021 literacy law, which targeted third and fourth graders and strengthened retention rules for students who score poorly on state tests.

Over the past three years, the board has been working through the details and challenges of implementing the controversial law, which passed during a special legislative session called by the governor to address pandemic-related learning disruptions.

The law created popular summer learning camps and tutoring programs. It also included less popular provisions increasing the likelihood that third and fourth graders could be held back a grade eventually if they don’t perform well enough in English language arts under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

Third grade, when Tennessee begins to give its students TCAP tests, is a critical year for reading proficiency, because literacy is considered key to all later learning.

The board’s request for the state to reconsider the law’s retention provision is based in part on new tools that Tennessee teachers are using to identify reading problems before the third grade.

“Retaining students in grades K-3 rather than grades 3-4 will ensure that students who are in the most need of additional reading support will have access to foundational literacy skills instruction at a critical point in their foundational literacy development should they be retained,” the resolution reads.

While years of research shows the overall costs and benefits of retaining students are unclear, the general consensus among researchers and educators is that the earlier a struggling student is retained, the better the outcomes for that student.

“Third grade is too late,” Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds told the board last month when members asked whether Tennessee’s reading law is targeting the right age group.

Additionally, Tennessee students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade now take three tests annually to screen them for potential reading challenges. Data from those tests wasn’t available when the 2021 law passed, but it could be used now to trigger key supports, interventions, and retention decisions earlier in a student’s academic career, the resolution says.

Ryan Holt, who represents Nashville on the board and wrote the resolution, said the law had a good intent but needs a “course correction.”

Executive Director Sara Morrison agreed. “It pushes us in the right direction as a state to look at those earlier grades and use data responsibly to make decisions earlier than third grade, but allows for that backstop to remain in third grade where we have that consistent TCAP measure,” she said.

Thousands of third graders were at risk of being held back last year because of their TCAP scores, but ultimately only about 900 third graders, or 1.2% were retained — not significantly more than in an average school year — thanks to intervention options and an appeals process that many families took advantage of.

The law also requires this year’s fourth graders to be held back if they don’t score as proficient, or show “adequate growth,” on their TCAPs.

Officials are projecting that the fourth grade retention number will be significantly higher than the third-grade rate, because the law allows for fewer exemptions for those students.

Just weeks ago, the state board approved a complex formula for what constitutes enough improvement for fourth graders — but not before several members questioned whether the law is targeting the right age group.

“I just want to encourage us to keep moving in the direction of working with teachers who would say the earlier, the better. Let’s not wait,” said Larry Jensen, a board member from West Tennessee.

Board Chairman Robert Eby, from Oak Ridge, said the body’s decision Monday to send a message to elected officials falls in line with its duty to develop and maintain a master plan for K-12 public education.

“We don’t pass many resolutions,” Eby said. “I think it shows the importance we’re putting on this issue.”

Asked about the board’s resolution, a spokeswoman for the governor reiterated the law’s intent, supports, and impacts.

“Beginning in kindergarten, students have access to high-dosage tutoring and summer school programs that reinforce proven phonics-based instruction,” said Elizabeth Lane Johnson, Lee’s press secretary. “Parents and teachers can track their students’ progress through regular reading screening tests, so they can determine the right path forward based on the unique needs of each student.”

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Some Tennessee fourth graders have to meet individualized ‘adequate growth’ measure or risk retention

2024-02-17T00:43:57+00:00

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Thousands of Tennessee fourth graders will have to show during state testing this spring that they’ve made progress toward becoming better readers in order to move to the fifth grade, according to an “adequate growth” policy measure approved by the Tennessee board of education Friday.

But continued pushback against Tennessee’s 2021 reading law could prompt new advocacy and recommendations for changing it. Some board members said they would support lawmakers revisiting key pieces of the legislation meant to help struggling readers.

Their deliberations Friday suggested many members made their votes so that school districts and families could plan for what is coming, and not because they support the required growth measure in the law, which is the only pathway thousands of students may have to advance to fifth grade.

“Clarity is better than ambiguity,” said board member Nate Morrow, an education administrator.

Tennessee’s reading law gets pushback again as thousands of students could repeat fourth grade

Last year’s third graders were the first to face the threat of retention since the law took effect. While 60% of students were marked at-risk because of their scores on the state’s English and language arts subject test, just 1% of third graders were ultimately retained, according to state data.

About 15% of students advanced to fourth grade with the expectation that interventions like summer school or tutoring would help boost their reading skills. Retention in fourth grade will be unavoidable for these students, however, if they don’t score proficient on the test or meet their individualized “adequate growth” testing metric approved Friday by the state board.

David Laird, assistant commissioner of assessment and accountability at the Tennessee Department of Education, presented the proposed calculation for determining a student’s growth on the TCAP test. While the calculation is much more complex than the straightforward growth measure required for some third graders, it is individualized to each student, he explained.

The calculation looks at where a student was in third grade and makes a determination of how far that student has to go to reach proficiency during their public education, a metric that is “objectively a high bar … in Tennessee,” Laird said. He said recent tweaks to the calculation include consideration for retake exams and, for parts of the calculation, students’ scores in other subject areas. Department officials plan to provide districts with these growth projections for each student by the end of the month. (Read the specific calculation in part 7 of the policy.)

Laird said, “In all the different places we could have put the line for adequate growth, what does that actually help us understand in terms of kids actually becoming proficient at some point in time in the future?”

What remains to be seen, he said, is how effective the high dosage tutoring interventions have been for this student group.

Tennessee’s 3rd-grade retention law requires ‘adequate growth’ to advance. Here’s what that means.

Some board members voiced support for a set of resolutions board member Ryan Holt said he plans to bring to the board’s next special meeting in March. Holt, appointed in 2022, encouraged the board to exercise its advisory capacity and propose to the General Assembly a re-evaluation of the literacy law and to call on lawmakers to create more pathways for students to advance to the next grade with reading supports rather than be retained.

Krissi McInturff, a state board member who has been a fourth grade teacher, criticized the law’s lack of continued supports for fourth graders who still aren’t meeting Tennessee’s benchmarks and said she hoped lawmakers would consider changes.

“I believe up until the fourth grade growth component, they have done an amazing job getting students the support they need,” McInturff said. Tennessee third graders, for instance, can avoid retention by enrolling in summer school or tutoring. “But unless there is a pathway for fourth graders to move to fifth grade, this will be in all aspects a retention law.”

The Tennessee State Board of Education will hold a special meeting on March 4. Find the full meeting schedule and agenda information on the board’s website.

Laura Testino covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Laura at LTestino@chalkbeat.org.

Tennessee’s reading law gets pushback again as thousands of students could repeat fourth grade

2024-02-16T01:58:33+00:00

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Tennessee’s comprehensive pandemic-era literacy law, which last year provided several interventions to help struggling third grade readers advance to the fourth grade, offers no such escape hatches for those same students to avoid retention this year if they don’t show “adequate growth” under the 2021 law.

Now, as the State Board of Education prepares to vote Friday on what constitutes enough improvement for fourth graders who are at risk, state lawmakers are getting pushback from families whose students could be held back if they score poorly on state tests this spring, even after taking advantage of state-funded tutoring and summer learning programs.

At least 5,000 students are projected to fall in that category, according to the state education department. But some estimates put that number higher.

“I think we’re going to put so much pressure on these kids that it’s going to be a real mess,” said Sen. Rusty Crowe during a legislative hearing Wednesday.

The Johnson City Republican wants to revise the 2021 law so that students and parents who are engaged with their teachers in the learning process don’t get punished. He and Rep. Chris Hurt, a Halls Republican, have introduced legislation to let a struggling fourth grade reader’s teacher, principal, and parents decide collaboratively whether to retain the student based on multiple measures, not just state test results for English language arts under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program.

It’s uncertain whether the General Assembly is willing to revise the law again, especially after making several tweaks last year to widen the criteria for holding back third graders.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Jon Lundberg repeatedly has said Gov. Bill Lee’s literacy law sets reasonable and appropriate expectations in the state’s long drive to improve reading proficiency.

“We’ve moved the needle from 30% to 40% proficiency [for third graders], but 40% still isn’t acceptable,” the Bristol Republican said at a January legislative hearing.

State board is required to define ‘adequate growth’

The State Board of Education appears poised to approve proposed policy changes that include a definition of “adequate growth” for fourth graders to get promoted if they don’t score as proficient readers this spring.

Chairman Robert Eby told lawmakers this week that he expects a full discussion Friday — but that members ultimately will follow the law, which directs the board to define adequate growth.

The proposed definition is tailored to each student, based on testing measurements that the state already uses to predict the probability that a student can become proficient by the eighth grade, when they take their last TCAP tests.

“It is complicated; it is not something that is easy to explain,” said Sara Morrison, executive director of the state board, during testimony before the Senate Education Committee.

“We do feel like it is statistically robust and makes sense,” she added. “But that doesn’t make it easy, and it doesn’t make it an easy decision for our board.”

Board members have received a lot of public feedback about the matter, including a letter this week from Erin O’Hara Block, a Nashville school board member who worked as Tennessee’s assistant commissioner for data and research in former Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration.

Block called the proposed calculations for measuring adequate growth “confusing,” and suggested that the real problem lies with the law itself.

“Instead of passing this revision of policy, I suggest that your board defer until a later date with a request that the legislature remove this portion of the law based on a lack of clear, transparent, viable, and implementable options,” she wrote.

In an interview Thursday with Chalkbeat, Block said state test scores are being misused because of the law. TCAP results were intended for diagnostic purposes, she said, not for high-stakes decisions such as holding a child back a year at school.

“This law was written quickly in the midst of a global pandemic and passed in a special legislative session. So why aren’t we revisiting it?” she asked.

Legislature drew a line in the sand

The law passed in 2021 during a weeklong session called by the governor to address pandemic-related learning disruptions. The same law created summer learning recovery camps that began that year and tutoring programs that started in 2022.

The interventions have proven popular to help students catch up, but the law’s retention provision — which began with last year’s class of third-graders — has been controversial.

Still, due to the intervention options and an appeals process that many families took advantage of, only about 900 third graders, or 1.2% from that class who took the test, were retained because of their reading scores.

The number of fourth graders expected to be retained this year will be significantly higher, officials say, based on the current law.

Research is mixed about whether holding students back helps or hurts them. Supporters say it spurs additional supports that struggling readers desperately need. Critics worry that retention falls disproportionately on student groups who are already marginalized, such as those who are of color or are economically disadvantaged.

During a workshop on Thursday, several State Board members questioned whether the law is even targeting the right age group — and Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds agreed. Intervention and retention policies aimed at kindergarten and first and second grades would be more effective, she said, adding that “third grade is too late.”

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

This Tennessee ESL teacher ensures that her students learn the language — and feel the love

2024-02-15T22:16:56+00:00

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Missy Testerman has been teaching at Rogersville City School for 32 years. But for the past few years, she’s been teaching more children who weren’t born in the rural Appalachian community where the school is nestled.

Some of the children are from Mexico and Honduras. Others are from India, China, and various Arabic-speaking nations. She heard stories about immigrant families braving dangerous routes to get to the United States.

“We’re very rural. We see cows every day,” said Testerman, 54, who also directs the ESL program at the school. “But what we’ve seen here is that [Spanish-speaking immigrants] aren’t settling close to the [southern] border anymore … they’re coming to towns like ours.”

To help these families acclimate, Testerman earned her license to teach English learners two years ago. What she’s learned is that the job requires more than helping children and families learn English and find their way. It means helping newcomer students fit in socially as well.

Sometimes, she said, the political climate can make that daunting.

“I try to make sure that my children and their families are assimilated here, that they’re participating in sports and everything, because if they assimilate, people will accept them more easily,” Testerman said.

She said it’s “heartbreaking” to hear people, particularly elected officials, make hurtful blanket statements about immigrants.

Last year, Testerman’s passion for her students and her work as an ESL teacher earned her the title of Tennessee’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. This year, the Council of Chief State School Officers selected her as one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year.

The winner will be announced in April.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” she said. “I’m still a little baffled as to how and why, because there are so many awesome teachers in my state and community who pour their heart and soul into their work. To be named as a finalist is just incredibly humbling.”

Testerman recently talked to Chalkbeat Tennessee about how she approaches her work.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How do you go about teaching English to non-native speakers?

You just start small, using photo cards, and expanding their reach, just like you would with a baby, by trying to fill their world with language. In the beginning, it means very basic language that you build on.

I do a combination of push-in services, where I go in, plan with the teacher, work with the teacher, and help deliver English language development skills at the same time I’m delivering academic content, and I also do [55 minutes of] pull-out for kids who need it — new learners, students who struggle.

This year, I really tried to focus on my fourth graders, because they were kindergartners when the COVID shutdowns started. They were home during most of first grade, and they’re the ones who have had the most loss.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I love everything about the reading process. My master’s degree is in education, so I love any lesson that has to do with the components of reading — whether that is breaking down themes, character development, contractions, antonyms, and synonyms.

What’s going on in your community that affects what happens in your classroom?

Unfortunately, there are [those], and they’re mainly politicians, who are on social media pushing out these untrue statements about immigrants, and a lot of times, that causes a bias to form against some of my students and their families, and that does affect their education.

Luckily, my school here is kind of insulated. We built this community inside our school, but outside our school, these are the things that my students and their families have to face. They want to fit in, but they also want to be proud of their heritage, and we want them to be proud of their heritage.

Also, something that is also very important to me is that they preserve their home language. It is a gift to have two languages, and I constantly work in examples of how they can use both of their languages in a career someday. I tell the story of my son’s girlfriend. [Her family is] Honduran. She was born and raised in Houston but she speaks both languages. They’re in supply chain management and real estate. She’s just incredibly talented because she’s able to talk to people in two different languages. I urge [students] to speak their home languages at home, so they don’t lose it. I can teach them English, but not Arabic or Spanish.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I think I was always destined to be a teacher. I was always that typical kid who lined up the dolls taught the dolls, and forced my little sister to play school. I had so many incredible teachers when I was growing up, and I wanted to be like them, to emulate them. I wanted to dress like them. I remember when I was in the first grade, and I was so proud when my mom bought me a cardigan to wear with my Easter dress because my teacher wore a cardigan every day. I was so proud of that sweater.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

I worked with the very best mentor. She’s no longer with us, but she was always that voice asking what’s best for kids and how something will impact students. That’s the best advice I’ve ever gotten: To keep kids as the focus and to ask yourself what’s best for students.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

This may sound weird, but my husband and I get up at about 5:30 every morning, and we run before school. That is my stress reliever; it helps me manage the stress of the job.

Bureau Chief Tonyaa Weathersbee oversees Chalkbeat Tennessee’s education coverage. Reach her at tweathersbee@chalkbeat.org.

Tennessee’s universal school voucher bill draft drops. Here are 5 things that stand out.

2024-01-30T02:30:50+00:00

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Tennesseans got their first glimpse of Gov. Bill Lee’s plan to create a universal school voucher program that could eventually give all families tax dollars to pay for private school.

Two months after Lee announced his proposal, a draft of the Senate bill was inadvertently filed Monday due to a miscommunication, then removed a short time later from the legislature’s website.

Elizabeth Lane Johnson, the governor’s press secretary, said the draft’s “key pillars” are accurate, but she emphasized the document is a “framework” for ongoing discussions.

Johnson said majority leaders in the Senate and House will file so-called “caption bills” this week to outline the legislation’s intent and to meet filing deadlines. Full legislation, with updated details, will be filed later through amendments.

Here are five things that stand out about the plan, based on a Chalkbeat analysis of the eight-page draft.

No testing accountability

While the governor has repeatedly pledged to build accountability into his proposal, the draft wouldn’t require participating students to take state tests, or other assessments.

There’s no accountability provision — or mention of the word accountability — in the draft. There’s also no reporting requirements to track how students are doing, or evaluate the program.

Public school students are required to take annual TCAP tests in math, English language arts, science, and social studies. Students who participate in Tennessee’s current voucher program — which offers education savings accounts, or ESAs, to students in three counties — have to take state tests every year in math and English language arts.

The ESA program’s first test results, from Memphis and Nashville in the 2022-23 school year, were disappointing. Most of the 452 participating students performed worse than their peers in public schools after the program’s swift rollout earlier that school year, according to data from the state education department.

Lee emphasized accountability through parental choice when promoting his plan during visits last month to private schools in Memphis and Chattanooga.

Asked about the omission of testing requirements in the draft, Lee’s press secretary said the governor looks forward to having those discussions with members of the General Assembly.

No language to prohibit discrimination

The voucher movement has some roots in racist opposition to school desegregation in the mid-20th century, and critics have long charged that private schools pick and choose which students they want when accepting public funding through vouchers.

The draft legislation includes no language to prohibit discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

Anti-discrimination language is frequently included in state laws regarding eligibility for education programs.

In fact, Tennessee’s 2019 education savings account law requires participating private schools to certify that they will “not discriminate against participating students or applicants on the basis of race, color, or national origin.”

No guarantees for students with disabilities

Private schools would not be required to provide the same level of services as public schools for students with disabilities, according to the draft.

The language says: “Although an eligible student participating in the program does not retain the right to receive special education and related services through an individualized education program, the student may be eligible under the (federal) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act … to receive equitable services through an individualized service plan.”

Essentially, parents in a private school can request some publicly funded special services, but with no guarantee of exactly what their student would receive.

By contrast, public schools are required to provide students with disabilities with specialized support and services determined collaboratively by school leaders and parents.

“In practice, what this means is that students in private schools have a lesser right to disability-related services than those in public schools, and often receive fewer, more generic accommodations and services,” said Jeff Strand, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Disability Coalition.

More private schools could participate, but not from out of state

While Tennessee’s current ESA program is open to state-approved or accredited private, independent, and parochial schools, the draft opens the door to other school categories that have little to no state oversight.

Those include church-related schools or other private schools that the state merely acknowledges are in operation.

The lack of accreditation from schools in those categories may affect a voucher student who wants to transfer back into a public school in the same grade. Public schools may require testing to determine grade level or number of credits.

The language specifies the school must be located in Tennessee, which would prevent out-of-state virtual schools from participating.

But there’s no mention of an application process for a school to participate, as the education savings account program requires.

Nor is there text to support tiny home-run schools, in which the parent must report to their local school district that their child is being home-schooled. However, church-related home schools, which typically have a minimum of 10 students, appear to qualify.

Funding for the new voucher program isn’t a sure thing

As the governor announced earlier, the program would start with up to 20,000 students statewide who would get $7,075 in taxpayer money next school year to attend a private school, or certain home schools.

Half of those students must be considered economically disadvantaged or currently participating in the ESA program. And beginning in 2025, all K-12 students would be eligible to receive vouchers, regardless of their family income.

If 20,000 students participated, it would cost the state $141.5 million a year, which would increase if the program grows in subsequent years. But the draft says any voucher disbursements would be “subject to appropriations and other available funds.”

Tennessee revenues have flattened since the 2023-24 fiscal year began last July, and financial experts have urged lawmakers to rein in spending.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers are closely watching developments in Arizona, the first state to offer universal school choice. That state is struggling to cover the costs of the universal school voucher program approved last year by its Republican-controlled legislature.

Below, you can read the draft legislation.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

A-F grades come out this week for Tennessee schools. Here’s what to know.

2023-12-18T11:00:00+00:00

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This week, for the first time under a 2016 law, Tennessee will give each of its public schools an A-F letter grade.

The goal, says Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds, is to help families, educators, communities, and policymakers understand how their local schools are doing.

And what better way, she says, than by using a letter-grade system that families are familiar with from their student’s report cards.

But the policy has been controversial since lawmakers began debating its merits nearly a decade ago, and local school leaders worry the grades will actually create confusion for parents and harm school communities.

They say a single grade is more simplistic than simple, and can’t fully capture the quality of learning and support that’s happening in a school, especially for communities where students face extra challenges before even walking into the classroom.

Local concerns escalated when the state education department recently revamped its grading formula in a way that will make it harder for certain schools to get an A or a B.

Here’s what you should know about the upcoming school letter grades, which the state is scheduled to release on Thursday.

What exactly will the grades measure?

As required by state law, the grades must take into account student performance and improvement, as demonstrated on annual tests under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also known as TCAP. High schools will also be judged on their students’ college and career readiness, based on measures such as ACT scores, postsecondary credits, or industry credentials.

How will the grades be calculated?

The formula weights student proficiency the heaviest, according to the department’s recent presentation to the State Board of Education. Next comes growth, or how much a school’s students improved from one year to the next. A separate factor seeks to assess how well schools are helping their lowest-performing quartile of students to improve.

The formula factors in test scores for English language arts, math, and science for elementary schools, and for all four core subject areas for middle and high schools. But some subjects count more than others.

The state has not publicly released the thresholds for what constitutes an A, B, and so on, based on its tallies of all the data.

Will the grades matter?

Yes, and not just in terms of public perception of a school’s quality. Under Tennessee’s new funding formula for K-12 education, school districts or charter authorizers can face hearings before the state Board of Education if their schools are rated D or F, beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

Ultimately, administrators could be forced to submit a corrective action plan or undergo a state audit of spending and academic programming at the school.

School ratings also can affect the price of real estate in a school’s neighborhood, as well as teacher and student morale. Studies have shown that ratings such as those given by third-party websites frequently are biased and can steer families toward schools serving more affluent, white, and Asian students.

Why is Tennessee grading its schools?

Legislators who voted for the law said A-F school grades would provide a common-sense aid to parents trying to navigate an increasingly complex school choice system.

Big supporters included ExcelinEd, an advocacy group founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, plus other groups that favor giving taxpayer-funded vouchers to families to send their children to private schools. (Gov. Bill Lee recently proposed a statewide expansion of Tennessee’s voucher program, which operates in three counties and has fewer than 2,000 enrollees. The state is not grading private schools that receive vouchers.)

School letter-grading policies were also promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as ALEC. Its members are mostly conservative state lawmakers, and its funding comes from foundations, trade groups, and some corporations, according to research from the Center for Media and Democracy.

The law passed in 2016. Why are schools just now receiving their first grades?

The initial grades were to come out in 2018 but got delayed repeatedly, mostly because technical glitches and the pandemic disrupted state testing.

This year, soon after assuming her new job as Tennessee’s education chief, Reynolds prioritized the rollout of A-F grades and launched a process to revise the grading formula, which will use results from tests that already have been administered. The goal of the overhaul, she said, was to generate grades that signify meaningful differences in school performance in a way that makes sense to Tennesseans.

How did the formula change, and what effects will the revisions have on the final grades?

Previously, Tennessee’s grading formula skewed toward growth, which refers to the progress or improvement that schools made toward helping their students meet certain academic standards over the course of a year.

The new formula puts greater emphasis on achievement, or proficiency. Achievement is basically a snapshot of how much students in a school know, and whether enough of them are meeting grade-level standards on their state tests.

The changes will likely mean fewer A’s and generally worse grades than previously expected for many schools, especially those serving students from lower-income families in rural and urban communities.

More broadly, the shift marks a change of course for Tennessee, which was an early adopter of using growth data to evaluate how its students, teachers, and schools are doing. Educators have mostly embraced this model as ultimately the best way to gauge the quality of learning in their classrooms and schools.

Do other states issue A-F letter grades for schools?

As of late 2021, 11 states had such grading measures in their accountability systems, according to the most recent data from the Education Commission of the States.

But several states, including Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, and Utah, have since rolled back those policies. And in Texas recently, a judge blocked the state education agency from issuing grades after several districts sued. The districts charged that the agency had unfairly recalibrated its formula and waited too long to communicate those changes.

Where will Tennessee’s grades be published?

As of last week, state officials had not shared exactly how they plan to release this week’s grades. Chalkbeat continues to track and report on the topic.

Eventually, the department plans to publish all grades, along with school-level TCAP scores from the 2022-23 school year, on the State Report Card. The online tool should be ready to go live with the latest data in January, according to several spokespeople for the department.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Tennessee’s first A-F letter grades for schools will stress proficiency

2023-11-03T00:01:41+00:00

After months of asking Tennesseans how the state should judge its public schools when giving them their first A-F letter grades, Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds mostly ignored the feedback.

In her first major initiative since taking the helm of the state education department in July, Reynolds chose a school grading system that elevates the importance of proficiency — whether students are meeting certain academic standards on state tests — over the progress that schools make toward meeting those standards over the course of a year.

Her plan, unveiled on Thursday, will mark a sharp change of course for Tennessee, considered a pioneer in emphasizing growth measurements to assess its students, teachers, and schools.

It’s also significantly different from what Tennesseans have asked state officials for since Reynolds announced in August that an overhaul in the state’s grading system was coming. The overwhelming feedback at 10 town halls, meetings with stakeholders, and in nearly 300 public comments was for keeping the calculation focused on growth, as it has been the last five years.

Reynolds’ plan is similar to the model backed by ExcelinEd, the education advocacy group founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and where Reynolds previously served as policy director.

It will still include improvement as a factor, as required by a 2016 Tennessee law, but achievement will get more weight than under the original formula — and there won’t be a way for schools to meet the achievement criteria by meeting certain improvement goals, according to a presentation to the state Board of Education.

“This version is recalibrating that balance point and is going to say more about where the kids are in those schools right now,” said David Laird, assistant commissioner of assessment and accountability in the education department. “It is less of a referendum on maybe what the school’s impact has been, but it’s more clearly articulating their challenges right now.”

The department also announced that the grades will be released in mid-December, a month later than previously planned. State officials say they need more time to verify data going into the grades.

This is the first time the state will issue its letter grades since the 2016 law requiring them took effect. Previous attempts were called off because of testing glitches and the pandemic.

There are several other changes to the calculation.

The formula will factor in test scores for science and social studies, although not as much as for math and English language arts, which were the focus of the original model.

Gone is data related to chronic absenteeism. A new factor will be how well schools are helping their lowest-performing quartile of students to improve. For high schools, college and career readiness will be included, based on measures such as ACT scores, postsecondary credits, or industry credentials.

The debate about growth vs. proficiency was the biggest concern for school leaders who have been waiting and planning for grades for five years.

Focusing on proficiency likely will mean fewer A’s and generally worse grades than expected for many schools, especially those serving students from lower-income families in rural and urban communities.

Beyond the stigma of getting a D or an F, officials representing those schools eventually may face hearings before the state Board of Education or audits of their spending and academic programming.

Several board members worried that teachers could flee schools graded D or F, exacerbating the challenges faced by schools in high-poverty areas, where students face extra challenges before they even walk into a classroom.

“It’s a struggle for me to think about saying everyone should pull themselves up by their bootstraps, when some folks have a closet full of boots, and some have none,” said Darrell Cobbins, who represents Memphis on the board.

Many education advocates worried the state could return to an era when schools with many affluent students coasted to the top ratings, while doing little to show they were helping students improve. Meanwhile, schools in high-poverty areas will have little chance to earn an A or B, they told Chalkbeat.

“Measuring only absolute proficiency for 50% of a school’s grade will most certainly disadvantage our highest poverty schools,” said Erin O’Hara Block, a school board member for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, who served on the working group giving input to the state.

“I’m not sure what this system is supposed to motivate for schools, nor how it will truly inform parents on differences in what various schools can offer to their children,” she said.

Reynolds said the letter grades are a tool to provide families and school communities with information they can use to make decisions, not necessarily to incentivize schools to improve.

“We want to tell the truth about whether or not our kids are actually achieving,” she said.

But Gini Pupo-Walker, director of the Education Trust in Tennessee, is hopeful the grades will somehow be tied to extra resources to help struggling schools.

“We look forward to learning more about how the state plans to support schools that receive D’s and F’s,” she said, “and ensure schools are paying attention to the success of all students.”

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools TCAP scores show modest gains

2023-07-18T21:20:24+00:00

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Memphis-Shelby County Schools students gained some ground on state math tests, newly released test scores show, but they have yet to rebound to pre-pandemic proficiency levels.

In English language arts, where the district recouped pandemic era losses last year, scores stagnated.

Officials released the district-level results of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, known as TCAP, Tuesday afternoon.

The gains for Memphis were much more modest than the previous year, when officials trumpeted a district “trending up” following devastating academic declines during the pandemic. Overall, scores on the tests students took in the spring approached 2019 levels but have yet to completely return for all students and subject areas.

MSCS Deputy Superintendent Angela Whitelaw acknowledged in a statement that the district had “continued work to do this year.”

Statewide, math scores followed a similar trajectory as in Memphis, although scores for MSCS students were lower than statewide averages. In MSCS, 15% of students were on track for their grade in math compared with 23% in 2019. The 2021 low was 7%.

But while Tennessee students in general continued to see literacy gains, Memphis did not see much growth after last year’s rebound.

Students in grades 3-8 take the state assessments each year, and high school students take subject-area tests at the end of their courses.

“One key takeaway for me is the momentum we saw in our high schools,” Whitelaw said. “With the exception of English 1, we saw gains across the board.”

The score reports do not reflect the progress of students as they move from one grade to the next. For now, they can be used only to compare, say, this year’s sixth graders to last year’s sixth graders.

So they don’t capture how much this year’s third graders in Memphis improved from when they were in second grade. Those improvements showed up in an analysis MSCS shared earlier this summer in connection with Tennessee’s new reading law. This past year’s third graders were the first class subject to the new state law, which uses students’ TCAP scores in English language arts to determine whether they need more intervention to avoid being held back.

MSCS’ recovery efforts have helped students who are the farthest behind, the data shows. In both ELA and math, the share of students who scored “below” proficiency on the test — the lowest performance level — continued to shrink. But for both subjects, that share is still larger than in 2019, and the divide is more pronounced in math.

“Having visited these classrooms this morning, it helps me to remain hopeful and optimistic,” Bill White, a top MSCS academic leader, said after a tour of summer class at Shelby Oaks Elementary. “Because the data nationwide shows me that coming out of those learning losses is going to be tough, and it’s going to be slow, and it’s going to require extra time and instruction.”

The testing data reflects achievements from the most normal school year the district’s students have had since classrooms shuttered in March 2020 as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. The 2021-21 school year was online for most Memphis students. They returned to classrooms in 2021-22, but spikes in COVID-19 infections led to waves of absences and disruptions to learning.

Students didn’t have those kinds of disruptions this past school year, but the district did have a turbulent year, starting off with transitions in top leadership and ending with the fallout of a stalled superintendent search.

For the coming school year, the board plans to order a review of the district’s academic programs, which interim Superintendent Toni Williams has started preparing. The results are expected to also inform spending decisions as federal COVID relief funds run out.

“We know the district is doing something right,” board member Kevin Woods said about the academic review. “And I think the better way we frame that is why so many of our students struggle, with all the investments that we make.”

Laura Testino covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Laura at LTestino@chalkbeat.org.

Bureau Chief Tonyaa Weathersbee oversees Chalkbeat Tennessee’s education coverage. Reach her at tweathersbee@chalkbeat.org.

Thomas Wilburn is the senior data editor for Chalkbeat. Reach Thomas at twilburn@chalkbeat.org.

TCAP scores are in for Tennessee school districts. Look up how your district did.

2023-07-18T21:14:52+00:00

Most Tennessee school systems increased their students’ proficiency rates in math and English language arts last school year, according to district-level test scores released Tuesday by the state.

The latest scores generally mirrored statewide data released last month that showed gains across all core subjects and grades, even exceeding pre-pandemic proficiency rates in English language arts and social studies.

But large learning gaps remain, especially for historically underserved students including children with disabilities, those from low-income families, and students of color.

The results are an important marker as school systems work to recover from steep learning losses in 2021, when the first test scores from the pandemic period declined dramatically across Tennessee and the rest of the nation.

The scores also give a localized snapshot of how school districts are doing with tutoring, summer school, and other programs designed to accelerate learning after the pandemic.

Below, you can look up how your school district performed in English language arts and math in 2022-23 under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

You also can delve further into local results, including scores in science and social studies, via Tennessee’s new online dashboard on its State Report Card.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent covering the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Thomas Wilburn is Chalkbeat’s senior data editor. Contact him at twilburn@chalkbeat.org.

Tennessee’s TCAP test scores climb for second straight year after pandemic

2023-06-29T19:00:00+00:00

Tennessee’s third set of test scores from the pandemic era improved again across all core subjects and grades, even exceeding pre-pandemic proficiency rates in English language arts and social studies.

State-level results released Thursday showed an overall increase in proficiency since last year for public school students, and a surge since 2021, when the first test scores from the pandemic period declined dramatically across the nation.

But the performance of historically underserved students — including children with disabilities, those from low-income families, and students of color — still lags. Those groups of students, who already trailed their peers before disruptions to schooling began in 2020, also spent the longest time learning remotely during the public health emergency caused by COVID-19.

The latest scores continue the state’s upward trend of pandemic recovery, based on standardized tests under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also known as TCAP.

The academic snapshot suggests that Tennessee’s early investments in summer learning camps and intensive tutoring are paying off to counter three straight years of COVID-related disruptions.

Gov. Bill Lee called the results “encouraging,” while interim Education Commissioner Sam Pearcy praised educators, students, and their families for their hard work.

“These gains signal that we’re focused on the right work to advance student learning,” Pearcy told reporters during a morning call. “And as a result of that, we know that we will all continue to keep our foot on the gas to keep this momentum rolling.”

Beginning in the third grade, Tennessee students take TCAPs in four core subjects. This year’s students exceeded pre-pandemic levels in English language arts and social studies, while improving in math and science.

As previously reported, Tennessee’s third-grade proficiency rate jumped by over 4 percentage points to more than 40% on tests given this spring. Many of the other 60% have to participate in learning intervention programs to avoid being held back a year under a new state law.

Results for historically underserved student groups reflected both good and bad news.

The good news: Improvement for students of color, children from low-income families, those with disabilities, and those learning to speak English mostly paralleled the gains of their more affluent, white, or nondisabled peers.

The bad news: Tennessee isn’t closing those persistent gaps. Our analysis below focused on overall performance in English language arts.

The statewide data is available online by clicking “2023 State Assessment” on a new dashboard of the Tennessee Report Card.

District-level results, which are being reviewed by district leaders, are scheduled to be released in July.

And for the first time under a long-delayed change to the state’s accountability policies, this year’s TCAP results will be used to help calculate A-to-F grades this fall for Tennessee’s 1,700-plus public schools. The state has deferred the new accountability measure for five years because of testing and data disruptions, most recently caused by the pandemic.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with graphics and analysis.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Kae Petrin is a data and graphics reporter for Chalkbeat. Contact Kae at kpetrin@chalkbeat.org.

For Memphis 3rd graders, threat of retention has hovered since kindergarten

2023-06-05T02:00:00+00:00

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With only a few days left in third grade, LaQuencher Sanders’ 8-year-old daughter, Kamryn, just wanted to be done with school.

She had been in the class of kindergartners who were sent home in March 2020 because of COVID. She was among the first-graders who had spent a year learning online as the pandemic raged. In second grade, her reading test scores got her flagged for retention under a new policy at Memphis-Shelby County Schools. To avoid being held back a grade, she had to attend summer school, and then tutoring throughout third grade.

This year, as the end of the year approached, she had a sense that her reading scores on the test she took in the spring may not be high enough for her to move on to fourth grade automatically. That meant that to avoid having to repeat the grade, she would likely face more summer school and another year of tutoring.

On the day her teacher was going to give her those scores, Kamryn arrived at school early, as usual. But at some point that morning, she walked out the front doors of her elementary school — and kept going. She walked a mile away, all by herself, before she stopped and asked for help. Police picked her up just before a major intersection and took her back to Kate Bond Elementary School.

All of it was just too much, she later explained to her mom.

“She told me that she was tired of school,” Sanders said.

Many third-graders across Tennessee found out in May that after a turbulent start to their education, they could be in for more testing, summer school, and tutoring, because they didn’t meet state requirements on a standardized reading test this spring. The interventions are dictated by a state law that took effect this year to improve literacy and deal with the legacy of learning loss during the pandemic.

LaQuencher Sanders’ daughter, Kamryn, usually loves school. But the stress of the third grade reading retention law prompted her to walk out of class — and keep walking.

Statewide, about 60% of third-graders did not meet the standard for proficiency. In MSCS alone, more than 6,000 students missed the mark.

It was the second time that this same cohort of MSCS students faced the threat of being held back over their reading scores. The district briefly had its own retention policy aimed at improving lagging performance in reading and targeted at last year’s second graders.

While the MSCS policy was based on a composite of 12 different scores, the new state law hinges on the results of a single test: the English language arts section of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

When those scores came out in May, some families were caught by surprise. Others, like Kamryn’s, knew what was coming — more school days, and less break time.

But that didn’t make the reality any less difficult.

Local school boards opposed focus on a single test

Lauren Giovannetti was one of the surprised ones. Her 9-year-old son, Anders, recently got tested to join the district’s gifted-education program. He scored at or above grade level on four benchmark tests throughout the school year.

But on the TCAP test — the only one that matters for this year’s third graders under the retention law — he scored “approaching” proficiency, one step below proficient on the state’s four-level scale.

To avoid being held back, students in that level have to attend summer school or tutoring, unless they do well enough on a retest, successfully appeal their result, or qualify for an exemption. (Students with reading disabilities and a limited time learning English are exempt, as are students who have been held back before.)

Anders was sick and crying over the results, Giovannetti said. He went back to Grahamwood Elementary School to take the test again. By then, peers knew which students scored well enough to move on to fourth grade automatically, and which ones didn’t, Giovannetti explained, because the students who had to take the test again were pulled out of class.

“I just don’t understand why this is the only factor that they’re looking at for something that’s such a big deal,” said Giovannetti.

Local officials had expected the TCAP results, combined with the fresh threat of retention, to be jarring for some families. “Even third graders who are performing at grade level could be subject to retention,” school board members for MSCS and suburban districts wrote to lawmakers about the new legislation in 2021. Testing as proficient on the state test, they argued, is not the same as grade-level mastery.

They implored lawmakers to seek a “comprehensive assessment” of third graders’ performance, rather than using a single state test to flag students for retention, which they said could have “possible negative life-long effects.”

“It’s not appropriate to put this much pressure on a 9-year-old,” Giovannetti said.

Families in Memphis and across the state have united over their frustrations with the law, and lawmakers responded by accepting some proposed amendments, including one that expands the criteria by one test for certain students. But the changes won’t take effect until next school year.

Giovannetti’s son got the results of his retest on his last day of third grade. He was one correct answer shy of scoring “proficient” and heading straight to fourth grade.

Giovannetti submitted an appeal, based on Anders’ results from an earlier benchmark test. It was approved within days, she told Chalkbeat, leaving her to wonder why the earlier score couldn’t have been counted in the first place.

“There’s something off here, and I don’t think it’s 6,000 kids,” she said. “I think we need to look into this test, and make sure it’s really measuring what we want it to measure.”

Students went through two years with threat of retention

MSCS officials say they have tried to convey to students that they are more than just a test score. But the state law makes clear that the one score on the TCAP may determine how these students will spend their summer, and possibly their next year in school.

The district sought a more accurate assessment of a student’s reading capabilities by introducing its own retention policy for second graders. Other states were already implementing reading retention policies, and there was one on the books in Tennessee that allowed schools the option to retain students based on third grade reading scores.

The board approved the policy in 2019, as the district was staring down a lofty literacy goal and stagnant reading scores. At the time, this year’s third graders were entering kindergarten, and school officials were stressing the importance of literacy as a gateway to advanced learning.

District officials considered delaying implementation of the policy because of the pandemic, but decided not to, on the basis that third grade would be too late to intervene. So the threat of retention trailed students into their second grade classrooms as they returned from a year of online school.

Giovannetti recalls second grade being intense, as teachers prepared students for third grade. Her son made it through to third grade without having to attend summer school. This year, she said, the state’s retention law for third graders was “kind of all we heard about.”

The district’s retention policy doesn’t exist anymore. MSCS revoked it in August without much discussion.

But by then, the learning setbacks caused by online schooling, which continued in MSCS well after other Tennessee districts resumed in-person school instruction, had already prompted Tennessee lawmakers to enact a statewide policy, but based on just the one test. So the retention threat followed these students into third grade.

“We were ahead of the game,” Angela Whitelaw, then one of two MSCS acting superintendents, told board members in an August committee meeting. “But now we need to align all of our resources and all of our work along with the state.”

Facing more school, student ‘wanted to go home’

Sanders, Kamryn’s mother, said she’s been keeping up with parent meetings and all the online communication from school that her daughter brings home.

Even before the scores arrived, third grade teachers had been talking about retests, and some students, including Kamryn, had already been signed up for summer school, based on anticipated results.

The walkout incident was shocking, Sanders said, because her daughter has always seemed to love school.

She had to attend summer school last year and tutoring throughout the year for reading. But that hadn’t stopped her from enjoying other subjects, like art and music. And in math, she helped her classmates learn their multiplication tables, her mom said.

On that day, “she just said she wanted to go home,” Sanders said.

In a statement about the girl’s experience, the district said counseling and other emotional supports are available to students, and that her school still had fun end-of-year activities.

“Districtwide, we’re working hard to uplift and celebrate our third graders,” the district said, “because we know the state-mandated reading retention law has deeply affected these little learners.”

Laura Testino covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Laura at LTestino@chalkbeat.org.

Over 25,000 Tennessee 3rd graders retook reading test this week to try to meet new promotion policy

2023-05-26T21:44:49+00:00

More than half of Tennessee third graders at risk of being held back because of their reading test scores took another test this week to try to advance to fourth grade without summer school or tutoring.

The state began offering the retest on Monday. By Friday, 25,304 third graders had submitted a second reading assessment, said Brian Blackley, a spokesman for the state education department.

Preliminary scores from the initial test in the spring indicated that about 60% of Tennessee’s 74,000 third-graders could be at risk of being held back under a new state retention policy for third graders who struggle with reading. But that number is before factoring in exemptions under the law.

The testing do-over marks the end of a pivotal school year for third graders, who were kindergartners in 2020 when the pandemic shuttered school buildings and caused unprecedented learning disruptions.

A 2021 law enacted a tough new retention policy starting this school year for students who don’t test as proficient readers by the end of third grade. The law also created several learning intervention programs to help students catch up.

Since the 2022-23 retention policy is based on the results of a single test under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, retesting using a similar “TCAP-style test” was part of the state’s plan for giving third graders another opportunity to improve their score.

The retesting window continues through June 5, but schools were expected to complete most of the do-overs this week so families can get their students’ results back sooner.

State officials have pledged that test vendor Pearson will return new scores within 48 hours after submission.

To get promoted to the fourth grade, third graders who who score as “approaching” reading proficiency must either attend a summer program with a 90% attendance rate, then show adequate growth on a test administered at the end of the program; or they must take advantage of state-funded tutoring throughout the 2023-24 school year.

Third graders who score in the bottom category of readers known as “below” must participate in both intervention programs to get promoted to fourth grade.

Summer learning camps start as soon as next week at some schools, although the schedule varies by district. For instance, Nashville’s program starts on June 1, while Memphis-Shelby County Schools launches its summer learning academies on June 20.

This week’s retests, via the state’s online Schoolnet platform, started off bumpy in some districts due to technical issues but smoothed out after the first day, Blackley said.

There were “isolated tech issues” on Monday in some districts that were “fully resolved,” Blackley said. “Our testing vendor, Pearson, has been troubleshooting effectively to manage and will continue to do so throughout the entire window,” he said.

Blackley added that technical problems will not delay the return of scores.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

More Tennessee 3rd graders tested proficient in reading this year, but 60% face risk of retention

2023-05-22T21:20:36+00:00

Tennessee’s third-grade reading proficiency rate jumped by more than 4 percentage points to 40% on this year’s state tests.

But that means up to 60% of its third graders could be at risk of being held back under the state’s tough new retention law.

The results, based on preliminary scores, showed some level of improvement in all four of the state’s reading performance categories. The percentage of third graders who scored as advanced readers, the state’s top performance category, rose 3 percentage points to 13%, the largest figure in over a decade.

Tennessee released the statewide data Monday as families began receiving news about whether their third graders scored well enough on spring tests to move on to fourth grade.

While the state won’t release the final scores until this summer, the preliminary scores offer the first statewide glimpse at the effects of a controversial 2021 law passed in an effort to stem pandemic learning loss and boost Tennessee’s long-lagging scores for reading.

Gov. Bill Lee, who championed the 2021 law, called the gains “historic.”

And Penny Schwinn, the state’s outgoing education commissioner, pointed to Tennessee’s new investments and strategies for literacy, including an array of programs to train teachers on phonics-based reading instruction.

“While we still have a long way to go before we reach the goals laid out in legislation,” Schwinn said, “I appreciate the ongoing efforts of Tennessee schools as they implement summer and tutoring programs to provide students not yet on grade level with the supports they need to thrive.”

Scores set students on varying pathways to promotion

Tennessee has about 74,000 third graders. The early data showed 35% scored as “approaching” proficiency, down 1 percentage point from last year; and 25% scored “below” proficiency, down by 3 percentage points last year in the state’s bottom category. Another 27% were deemed to have met the state’s threshold for reading, up 2 percentage points from last year.

Those who weren’t deemed proficient readers may retake the test this week to try to improve their score, or may have to attend learning camps this summer or tutoring sessions this fall to be eligible to advance to fourth grade.

But the state’s numbers do not factor in students who are automatically exempt under the law. Those include third graders with a disability or suspected disability that affects reading; students who have been previously retained; and English language learners with less than two years of instruction in English language arts.

“Exemption decisions will be dealt with at the local level, in compliance with the law,” said Brian Blackley, a state education department spokesman.

District officials spent the weekend analyzing preliminary scores that the department shared with school leaders late Friday afternoon.

Knox County Schools was among the first school systems to report district-level results, with more than a third of its third graders at risk of retention. The district shared scores with families on Friday night and gave them until Sunday to sign up their child to retest this week. More than 1,200 Knox County third graders retook the test on Monday, said spokeswoman Carly Harrington.

About 38% of Nashville students face possible retention based on an analysis of performance and exemptions by Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

Chattanooga-based Hamilton County Schools reported that more than one-fifth of its third graders either did not score proficient in reading, or did not meet the state’s exemption criteria. “We are in the process of notifying families right now,” spokesman Steve Doremus said Monday.

In Rutherford County Schools, a large suburban district south of Nashville, about 30% of third graders may have to satisfy additional learning requirements to be eligible to advance to fourth grade.

School officials in Memphis did not immediately answer Chalkbeat’s questions about third-grade performance.

“We’re working to support the families of our third-grade students over the next few days as they prepare for retests, appeals, our MSCS Summer Learning Academy, and end-of-year celebrations,” Memphis-Shelby County Schools said in a statement.

In releasing statewide data on Monday, the department reversed course from its stance last week.

Historically, the state has not publicly released data from preliminary student-level scores, which are protected by federal confidentiality laws. Blackley said Friday that would continue to be the case. On Monday, however, he said the public release of some statewide results was an attempt to increase transparency because of the high stakes for third graders.

“We understand there’s a lot of interest,” he said, “so we wanted to give a comprehensive view of third-grade data for English language arts as soon as possible.”

Critics of retention law step up their criticisms

This year’s third graders were the youngest students affected by school disruptions during the pandemic. Their kindergarten year was shortened by three months when Gov. Bill Lee urged public school officials to close their buildings in March 2020 to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Lee later called the legislature in for a special 2021 session to address ongoing learning disruptions. Lawmakers authorized the creation of summer programs and tutoring during the school year for elementary and middle school grades, while also approving new reading proficiency requirements for third graders to advance, beginning this school year.

The resulting state-funded learning interventions have proven popular, but the retention policy has received widespread criticism.

It’s “worth remembering this broken 3rd grade retention policy was rushed into law during a 4-day special session without any input from educators or families,” state Sen. Jeff Yarbro tweeted over the weekend.

The Nashville Democrat questioned the adequacy of the state’s financial investment in education, its interpretation of scores from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, and the law’s focus on third graders.

“Maybe, just maybe, our efforts should focus on instruction & interventions in K-2 (if not earlier),” Yarbro wrote.

In Memphis, Sen. Raumesh Akbari said the possibility of holding back thousands of third graders based on a single test score was “manufactured chaos.”

“There are so many student interventions we could be supporting to improve reading comprehension. High-stakes testing, with the threat of failing third grade, is not one of them,” said Akbari, who chairs the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Many school officials also question whether TCAP is the best measure of a child’s ability to read.

“The promotion requirements around one TCAP data point don’t portray simple ‘reading ability,’” Rutherford County Schools Superintendent James Sullivan said in a statement.

“Instead,” he said, “the TCAP third grade English Language Arts assessment is a measure of a student’s performance on all Tennessee Academic ELA Standards including the ability to interact, decipher, comprehend, and analyze comprehensive text.”

Adrienne Battle, director of schools in Nashville, said her district did not agree with the law’s retention policy, but is working with its families to navigate the law’s impacts.

“It is important for children, parents, and the community to understand that if a student didn’t score proficient on this one test, it does not mean they failed, that they cannot read, or that they are not making learning progress,” Battle said. “Tennessee has some of the highest standards in the nation for student expectations.”

Local pushback caused legislators to revisit the law during their most recent legislative session. Among other things, lawmakers widened criteria for determining which third graders are at risk of being held back, but the changes won’t take effect until next school year.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Laura Testino contributed to this report from Memphis. Contact her at ltestino@chalkbeat.org.

Tennessee’s 3rd-grade retention law requires ‘adequate growth’ to advance. Here’s what that means.

2023-05-19T22:15:06+00:00

When Tennessee lawmakers passed a tough third-grade retention law in 2021, they ordered districts to provide academic interventions like summer learning camps to help struggling readers get promoted on time.

The law also says third graders who score just below reading proficiency must show “adequate growth” on a test given at the end of those camps in order to advance to fourth grade.

But the statute didn’t define “adequate growth,” and policymakers have debated ever since what that ambiguity means.

On Friday, the State Board of Education provided an answer: To get promoted, students who scored as “approaching” reading proficiency on their state test this spring must improve by at least 5 percentage points on another state test given at the end of their summer learning program.

“This definition is intended to capture a reasonable amount of growth a student could achieve during the four-week camp, relative to the student’s achievement during an entire school year,” said Sam Pearcy, Tennessee’s deputy education commissioner, while presenting his department’s recommendation to the board.

The definition was the most pressing question lingering over the controversial new retention policy outlined in the state’s 2021 learning acceleration law. That policy, which kicks in with this year’s third graders, is expected to cause thousands of students to attend summer school in the next few months or undergo tutoring next school year to avoid being held back.

Questions and complaints pick up as score data goes out

Members of the state board said they’ve received other questions daily about the law — everything from tutoring access to how to appeal to the state to get exempted from the policy. State-provided tutoring is Tennessee’s other intervention program for struggling readers under the 2021 law.

“We’re going to continue to work through the process,” board Chairman Bob Eby, of Oak Ridge, said Friday. “It’s not perfect, but the intent is right.”

Warren Wells, a board member from Shelbyville, said critics have called the retention law “ridiculous” and said that it “wasn’t thought through.” But he countered that it was the right response to unprecedented learning disruptions caused by the pandemic.

“This year is going to be hard,” Wells acknowledged, “but we are going to continue to look at it and make sure that we make the best decisions for the future of our children.”

Also late Friday afternoon, school districts received preliminary scores from the state tests taken this spring, kicking off a busy few days of analysis and communication with parents about what those results mean. Most families should have information by Monday or Tuesday about how their third grader performed, so that they can make decisions about whether their student should retest next week to try for a better result, or will have to enter learning intervention programs this summer or fall.

The preliminary testing information won’t be publicly released, however, said Brian Blackley, a spokesman for the education department.

Early reading scores for individual third graders are confidential, said Blackley, and “meant to give districts prompt, actionable data as quickly as possible to help students and families.”

Statewide and district-level results from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP, will be released publicly this summer, he added.

Board irons out a wrinkle in ‘adequate growth’ policy

Before approving the definition for “adequate growth,” the board made a late change to the department’s recommendation to address concerns that some third graders who scored “approaching” proficiency this spring could unwittingly be penalized for retaking their reading test next week.

If those students improve their baseline score on the do-over but still aren’t deemed proficient readers, they would have to score even higher on the summertime post-test to improve by 5 percentage points.

“Then there’s no incentive for the individual to take that retake test,” Eby said.

For such cases, the board set spring TCAPs, not the retake assessment, as the baseline test.

The “adequate growth” requirement will not apply to students who scored “below” proficiency, the state’s bottom category, on either the TCAP or retake tests. The law requires those students to participate in both a summer learning camp and state-funded tutoring throughout fourth grade to get promoted.

All rising fourth graders who participate in summer camps also must maintain a 90% attendance rate in those programs, as stipulated in the law.

School leaders welcome answers

The post-test won’t be the TCAP, but state officials say testing vendor Pearson is developing the assessment to be a “TCAP-style” test. Questions will align with state academic standards, and the test will not include the writing portion that TCAPs do.

“Post-test results are able to be returned immediately because they exclude a writing component which takes more time to score,” according to one state document. “Adequate growth calculations will be returned within five business days of the administration of the post-test.”

While third-grade TCAPs were conducted with pencil and paper, the post-test will be conducted on devices using Schoolnet, an online platform launched by the state in 2020 to provide free and optional assessments to school systems.

Districts must use Schoolnet to give retake tests next week, as well as tests at the end of summer camp. Many schools already use Schoolnet to give extra benchmark tests to third graders during the school year, and the state delivered last year’s summer post-test via the platform as well.

Several district leaders told Chalkbeat they were comfortable with the state’s newly set growth bar.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools already targets growth of 3 to 5 percentage points during each of its three tutoring terms during the school year.

“So 5 percentage points is pretty close to the gauge we’re using internally for tutoring,” said district spokeswoman Cathryn Stout. “It’s on the high end, but it’s in the realm of possibility.”

Breckan Duckworth, who oversees summer programming for Hamilton County Schools, said it’s difficult to gauge whether the state’s growth definition is reasonable because it depends on whether the post-test is as rigorous as TCAPs.

“I do know that our kids tend to show growth and do well on the assessments that are provided during summer programming,” Duckworth said.

“Would I be happier if it was a little lower than 5 percentage points? Absolutely,” she said. “But at this point, it’s not going to keep me up at night.”

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Changes in Tennessee retention law will come too late for third graders this year

2023-04-14T20:08:03+00:00

Tennessee lawmakers are moving toward a consensus on how to improve the state’s controversial new third-grade retention policy for struggling readers, but whatever they decide won’t be in time for this year’s class of third graders.

Those students, who were in kindergarten when the pandemic began, face the highest stakes when the state’s testing window opens next week for grades 3-8 under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

In a Senate finance committee this week, Republicans quashed Sen. Jeff Yarbro’s proposal to delay implementation of the strict retention policy for one year.

“We are too late for this year,” said Senate Education Committee Chairman Jon Lundberg of Bristol when Yarbro, a Nashville Democrat, asked if anything in the proposed changes for next year would alleviate concerns about this year’s launch.

“I have significant concerns that we are not ready,” Yarbro countered, “and that, even more importantly, our schools and our families are not ready for the disruptions that this is going to cause this year.”

But the GOP-controlled committee stuck with its plan and advanced a bill under which, beginning next year, Tennessee would widen criteria for determining which third graders are at risk of being held back if they aren’t deemed proficient readers.

Unless the full legislature intervenes before adjourning in the next few weeks, this year’s decisions on who gets held back or sent to remedial programs will be based solely on TCAP reading test results. That’s the current criterion under a 2021 law that lawmakers passed in response to pandemic learning losses.

If the proposed revisions are approved as expected, the state would widen criteria beginning with the 2023-24 school year to consider results from a second state-provided benchmark test, too — but only for third graders who score as “approaching” proficiency on their TCAP.

The full Senate is scheduled to vote on the measure next Tuesday.

The 2021 law also established summer learning and tutoring programs to help struggling students catch up.

This year’s third graders who score as “approaching” reading proficiency must attend a summer learning camp and demonstrate “adequate growth” on a test administered at the camp’s end, or they must participate in a tutoring program during fourth grade.

Third graders who score “below” proficiency, which is the bottom category of results, must participate in both intervention programs. (There are exemptions. To learn more about Tennessee’s current retention and remediation policy, visit the state education department’s answers to frequently asked questions.)

The existing policy is expected to affect thousands of students this year.

Last fall, when the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents examined TCAP data for the state’s 70,000 third graders in 2021-22, the group found that about 45% of them would have been affected if the new retention policy had applied to them, before any exemptions were considered.

And in Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the state’s largest district, officials estimate that more than 2,700 third-graders are at risk of being held back.

Chalkbeat spoke recently with Dale Lynch, executive director of the superintendents group, about implications of the learning and retention law, both this year and next year. Here are five questions and answers:

What should Tennesseans understand about the status of the state’s third-grade reading and learning support law?

Dale Lynch is executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what’s happening in the legislature with this law. A lot of people think that someone is going to wave a magic wand and all of this will go away. But there’s no chance the legislature will completely do away with the law they passed in their special session in 2021. And nothing’s going to happen this year to change third-grade retention policies for this year’s students. We’re talking about next year.

What about this year, though? What’s happening now with our third-grade students, their families, and their teachers?

There’s a lot of anxiety, especially as TCAPs approach. Parents are feeling a great deal of stress, and the pressure being put on third-grade teachers is at an all-time high. Meanwhile, our superintendents are trying to figure out how to staff an appropriate summer school program to provide these interventions for more students. How many kids will we have? We don’t know yet. Districts are supposed to get the raw score data from TCAPs by May 19th, and most of the camps are starting in May. So I think a lot of school districts will go ahead and encourage students to plan to come, even if they don’t know their test results yet. That’s not necessarily bad. But it would be nice if we had some time to figure this out.

It’s one thing to provide learning interventions like summer camps, but they also need to be effective. What’s the best way to do that?

First, I want to emphasize that our organization likes and supports the parts of the law that add these supports for our students. We like the summer programs and tutoring and additional learning opportunities. Our state needs to continue doing this.

The best way to make them effective is to have your most effective teachers in there. So for this summer, district leaders are trying to figure out how to get their most effective teachers to extend 200 days of instruction to 220 or 240 days. That’s a challenge.

Is there any collateral damage as we try to help students catch up from pandemic disruptions?

I worry that we’re at risk of hurting our best teachers at a time when we’re looking for ways to retain them. There’s nothing more important in education for a student than a high-quality teacher. The best teachers produce the best results. But we can’t keep pushing more and more on teachers without them reaching a breaking point.

What else should we know as district leaders try to plan for more third graders participating in summer learning programs?

For school system leaders, the amount of money they thought they’d be getting for summer school programs is lower than they were anticipating. They’re also trying to figure out the budgeting process under TISA [the state’s new student funding formula that stands for Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement], which starts with the new school year. It’s a lot of big things happening at once.

This year’s TCAP testing window runs from April 17 to May 5. You can learn more about the testing program on the state education department’s website.

You can track the bills to revise the retention law on the General Assembly’s website.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Cummings students will stay at LaRose Elementary as delays slow repair of collapsed library ceiling

2023-01-24T23:47:09+00:00

Because of a delay in repairs to a library ceiling that collapsed in August, students at Cummings K-8 Optional School will finish out the school year at nearby LaRose Elementary School in South Memphis.

While the repairs could still be done as early as this spring, Memphis-Shelby County Schools said in a news release, officials decided the Cummings students should remain at LaRose to avoid any disruptions during Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program testing.

The 40-year-old drop ceiling collapsed on Aug. 15, just a week after the school year started. No students were in the library at the time, but three staffers were injured, The Commercial Appeal reported. The collapse prompted MSCS to order reviews of buildings older than 70 years with drop ceilings, and called new attention to the issue of deferred maintenance in the schools.

Over 33 of MSCS’ schools were built before 1950, meaning they are more than 70 years old. A study done eight years ago found that the district’s older buildings and equipment were deteriorating rapidly, Fox 13 News reported in August.

While Cummings was built in 1961, The Commercial Appeal reported that the structure that houses the library was built in 1930, and the drop ceiling was installed in 1982.

Around 300 students attend Cummings, while 233 attend LaRose. MSCS also praised Cummings’ principal, Dwana McGuire, and LaRose’s principal, Staci Hendrix, and their staffs for their leadership amid the emergency situation.

“We applaud how they have rallied their teams and supported students and families. They have epitomized the meaning of #MSCSTogether,” the release said.

Bureau Chief Tonyaa Weathersbee oversees Chalkbeat Tennessee’s education coverage. Contact her at tweathersbee@chalkbeat.org

Tennessee’s list of lowest-performing schools is out. Is yours on it?

2022-09-12T23:58:18+00:00

Memphis-Shelby County Schools more than doubled its number of schools on Tennessee’s list of bottom-performing schools, while schools from several rural districts made the list for the first time.

The state education department on Monday flagged 101 schools in 12 districts as so-called priority schools, meaning they were deemed academically in the bottom 5% in the 2021-22 school year.

The priority list is the state’s highest-stakes designation for holding low-performing schools accountable. But this year’s roster will be used only to identify schools eligible for additional federal funding and state support — not for takeover by Tennessee’s Achievement School District.

Last month, after telling district leaders that Tennessee won’t grade its schools A-F this fall as planned, education department officials said the state also will pause from moving any schools into the ASD, which has logged mostly disappointing results at improving the schools it took over beginning in 2012.

The accountability reprieve comes amid challenges in gathering reliable student achievement and growth data during the pandemic, beginning in 2020 when state tests were canceled nationwide.

In an Aug. 24 letter to superintendents, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said test participation in 2021 was inconsistent across Tennessee, making it difficult to compare results year to year. And in the most recent school year, school leaders grappled with chronic student absenteeism, COVID-related quarantines, and challenges with online learning.

But the accountability pause is coming to a close, Schwinn has promised. The state is scheduled to issue a new priority school list in the fall of 2023, likely making 2024 the earliest that new schools could enter the ASD.

Tennessee’s school accountability system relies on achievement and growth results from state tests under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP. “Priority” status denotes a school that’s consistently low-performing over multiple years, or a high school that has less than a 67% graduation rate during the most recent school year.

For 2022, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the state’s largest district, had 36 priority schools, including seven charter schools, up from a total of 16 in 2021.

Nashville’s school district went from 16 to 19 priority schools; Hamilton County from seven to eight; and Knox County had four schools. Districts in Cumberland, Fayette, Haywood, Henry, and Sevier counties had one priority school each, while Madison County had three and Maury County had two.

Tennessee’s school turnaround district, the ASD, had 24 schools on the list.

Meanwhile, 19 schools came off the state’s list of priority schools, according to the department’s latest reports.

The rosters were among several reports released Monday by the state showing school and district designations for last school year, some of which are federally required. Those included high-performing “reward” schools, district ratings based on six performance indicators, and a list of schools needing targeted support to close disparities in student achievement based on race, poverty, disabilities, and language.

Districts in Memphis and Nashville were designated as “advancing” school districts — the second-highest achievement — although the state’s two largest districts also had double-digit numbers of priority schools.

“The district will be working with these schools to ensure that evidence-based turnaround and success strategies are being implemented to support their students and faculty,” said a statement from Nashville school leaders.

In Memphis, district officials said they will target their priority schools by incentivizing attendance, providing extra coaching for school leaders, reviewing data regularly to provide targeted support, and helping families understand and track their child’s performance.

“I think it’s going to take some time as we recover from the pandemic and transition the schools that are coming back from the ASD,” said Michelle McKissack, who chairs the school board there. “We have to absorb all that — the good, the bad — and move forward.”

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat reporter Samantha West contributed to this report.

What to know as state standardized testing kicks off across Tennessee

2022-04-08T12:45:00+00:00

Two years after standardized tests were canceled nationwide due to the pandemic, plans for Tennessee assessments this spring appear to mark a return to somewhat normal.

The state’s window for spring standardized tests is April 18-May 10. Memphis-Shelby County Schools plans to wrap up testing on May 6, according to the district’s assessment calendar.

Who is getting tested, and how should they prepare? Here are answers to these and other frequently asked questions. If you have more questions you want answered, let us know at tn.tips@chalkbeat.org.

When does testing begin for my child?

This year, individual schools in MSCS, Tennessee’s largest district, have the authority to create their own testing schedule within the state’s 3½-week window. Last year, middle and high school students sat for the tests during the same three-day period. Check your child’s school website to find exact testing dates.

Advanced Placement testing, which is not run by the state, will overlap partly with the state testing window. AP tests will take place May 2-20 at MSCS for students who participate in AP classes or opt to take the tests. Check the AP testing calendar to find out when each test is being administered.

Who and what are being assessed?

The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, often referred to as TCAP, includes TNReady assessments in math, English language arts, social studies, and science. There are also alternative assessments — MSAA and TCAP-Alt — to accommodate students with disabilities.

TCAP tests are designed to gauge “true student understanding” of state standards, the Department of Education says, rather than basic memorization or test-taking skills.

In Tennessee, students in grades three through eight are required to take the TCAP. High school students take end-of-course assessments, or EOCs, when they complete each of the following courses: English I or II; Algebra I or II, Geometry, U.S. History, and Biology.

The state also offers an optional second-grade test that assesses English and math skills. All MSCS second-graders will participate.

How will EOC results affect my child’s grade?

According to state law, the results of end-of-course tests count for a minimum of 15% of a student’s grade in high school courses requiring the exams, if the results are released to the school in time.

In a statement, MSCS officials said end-of-course scores will count for 15% of a student’s grade if they’re received at least five instructional days before the end of the school year, scheduled for May 27 this year. State officials expect to return preliminary scores to districts by May 20 and final reports by June 20.

TCAP scores may also be used to determine eligibility for admission to the district’s optional schools. Acceptable tests for the 2022-23 school year include TCAP Achievement English Language Arts and TCAP Mathematics assessments; end-of-course exams; as well as Illuminate FastBridge aReading and aMath assessments, i-Ready Diagnostic Reading and Math assessments, according to the district. At the high school level, students may also use ACT, PSAT and SAT scores.

Are the tests on paper or on computers?

Students in grades three through eight will take their TCAPs on paper this year, while high school students will take their end-of-course exams on the computer for the first time since 2019.

Last summer, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn announced the state’s plan to return gradually to computer-based testing — six years after a massive technical failure marred Tennessee’s online testing debut. Then-Education Commissioner Candice McQueen fired Measurement Inc. after its online platform failed on the first day of testing. Three years later, the company’s successor, Questar, was sidelined after days of technical glitches undermined public trust in the reliability of 2018 test results.

Testing vendor Pearson will administer the tests under a 2019 contract with the Department of Education.

Do students attending online school have to take the test in person?

Yes — mostly for security reasons, but also for technical reasons.

On-site testing allows administrators and test proctors to ensure students are doing the work themselves. It also alleviates concerns about internet bandwidth at home that could put some students at a disadvantage if tests were given online.

Can I have my child opt out of testing?

No. Despite a growing opt-out movement across the nation, Tennessee law requires student participation in state assessments.

How should I prepare my child for testing?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools offers families five tips:

Get a good night’s rest, set an alarm, and urge your child not to study too late.
Ensure your child has a healthy breakfast.
Have a positive attitude about testing and motivate your child to do their best.
Encourage your student to review material methodically over several days rather than cramming.
Celebrate after testing to reward their hard work and effort.

What did last year’s test scores show?

The first batch of test scores during the pandemic showed declines across all subjects and grades, with the sharpest drops among students who have historically trailed their peers and spent more time learning online.

Overall, just about 3 in 10 Tennessee students were on track or had reached mastery in all subjects by the end of the 2020-21 school year.

No tests were administered in the spring of 2020 when the pandemic first erupted, so the most recent comparisons are to 2019. Math scores were the hardest hit from 2019 to 2021. Only 1 in 4 students met grade-level expectations in math in 2021, compared with more than 1 in 3 before the pandemic. The steepest declines tended to come from students of color, students from low-income families, and English language learners.

When will I see my child’s scores?

Parents will likely be able to access scores by June in the Tennessee Department of Education Family Portal at familyreport.tnedu.gov/login.

Samantha West is a reporter for Chalkbeat Tennessee, where she covers K-12 education in Memphis. Connect with Samantha at swest@chalkbeat.org. Marta W. Aldrich is a senior correspondent who covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

5 education issues to watch as Tennessee lawmakers return this week

2022-01-10T12:00:00+00:00

One year after tackling pandemic-related school challenges during a special legislative session called by Gov. Bill Lee, Tennessee lawmakers return to the Capitol this week with another major focus on students: how to fund public education.

Lee wants to overhaul the 30-year-old formula that determines how much money the state distributes to school systems, as well as how much local governmental agencies should contribute. He’s expected to work with fellow GOP leaders to offer a legislative proposal this month.

But some say the legislature shouldn’t rush that discussion, especially since it took years to come up with the current formula known as the Basic Education Program, or BEP.

“It’s OK to hold this and keep working on it if we need to,” said Rep. Scott Cepicky, a Republican from Maury County. “Let’s get this right.”

Lawmakers also aren’t inclined toward a lengthy session during an election year. They’ll look to pass a budget and wrap up by mid-April, if possible, so they can return home to campaign.

Until then, here are five issues to watch:

Funding reform

Since October when Lee called for a review of the state’s funding formula, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn has spearheaded the process that included eight town halls and dozens of meetings with policymakers and education leaders.

Last week, she called the issue “the biggest policy decision we make” and said Tennessee should seize this “moment in time.” She also hinted a draft proposal will be unveiled early this week.

“There is funding that is potentially available, there is momentum. We see need across the state,” she told a forum hosted by Tennesseans for Quality Early Education.

The review, which aims to shift Tennessee to a more student-centered funding approach, has drawn public praise but generated private concerns about its intent. Many public school advocates worry the goal is to pave the way for a new private school voucher program halted by ongoing litigation, though the governor has denied that.

“I’m trying to keep an open mind and not draw conclusions before getting all the information,” said Sen. Ferrell Haile, a Gallatin Republican who is on Lee’s 12-member review committee to create a new strategy.

Schwinn said any future formula must factor in the needs of individual children. That includes students who have disabilities, are English language learners, or come from low-income families.

Currently, enrollment is the main component of the BEP, a formula with 46 components that determine how much school systems receive to pay for teacher salaries and other needs like textbooks, technology, and bus transportation. But districts have flexibility on how to spend that money, which explains why the BEP is considered a funding formula, not a spending plan.

“We want to put more money into education, but we want to make sure the money is being spent well,” said Rep. Mark White, a Memphis Republican who chairs a House education committee and supports forging a new formula this year. “Let’s give it our best shot.”

More school nurses, counselors, pre-K

Whether the state revises its funding formula this year or not, the legislature must pass a budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 — and is flush with cash. Tax collections during the pandemic’s economic rebound were higher than projected. The state also is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants intended to help working low-income families.

Meanwhile, Tennessee ranks 44th in the nation for student funding, according to the Education Law Center, which gave the state Fs last year for its funding level and funding effort.

The state’s BEP review committee, an influential panel of policymakers and education leaders, has urged the governor to prioritize more funding for school nurses and counselors to get Tennessee to nationally recommended ratios. A $110-million annual investment would fund 1 nurse for every 750 students instead of the current 1:3,000, and 1 counselor for every 250 students instead of the current ratios of 1:500 and 1:350 for elementary and secondary schools, respectively.

In addition to perennial discussions about raising teacher pay, there’s talk about expanding Tennessee’s pre-K program, which serves a fifth of the state’s 4-year-olds. Most districts have waiting lists.

During the pandemic, consensus has grown that pre-K and early grades are the best places for impactful interventions to address learning lag and social-emotional challenges.

“It’s a timely topic that is deserving of deep discussions,” Haile said.

Supplemental teaching materials

A controversial proposal to limit which supplemental materials teachers can use advanced last year in two House panels before stalling in the Senate Education Committee.

Sen. Janice Bowling, a Republican from Tullahoma, promised to bring her bill back for consideration this year and address worries that “good” materials from organizations like the Tennessee Farm Bureau could be excluded.

The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver of Lancaster, would prohibit teachers from using materials that supplant state-approved textbooks unless district leaders approve those materials in advance. Any approved print or electronic materials would be listed on district websites.

“We absolutely need to do something,” agreed Sen. Brian Kelsey, a Republican from Germantown, “but we need to do it in a way that doesn’t have unintended consequences.”

The president of the state’s largest teachers organization called the proposal “demoralizing” for teachers and logistically impossible for school districts. For instance, a teacher couldn’t use yesterday’s newspaper in a current events class.

“This is a move toward completely scripted lessons,” said Beth Brown of the Tennessee Education Association, noting that a new Tennessee law already restricts what teachers can discuss in their classes about racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias.

Testing

State testing went well last year, with a 95% participation rate despite the pandemic. But lawmakers are still expected to bring several proposals to change when and how tests are administered.

Expect one proposal to require that testing occur during the last 20 days of the school year, instead of the earlier testing window set by the education department.

“That’s going to give our teachers an extra 30 days of instruction time, which is a lot,” said Cepicky.

Other likely legislation would require students in grades 3-8 to continue testing on paper, while local school systems could opt to move students in higher grades to online exams.

This school year, Tennessee high schoolers are taking their exams online under the state’s plan to transition back to computerized testing after several years of technical snafus.

Teacher evaluations

Should teachers be judged on how much their students know — or how much they grow?

Tennessee has mostly focused on the latter when evaluating their educators and schools through an academic growth model that measures learning over time, regardless of whether students are proficient.

But the complexity and opaqueness of the state’s statistical growth method, combined with increasing frustration over low student proficiency, could renew that debate among lawmakers this year.

“We’ve been doing this for 10 years, and where are we?” asked Cepicky, complaining that only a third of the state’s third graders are reading on grade level.

“Meanwhile, we’ve created an evaluation system where a teacher can get an A in academic growth even if their students aren’t proficient readers. We’ve got to get that commitment back to getting our kids proficient,” he said.

Such a move would mark a dramatic change for Tennessee, considered a pioneer in using “value-added” measurements to judge teachers and schools. For a decade, the guiding principle has been that all students can advance, regardless of out-of-school factors like poverty that might hold them back.

Other issues are sure to surface before this year’s legislature, including more funding for charter school facilities and how to address the state’s worsening teacher shortage. The statistics on the teacher supply is especially troubling, with thousands of Tennessee educators expected to retire by 2024 and fewer candidates entering teacher training programs.

“We’ve got to be creating multiple pathways to teaching in our state, and we’ve got to have a competitive wage,” said JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee.

The 2022 session of the 112th General Assembly convenes at noon Central Time on Tuesday. Visit the legislature’s website to track legislation, livestream meetings, and contact legislators.

TCAP results will change for 28 Tennessee districts after test materials arrive late

2021-10-27T19:26:24+00:00

Tennessee has recalibrated some of its most recent test results after assessment materials arrived late to its testing company due to pandemic-related shipping delays.

The state education department informed school superintendents Wednesday that some testing materials from Tennessee’s spring standardized assessment were not received from 28 districts in time to be included in the state’s report card and accountability systems.

The delays affected fewer than 1,000 students, and most of the impacted districts will see a slight bump in proficiency rates as a result of the recalibration, said department spokesman Brian Blackley.

“We were happy to get these students scored and in the system as they move forward,” said Blackley, emphasizing the late materials were caused by shipping delays or errors, not missed deadlines.

“In places where proficiency decreased, it’s a very small percentage and not significant enough to change the school’s designation,” he added.

Shelby County Schools communications chief Jerica Phillips said the state’s largest district “doesn’t expect changes” for the Memphis school system.

Test results released in August from the 2020-21 school year showed overall student proficiency declined 5 percentage points since 2019, the last time the state administered standardized tests under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also known as TCAP. The post-pandemic showing marked a dramatic reversal of previous gains.

In an email to superintendents, the department said the assessment materials that arrived late to Pearson, its testing vendor, have now been scanned and scored.

“In addition to new scores being added, any materials not recovered for a complete score have now been invalidated,” wrote Rachael Maves, chief of preparation and performance.

Maves said the delayed scores will be incorporated when the state updates its online report card in late November. The update also will include growth scores that measure learning over time, regardless of whether students are proficient, through a state formula known as TVAAS, which stands for the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System.

Updated individual scores also will be available to educators and parents through the state’s online TCAP platforms, Maves said.

Under the state’s contract with Pearson, the company last year administered paper-and-pencil tests, which slows the process for delivering materials and scoring and reporting results. The state plans to transition high school students to computerized exams this school year.

“Like many organizations that ship and receive large amounts of materials, we have seen an increase in delays due to COVID-19,” said Pearson spokesman Scott Overland. “While relatively rare, when assessment materials have been delayed, we have worked closely with TDOE to locate, scan and score documents as quickly as possible to ensure students, families, and schools have access to this important information.”

This story has been updated with comments from Pearson and the Tennessee Department of Education.

Tennessee’s school-by-school TCAP test scores are out. See how yours did.

2021-09-24T21:08:44+00:00

Nearly six months after Tennessee students sat down for their end-of-year tests, all of the scores are now out.

State officials released the final results Friday for each of the state’s 1,800-plus public schools. Statewide and district-level data was released in August.

The latest scores offer the first pandemic snapshot of how each school did, based on testing of students from grades 3 through high school.

Statewide, overall student proficiency declined 5 percentage points since 2019, the last time the state administered standardized tests under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also known as TCAP.

But some schools did well. Earlier this month, the state recognized 188 for being among the top 5% of schools for student academic achievement or growth. It also dropped seven schools from the state’s priority list of lowest-performing schools.

The new scores spotlight how each school fared after two straight years of disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It also sets a new baseline for proficiency as schools seek to catch their students up on any learning lags.

But the scores won’t be used to grade or rate schools. Because of the pandemic, Tennessee is only using the data diagnostically to help students and schools improve.

Use the table below to look up what percentage of your school’s students reached proficiency in reading and math (for grades 3-8) or high school courses like Algebra, Biology, English, Geometry, and U.S. History. You can use quotes (such as “Shelby County”) in the search box to more precisely find rows in the data.

The state education department also released its Tennessee Report Card Friday with 2020-21 achievement results, as well as updated demographic information.

The report card offers a single online site for parents to look up information about their child’s school and district, as well as learn about the state’s overall performance on education.

More information is scheduled to be added to the site later this fall, including data that highlights academic growth — not just proficiency. Also coming will be updates about school-level finances and student enrollment in college and other training programs after high school.

“There has never been a more important time for families to engage in their student’s education,” said Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “The online state report card provides essential information to help parents learn about their child’s school, as well as districts and schools across the state.”

Seven schools, including three in Memphis, exit Tennessee’s toughest school improvement list

2021-09-14T22:18:47+00:00

Seven of 79 Tennessee schools flagged for poor academic performance in 2018 dropped off the state’s “priority list” of bottom-performing schools this year when the Tennessee Department of Education unveiled its 2020-21 school accountability lists Tuesday.

Three of the exiting schools are in Memphis, the epicenter of the state’s school improvement work for the last decade.

Sheffield Elementary, part of Shelby County Schools, and two charter schools in the state-run Achievement School District, Libertas and Cornerstone Prep Denver Campus, moved off of the priority list of schools that rank academically in the state’s bottom 5%.

The list is usually met with trepidation from school leaders of struggling schools. But because the legislature voted in January to remove any potentially negative consequences from test scores during a second pandemic year, schools can’t be added — only removed.

Priority status makes schools eligible for the state’s most intense interventions, including possible takeover by the Achievement School District, or ASD, which has mostly assigned struggling schools to charter networks since its launch in 2012.

Priority schools could come off of the list this year if their test scores were good enough. Those schools had to rank in the state’s 15th percentile for the recent academic year or the state’s 10th percentile for two straight testing years. They also could exit by earning one of two top designations for academic growth in math and reading for two straight years.

“These schools have shown how Tennessee districts and schools can overcome a variety of challenges including a global pandemic that impacted the past several months, including the majority of the 2020-21 school year,” Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said in a statement.

Tennessee’s first pandemic test scores, released last month, showed a proficiency decline of 5 percentage points since 2019, the last time that public school students took standardized tests under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

But while the state’s overall scores went down, some schools did well — or well enough to improve their state proficiency ranking by percentile. Others showed a high level of growth from 2019 to 2021 under the state’s accountability model known as TVAAS, which is short for the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System.

Libertas School in Memphis was able to leave the priority list because of its performance in both proficiency and growth. The former Brookemeade Elementary School was in the state’s bottom 1% when the ASD took it over in 2015 from Shelby County Schools. Now called Libertas, the Montessori school reached the state’s 25th percentile in proficiency on the most recent tests. Libertas, which serves 485 students from the Memphis Frayser community, also ranked at the top level for student growth.

“What this means is that children in marginalized neighborhoods like Frayser can, in fact, achieve at incredibly high levels and grow extraordinarily to achieve their dreams,” said Bob Nardo, the school’s founder.

Sheffield Elementary, which is part of Shelby County Schools Innovation Zone turnaround program, exited the priority list by exceeding the 10th percentile in proficiency for two consecutive testing years.

Tennessee released its first list of 83 priority schools in 2012, with 69 of those in Memphis. Only 43 Memphis schools made the state’s last priority list in 2018, which added more schools in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Jackson. High schools with a graduation rate of less than 67% also could be placed on priority status.

Pending new state or federal accountability waivers or actions, Tennessee’s next priority list is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2022, following state testing next spring.

Exits from this year’s list include two schools in Chattanooga, one in Nashville, and one in Campbell County.

District	School
Campbell County	Jellico Elementary
Davidson County	Rosebank Elementary
Hamilton County	Clifton Hills Elementary
Hamilton County	Woodmore Elementary
Shelby County	Sheffield Elementary
Achievement School District	Libertas School
Achievement School District	Cornerstone Prep Denver Campus

Schools Exiting the Priority and Comprehensive Support and Improvement List

Source: Tennessee Department of Education

Annie Fu, Chalkbeat

In response to a 2015 federal education law, Tennessee added two other designations aimed at holding schools accountable. Both lists also had exits this year.

State officials said 108 of 145 schools from 57 districts met the criteria to move off of the state’s list of schools needing targeted support and resources to close achievement gaps among student groups based on race, poverty, disabilities, and language.

District	School
Anderson County	Clinton Middle School
Bedford County	Harris Middle School
Bedford County	South Side Elementary
Benton County	Big Sandy School
Bledsoe County	Cecil B Rigsby Elementary
Blount County	Eagleton Middle School
Blount County	Heritage Middle School
Bradley County	Taylor Elementary School
Cannon County	West Side Elementary
Huntingdon Special School District	Huntingdon Primary
Carter County	Hampton High School
Claiborne County	Ellen Myers Primary
Clay County	Celina K-8
Cocke County	Centerview Elementary
Cocke County	Cosby Elementary
Cocke County	Cosby High School
Cocke County	Northwest Elementary
Cocke County	Parrottsville Elementary
Manchester	Westwood Middle School
Tullahoma	Bel Aire Elementary
Tullahoma	West Middle School
Davidson County	Glencliff High School
Davidson County	Haywood Elementary
Davidson County	Hull-Jackson Elementary
Davidson County	Inglewood Elementary
Davidson County	Jones Elementary
Davidson County	Knowledge Academy
DeKalb County	Northside Elementary
Humboldt City Schools	Humboldt Junior/Senior High School
Humboldt City Schools	East Elementary School
Trenton	Trenton Middle School
Giles County	Richland Elementary
Greene County	Mosheim Elementary
Greeneville	C Hal Henard Elementary
Hamblen County	Meadowview Middle School
Hamilton County	Brown Middle School
Hamilton County	Ooltewah Middle School
Hardin County	Parris South Elementary
Hawkins County	Church Hill Intermediate School
Hawkins County	Hawkins Elementary
Hawkins County	Rogersville Middle School
Henry County	Henry Elementary
Hickman County	Centerville Intermediate School
Houston County	Erin Elementary
Houston County	Houston Co Middle School
Jackson County	Jackson County Middle School
Jefferson County	Jefferson Middle School
Knox County	Belle Morris Elementary
Knox County	Cedar Bluff Elementary
Knox County	Cedar Bluff Middle School
Knox County	Chilhowee Intermediate
Knox County	A L Lotts Elementary
Knox County	Inskip Elementary
Knox County	Karns Elementary
Knox County	Norwood Elementary
Knox County	West Haven Elementary
Knox County	Emerald Academy
Lawrence County	E O Coffman Middle School
Lewis County	Lewis Co High School
Fayetteville	Fayetteville High School
Madison County	Jackson Central-Merry Early College High
Marion County	Monteagle Elementary
Marion County	South Pittsburg Elementary
Marion County	Whitwell Middle School
Marshall County	Lewisburg Middle School
Maury County	Highland Park Elementary
Maury County	Mt. Pleasant Middle Visual Perform. Arts
Maury County	Spring Hill Middle School
Montgomery County	Pisgah Elementary
Morgan County	Petros Joyner Elementary
Obion County	Ridgemont Elementary
Union City	Union City Elementary School
Perry County	Linden Elementary
Perry County	Linden Middle School
Pickett County	Pickett County Elementary
Putnam County	Jere Whitson Elementary
Putnam County	Avery Trace Middle School
Roane County	Harriman Middle School
Rutherford County	Blackman High School
Rutherford County	Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School
Rutherford County	Riverdale High School
Rutherford County	Smyrna High School
Sequatchie County	Sequatchie Co Middle School
Sequatchie County	Griffith Elementary
Sevier County	Northview Intermediate School
Sevier County	Pigeon Forge Primary
Sevier County	Sevierville Middle School
Shelby County	Highland Oaks Middle
Shelby County	Chimneyrock Elementary School
Shelby County	William Herbert Brewster Elementary School
Shelby County	Egypt Elementary
Shelby County	Gardenview Elementary
Shelby County	Hickory Ridge Middle
Shelby County	Oakhaven Elementary
Shelby County	Shady Grove Elementary
Shelby County	Treadwell Elementary
Shelby County	Whitehaven Elementary
Shelby County	Winridge Elementary
Shelby County	Southern Avenue Charter School Of Academic Excellence Creat
Sullivan County	Colonial Heights Middle
Kingsport	Ross N. Robinson Middle School
Union County	Maynardville Elementary
Union County	Paulette Elementary School
Warren County	Dibrell Elementary
Warren County	Bobby Ray Memorial
Washington County	South Central Elementary
Franklin SSD	Freedom Middle School
Wilson County	Watertown Middle School

Schools Exiting the Targeted Support and Improvement List

Source: Tennessee Department of Education

Annie Fu, Chalkbeat

Federal law also requires Tennessee to use test data to identify schools needing additional support to improve the performance of similar student groups based on federal criteria. The following 18 schools from 12 districts met criteria to leave that list.

District	School
Bledsoe County	Bledsoe County Middle School
Coffee County	Coffee County Middle School
Davidson County	John Overton High
Davidson County	Margaret Allen Middle
Davidson County	Knowledge Academies High School
Davidson County	RePublic High School
Hancock County	Hancock County Elementary
Hickman County	East Hickman Middle School
McMinn County	Niota Elementary
Madison County	North Parkway Middle School
Montgomery County	Kenwood Middle
Robertson County	Springfield High School
Shelby County	Craigmont High
Shelby County	Kingsbury High
Shelby County	Overton High
Shelby County	Snowden Elementary/Middle
Sumner County	Joe Shafer Middle School
Unicoi County	Unicoi Co Middle School

Schools Exiting the Additional Targeted Support and Improvement List

Source: Tennessee Department of Education

Annie Fu, Chalkbeat

The department is scheduled to publish test results online for all Tennessee schools on the state report card by late September.

Chalkbeat data journalist Annie Fu contributed to this report.

Tennessee’s pandemic test scores dropped, but especially in Memphis and Nashville

2021-08-13T21:46:51+00:00

The two Tennessee school districts that taught all their students primarily remotely last year saw their test scores fall further than the state’s average decline.

But those districts in Memphis and Nashville also serve the highest proportions of students who are economically disadvantaged, of color, and learning a new language — some of the student groups that have been most affected by the pandemic.

Both issues have been factors in falling student achievement rates across the United States after a year of educational and social disruptions, according to national data.

Tennessee released district-level test scores this week showing that Memphis-based Shelby County Schools had an overall drop in proficiency of 11 percentage points from 2019 to 2021, compared with the statewide slide of 5 percentage points.

Overall proficiency for Nashville public school students declined by just over 8 percentage points.

Both school systems stayed remote the longest in the contentious debate with elected state officials over how best to reopen schools last year. Gov. Bill Lee charged the districts weren’t putting the needs of students first, while their superintendents said they were prioritizing safety in communities disproportionately affected by the deadly coronavirus.

Now the question is how Lee’s administration and the GOP-controlled legislature will respond to the grim results from Tennessee’s two largest school systems, which are located in Democratic strongholds.

At an Aug. 2 news conference to discuss state-level test results, the Republican governor highlighted that achievement gaps had “greatly widened,” with a disproportionate negative impact on minority students.

“The lack of in-person learning this year has exasperated (cq) an already bad situation,” Lee said, calling the results “unacceptable.”

Along with this week’s spreadsheet of district results, the state education department released a 312-page online report to give a snapshot of each school system’s performance in third-grade reading, which is considered an indicator of future academic success, and eighth-grade math, which is necessary to understand subsequent courses on algebra and mathematical reasoning.

At the request of leaders of the legislature’s House Education Committee, the report also labeled each district’s primary way of teaching last year.

Shelby County and Metro Nashville stood out as the only districts that taught all students primarily online, although several school systems were identified as providing mostly remote instruction to their older students. About 60% of districts were identified as teaching their students mostly in person, with the remainder providing a mix of both in-person and remote instruction.

During a presentation this week about test scores in Memphis, Shelby County school leaders stood by their decision to teach mostly online last year.

“Recognizing that shuttering schools could impact academic achievement, the risks to public health and safety were too great to be ignored,” officials said in a statement.

Nashville schools Director Adrienne Battle said test results for Tennessee’s second largest district weren’t surprising.

“We knew economically disadvantaged students were hit hardest by the pandemic and saw the greatest declines,” she said. “And urban school districts like Metro Nashville [and] Shelby tend to have the highest proportion of economically disadvantaged students in the state.”

Almost a third of Tennessee’s 1 million students are from low-income families, which comprise about 56% of the student population in Shelby County Schools and 38% in Metro Nashville.

State officials say test scores have confirmed the pandemic has been hardest academically on historically underserved students.

Those demographics apply to the state’s Achievement School District, which is trying to turn around 25 low-performing schools in Memphis and two in Nashville. Three out of every five ASD students are considered economically disadvantaged, while 98% are people of color.

The ASD provided both in-person and remote instruction last year and also saw its scores drop precipitously.

The 2021 results provide the most detailed look so far at how the pandemic has slowed student learning since the first COVID cases reached Tennessee in March of 2020. Standardized testing was canceled nationwide last year, including the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also known as TCAP.

Tennessee’s school-level results will be released later, while families can use the state’s TCAP Family Portal to access student test scores.

School, district, and state results are scheduled to be published in a more user-friendly format this fall through Tennessee’s online report card.

Tennessee House speaker threatens districts that close school buildings or require masks with vouchers

2021-08-03T00:45:59+00:00

A top Tennessee legislative leader warned local school officials Monday not to issue mask mandates, shutter school buildings in favor of remote learning, or segregate classrooms based on who has and hasn’t been vaccinated.

Any such action for the 2021-22 school year may result, he said, in a special legislative session where lawmakers could vote to let parents move taxpayer money from public to private schools.

The stern warnings from House Speaker Cameron Sexton came as Tennessee released disappointing but expected state-level results of the first pandemic test scores from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Testing Program, or TCAP.

The data showed a 5% decline in proficiency since 2019, the last time students took the standardized tests. A related presentation by the state education department said students who learned in person were more likely to score as proficient than those learning remotely.

“I sure hope that a school system in this state, after this data is released, does not shut their schools,” said Sexton, a Republican from Crossville.

“If they do, I’m going to ask the governor for legislation to allow those parents in those school districts to take their money through school choice and to go wherever they deem they need to go,” he continued. “There needs to be a message to these school systems that it’s unacceptable to close schools or systems in our state any more.”

State education leaders had promised to release TCAP data with “forward-looking” strategies for catching students up. But a news conference at the state Capitol instead turned into a GOP critique of school districts in Memphis and Nashville that spent most of last school year teaching their students remotely, with Sexton and Gov. Bill Lee delivering frequent jabs. They also criticized COVID mitigation strategies that don’t have anything to do with test scores.

“Student achievement gaps have always existed, but the lack of in-person learning this year has exasperated (cq) an already bad situation,” Lee said, noting that the gap in test scores between white students and students of color has widened. “It’s clear that minority students have been negatively impacted disproportionately.”

Last year, in the pitched debate over school reopening, the governor and GOP legislative leaders repeatedly chided leaders of the state’s two largest school districts for sticking with remote learning, even as rates of COVID infection were higher in those communities. At one point, lawmakers threatened to strip funding from their students if the districts didn’t reopen their classrooms, which they did by March.

The governor and Sexton also used the news conference to deliver pointed messages about mask mandates to Shelby County Schools, the only Tennessee district requiring face coverings for the upcoming school year, and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, whose board is scheduled to convene Thursday to review its earlier decision to make masks optional.

Lee said “personal decisions like masks” should be left up to parents, a departure from his statement last month that mask mandates in schools were local district decisions. State leaders in the departments of health and education also have told district leaders to make their own masking decisions based on federal guidance and discussions with local health officials.

“It would be helpful for districts to know if that guidance has changed,” said Sean Braisted, a spokesman for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, on Monday.

Now, as COVID’s fast-spreading delta variant is causing cases to surge again, some school systems elsewhere in the nation have reinstated mask mandates based on recent guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Both organizations say all students and school staff should wear masks, regardless of whether they are vaccinated.

But Lee said Monday that parents know best whether to send their students to school with face coverings.

“I’m listening to parents because parents have the best decision-making process for their children of anyone. The parents should consult with their medical professionals to make those decisions,” he said.

Sexton was even more passionate about keeping masks optional. For districts that issue mandates, he threatened to pursue a school voucher law to let parents pull their kids and funding out of public schools. Sexton previously has voted against all voucher proposals.

“We can listen to health care people … but at the end of the day, we’re elected and we make the decisions that we feel is best based on the information we have,” Sexton said.

He said the mortality rate for unvaccinated children under 11 is low, even as hospitals in the South are reporting admitting record numbers of children with the delta strain.

The speaker also warned that districts should not consider segregating students and staff based on whether they’ve been vaccinated, although Chalkbeat has found no reports that idea is under discussion in Tennessee.

Districts plan to use numerous mitigation strategies to prioritize student safety as the pandemic grinds on. In addition to its masking order, Shelby County Schools will provide voluntary nasal swab testing for COVID to all students and staff when the new school year begins next week.

John Barker, deputy superintendent for strategic operations and finance, called nasal swabs the “gold standard for testing” and said testing will be done at schools through a partnership with Poplar Healthcare. Any testing of minors will require parental consent.

The Memphis district also is using federal funding and grants to staff schools with healthcare workers in hopes of having a nurse in every school.

“We’re looking to employ healthcare professionals — nurses, LPNs, RNs — to be in schools to not only help facilitate with this effort but also to help with the social-emotional needs of students as they return,” Barker said.

Cathryn Stout contributed to this report.

Tennessee’s decline in pandemic TCAP scores shows a dramatic reversal of previous gains

2021-08-02T23:04:19+00:00

Tennessee’s first pandemic test scores declined across all subjects and grades, with the sharpest drops among students who have trailed their peers historically and learned remotely the longest.

State-level results released Monday showed a decrease in proficiency of 5 percentage points since 2019, the last time that public school students in grades 3-11 took standardized tests under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also known as TCAP.

The dramatic slide for 2020-21 was expected due to COVID and follows national trends after one of the most disrupted periods of schooling in American history. The results will set Tennessee’s new baselines for improvement going forward.

In 2019 — the last time standardized testing occurred — Tennessee students improved in nearly every math subject, older students showed gains in English, and more than half the schools improved in most subjects. Testing was canceled nationwide in 2020.

Consistent with national data, 2021 math scores took a major hit. Only 1 in 4 students met grade-level expectations, compared with more than 1 in 3 before the pandemic began.

Science scores also suffered a double-digit drop, but that’s likely because Tennessee overhauled its science test based on updated academic standards for that subject.

And while every student group saw scores go down, the steepest declines tended to come from students who are of color, from low-income families, or learning to speak English.

Gov. Bill Lee’s administration presented the sobering data at a news conference at the state Capitol.

“It will require all of us working together to address this on behalf of our students,” the governor said.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said the process could take years and will require strategic investments at both the state and local levels.

With more than $4 billion in federal relief funds to work with, the governor has urged district leaders to spend more than the required 20% of their portions directly toward learning programs.

School systems already have completed their first year of required summer learning camps targeting students who are furthest behind. After-school tutoring is planned for this fall. The state also is revamping early literacy instruction to focus more on phonics and is providing high school students with more access to advanced courses and non-academic support.

Even amid the pandemic, Tennessee got 95% of its students — many more than expected — to take the spring tests. But on Monday, the state education department reported that students who are Black, have disabilities, and live in cities were most likely to be underrepresented in the data.

While Tennessee achieved a 95% participation rate in spring tests, this graphic gives a snapshot of participation in smaller groups.

Under a law passed during a special legislative session in January, the 2021 scores won’t be used this year to evaluate teachers, rate schools, or determine state interventions in low-performing schools. That means the data will only be used to develop improvement plans.

Math scores declined 12 percentage points since 2019. Only 1 in 10 students from low-income families met grade-level expectations.

The performance for middle school math was especially troubling. The state reported that fewer students demonstrated a readiness for Algebra I, a beginning course for higher-level math in high school.

Proficiency in English language arts dropped by 6 percentage points. Only three out of every 10 students — and one out of every seven who are economically disadvantaged — met grade-level expectations.

State officials said they are especially concerned about the reading performance of Tennessee second-graders. They’re not required to test, but more than half took an optional assessment that showed the share of students who hit the state’s proficiency bar fell by 11 points. The data suggests that more students in the non-tested grades of kindergarten and first grade also likely fell behind.

Tennessee students took updated assessments in science and social studies this year based on revised standards to identify what students are expected to know at each grade level. Even in a normal year, scores tend to drop after introducing new tests.

Students struggled with science, where overall proficiency dropped 19 percentage points from the previous test, but fared better in social studies, where the share of students considered proficient fell by only 3 points — the smallest decline of any subject. And high school performance in social studies actually increased slightly.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn discusses Tennessee’s first standardized test scores since the pandemic began during a news conference on Aug. 2, 2021.

“I’m not sure I can explain [the stronger performance] in social studies,” Schwinn told Chalkbeat. “But with science, students really have to have command over math and reading standards to be able to access that content because it’s an application-based series of courses. So when you see declines in math and [English language arts], that’s going to create an exponentially larger decrease in science.”

On Aug. 11, the department plans to release district-level data, which is expected to vary more widely than usual among Tennessee’s 147 school systems since their modes of instruction varied.

Tennessee’s two largest districts, which stayed remote the longest and serve the state’s most diverse populations, are preparing their messaging for parents in Memphis and Nashville.

“Certainly we have some significant challenges, and we knew that,” Shelby County Schools spokeswoman Jerica Phillips said when asked last week about the district’s performance.

Memphis school officials are using federal stimulus money and local allocations to hire more tutors. They’ve also committed to hiring more teachers and assistants to achieve a 1:13 teacher-student ratio in kindergarten, first-, and second-grade classrooms.

In Nashville, leaders are channeling more federal funding to schools that serve more students from low-income families or who are learning to speak English. That will translate into higher-dose tutoring, more personalized learning time focused on literacy and math, and additional training and support for educators.

“The district also held its largest ever summer learning program, Promising Scholars, this June to accelerate academic growth as we head into the new school year and will continue providing this extended learning program in the coming years,” said Adrienne Battle, director of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

Learn more about the state’s scores here.

Tennessee’s first pandemic test scores will be released soon. Here’s what you should know.

2021-07-28T22:59:09+00:00

Tennessee officials got to deliver a bit of good news this week: More students than expected took state tests for 2020-21, despite the pandemic. The harder news comes next week when the state releases its first standardized test scores since the COVID crisis began.

The Department of Education plans to drop statewide data on Monday.

The scores will offer a gut check on how much Tennessee students know — and don’t know — after one of the most disruptive school years in modern American history. Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn has hinted that Tennessee’s test results are sobering.

While the data won’t be used to evaluate teachers or spur state interventions in low-performing schools, education leaders say it could be the most important information ever generated under the 40-year-old Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, better known as TCAP. Since last year’s standardized tests were canceled nationwide due to the emerging virus, the scores will offer the first deep look in two years into student learning across Tennessee.

“This will finally give us a baseline understanding of where we stand going into a new school year, and that’s going to be important to our recovery and acceleration efforts,” said Sara Morrison, executive director of the Tennessee State Board of Education.

Expect scores to tumble.

Test results released earlier in Texas and Indiana offered a discouraging glimpse of the pandemic’s toll on learning. Both states saw substantial declines, especially in math, where there’s growing concern that online instruction may not translate as well as with other subjects. Drops were steeper in districts that provided most of their instruction online instead of in person. And students of color and those living in poverty were hit especially hard.

Tennessee is likely to see similar patterns.

“We expect, just like we’ve seen in the national data that has been released so far, that the COVID-19 pandemic is going to have a negative [impact] on what we might normally see in terms of outcomes,” Schwinn said Monday while touring a summer learning program in Memphis.

A bright spot: A lot of students showed up for testing this year.

As more contagious coronavirus variants emerged, concern grew that students, especially those learning remotely, wouldn’t show up at schools or alternative testing sites to take Tennessee’s spring assessment on paper.

But on Tuesday, the state reported that 95% of Tennessee’s testing population in grades 3-11 took their tests, reaching the nation’s standard participation threshold. And all 147 districts met or exceeded the 80% minimum participation rate set by the legislature to be held harmless for any disappointing results.

In total, nearly 750,000 Tennessee public school students were tested.

Participation matters. The more students who test, the more complete and actionable the data is. That makes it easier to compare results across years and less risky to make strategic investments and policy decisions accordingly.

But test results won’t tell ‘the whole story,’ say some education leaders.

They don’t want Tennesseans to put an inordinate focus on state test scores, especially during a public health crisis.

“Assessment is just a snapshot from one day in a student’s journey. It’s not going to tell the whole story,” said Beth Brown, president of the Tennessee Education Association, the state’s largest teacher organization.

Brown says teacher grade books provide a fuller picture of student achievement based on grades for everything from traditional tests to classroom discussions to project-based learning.

Dale Lynch, who leads the state superintendents organization, said Tennessee should look beyond test scores and celebrate the perseverance and resilience of students and teachers during a year when they were figuring out how to learn and teach virtually. Keeping school communities healthy and safe was an even bigger priority, he said.

“We’re going to have a whole lot of Monday morning quarterbacks when it comes to how we handled COVID. To forget how far we’ve come would be a travesty,” Lynch said.

It’s also important to remember that schools do more than teach students about reading, writing, and arithmetic, said Lauren Baker, a board member for the Tennessee School Counselors Association.

“Whatever the scores look like on paper, my hope is that we will pause to reflect on what our schools overcame last year,” Baker said. “What the scores won’t show us, unfortunately, is how our students are coping with our rapidly changing society.”

This year’s test data will help chart learning recovery efforts going forward.

Gov. Bill Lee’s administration already is investing heavily in early literacy, summer learning programs, and after-school tutoring as Tennessee tries to maximize over $4 billion in federal COVID relief funds flowing into its public schools. Schwinn is incentivizing local districts to follow suit and spend more than the federally required 20% of their shares of stimulus dollars toward learning recovery and acceleration.

A Tennessee teacher works with students at a summer learning camp at Rutland Elementary School in Mt. Juliet, east of Nashville, on June 30, 2021.

But the pandemic is expected to undo years of hard-fought achievement gains on national tests, which will require long-term, research-based strategies to recoup any losses and accelerate learning.

“The results are going to give us a clearer idea of which students have had their learning disrupted the most as a result of the pandemic — and then to make sure there’s a plan to help get them on track,” said Teresa Wasson, a spokeswoman for the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, a Tennessee research and advocacy group.

Early concerns that the pandemic would worsen pre-pandemic test score gaps along racial and economic lines appear to be bearing out.

According to two national studies released this week, students of color and those from low-income families have been hit the hardest. One analysis by the consulting firm McKinsey found that first through sixth-graders who are white fell behind an average of four months in math, compared to six months for Black and Latino students.

Tennessee will be looking closely at the performance of those same student groups and students who have disabilities or those learning to speak English as a new language.

“When we look at scores in the average, you can make quick assumptions about how all students are doing, and that’s why it’s really important to see how we did across our student groups so we can focus our resources there,” said Gini Pupo-Walker, director of The Education Trust in Tennessee.

Recovery must be a focus of parents, too.

Eventually, after the release of district- and school-level scores, individual student reports will be sent electronically and on paper to parents to help them understand how their children are progressing compared to peers across their district and state.

“When parents get their family reports, we recommend they take a copy to their next teacher conference and talk about what the report says, what it means, and how they can work together to help their student in the year ahead,” Wasson said.

You can learn more about Tennessee’s testing program here.

Tennessee will transition back to online standardized testing, beginning with high school students

2021-07-27T15:24:53+00:00

Six years after a massive technical failure ruined Tennessee’s online testing debut, the state aims to get computer-based assessments back on track with a new testing company after a three-year hiatus.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn recently decided to return gradually to online testing in the 2021-22 school year instead of pursuing an aggressive switch to include more grades, said spokesman Brian Blackley.

While high schoolers will take their standardized end-of-course exams online for the first time since 2019, students in grades three to eight will stick with paper — for now — on annual spring assessments for math, English language arts, science, and social studies.

Blackley said the goal is to ensure a smooth transition under Pearson, the state’s third testing company in five years, especially because school districts have purchased millions of dollars in new technology for remote learning during the pandemic.

“[Those systems] will continue to be tested and evaluated over the next year,” he said, “to ensure any future potential move to computer-based testing will be a smooth and seamless experience for every student and educator.”

Blackley said Schwinn based her decision on feedback from district superintendents, testing coordinators, technology directors, and state legislators.

Dale Lynch, who heads the state’s superintendents organization, said district leaders surveyed in May overwhelmingly supported pivoting high schoolers back online. About half of superintendents wanted middle schoolers tested electronically too, he said.

Paper-based testing is more expensive, requires more logistical coordination at schools, and takes the testing company longer to score.

“We certainly would like to have more grades move online, possibly even down to fifth grade, when it’s proven that the state can have a successful testing cycle online,” Lynch said.

“If you’ve ever watched all those trucks roll in with paper testing materials, you know it’s a very involved process,” he added. “There’s a lot of boxes to unpack and security issues to deal with.”

But Tennessee is all too aware that online testing has its challenges, too.

The state’s messy transition to computer-based testing began in 2016 while introducing a new assessment known as TNReady to align with new academic standards. That year, then-Education Commissioner Candice McQueen fired Measurement Inc. after its online platform failed on the first day of testing. The company’s successor, Questar, was sidelined three years later after days of technical glitches undermined public trust in the reliability of 2018 test results.

Hired in 2019, Pearson has a longer online track record than either of the first two vendors for TNReady, which is part of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP. But under the terms of a two-year, $40 million contract, Schwinn ordered that Pearson conduct its first testing year completely on paper to give the company sufficient time to ramp up its operations in Tennessee.

The testing giant had expected to resume the state’s computer-based assessment program during the most recent school year. However, the pandemic delayed the transition when testing was canceled nationwide in the spring of 2020.

Now that districts have bought tens of thousands of new devices with federal relief funds, state officials wants to make sure they have adequate bandwidth and infrastructure to test high school students before expanding to more of Tennessee’s million public school students.

Officials with the state’s two largest districts, in Memphis and Nashville, say they’re on pace to relaunch online testing this year.

“We are prepared to assess our high school students online, along with any other grade levels, so long as the Tennessee Department of Education provides appropriate, well-tested processes and allows our district adequate time to prepare,” said Jerica Phillips, communications chief for Shelby County Schools.

Her counterpart in Nashville, Sean Braisted, said Metro Nashville Public Schools has successfully administered its own assessments across all grades in recent years.

“We feel confident that if the systems function at the state level our schools will be able to successfully implement online testing for our students,” Braisted said.

Memphis school leaders try novel ways to lure students on campus for upcoming TNReady test

2021-04-30T14:25:00+00:00

Raffles. Parties. Extra credit. And an opportunity to shave a principal’s head.

These are some of the incentives that leaders in Shelby County Schools are promising students – especially virtual learners – who come to class in person next week for the state’s standardized tests.

The annual state assessment, previously known as TNReady but now called TCAP, starts Monday in Memphis schools, and per state orders, 80% of students in a district must take the test in person. The state said that there will be repercussions for districts that don’t meet the threshold.

The testing turnout — and results — for Tennessee’s largest district are being closely watched across the state because, in March, Shelby County Schools became the last district to reopen school buildings. Results for students may serve as a referendum of sorts for Superintendent Joris Ray’s decision to delay in-person learning.

Shelby County Schools has 111,000 students, and the majority have opted for virtual learning this year. So how do you get more than 60,000 students back on campus for multiple days of testing?

Grandview Heights Middle School Principal Deartis Barber hopes to get students into the classroom by putting his hair on the line.

“If I can get all of my students to come in and test on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday,” said Barber, “then there will be a sixth grader, seventh grader, and eighth grader…that will shave my head.”

Barber said that a student in each grade who has completed the test and the most online math tutoring will get the honor of holding the “grand clippers.” The Memphis native got the idea from watching wrestling when an opponent cut the loser’s hair. He wants at least 90% of his students to participate, and he wants to give his students a fun experience in a challenging year.

“I wanted to do something that would be novel, that would be new, that would get their attention,” he said. “They really got excited when I went around to the homerooms to make the announcement.”

During testing season, students in grades two through eight take comprehensive exams and high school students take subject-area exams. Unlike families in other states, Tennessee students and parents don’t have the choice to opt out of the state test. District officials said that it is “still unclear” what will happen if they don’t hit the 80% benchmark for the test, but state and district officials have said that test scores and participation rates will not factor into teacher and principal evaluations this year.

“Everyone’s trying right now,” said Rodney Rowan, an assistant superintendent, “We see their efforts.”

To help ease parents’ angst about returning their children to campus, school leaders have held open houses to allow parents of virtual learners to see the COVID-19 protocols in place at their children’s schools. They also sent out a survey asking parents if their children needed transportation on testing days. Only about 10,000 families completed the survey.

CDC social distancing guidelines mean only about 14 students are allowed in a typical Memphis classroom. As a result, district officials will convert cafeterias, auditoriums, gyms, and offices into testing centers. They also are staggering the testing days for different grades and condensing the testing window into three days per grade.

Typically, the test would stretch out at least a week with students taking different sections each morning. This year, students will take some sections in the morning and other sections in the afternoon. Students who complete all three days of testing will earn class participation credit.

“It will kind of serve somewhat as extra credit for those students, but there’s no penalty for the other students,” said Bill White, executive director of planning and accountability. “There’s no zeros for the ones who don’t come. It’s a positive incentive only.”

‘Third grade is too late’: Memphis to forge ahead with second grade reading retention policy this fall

2021-03-10T21:58:41+00:00

Shelby County Schools officials are moving forward with a plan to hold back for a year second grade students who are behind in reading. The district will put the policy in place just before a new state law mandates retention of third graders lagging in reading.

The school board approved the policy in 2019 to begin this fall and set the stage by tracking students’ reading skills throughout the school year and improving reading instruction. Still, district officials had considered postponing the plan because of the pandemic.

But Antonio Burt, the district’s chief academic officer, said Tuesday that waiting would hurt the district’s reading scores and current students’ chances of catching up.

Those reading scores especially matter now, because in January Tennessee legislators passed a law requiring districts to retain third graders who are not proficient in reading and potentially affecting tens of thousands of students. That law goes into effect in the 2022-23 academic year.

The law exempts students previously held back a grade. That means that students who are retained in second grade under Shelby County Schools’ policy cannot be held back again in third grade under the state law.

Antonio Burt, the district’s chief academic officer, at a community meeting in 2019 to discuss the second grade retention policy.

The state begins testing students in third grade. Only about a quarter of Memphis students meet state requirements. The district’s reading scores also lag when compared with those of other urban school systems.

Educators consider third grade a critical year. Students who aren’t proficient by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, research says.

The Memphis district is trying to boost struggling students before they reach that year.

“We feel that third grade is too late,” Burt told school board members at a committee meeting Tuesday. “If they don’t pass [the state’s TNReady test], they’ll be retained, but it will also count against the district composite average as well. So it’s a double whammy.”

Though the district and the state agree that holding back students can help boost their reading skills, each assesses student proficiency in different ways. Shelby County Schools’ policy relies on four ways of measuring a student’s progress throughout the year before deciding whether to retain them. The state law relies only on the annual standardized exam TNReady.

District leaders across Tennessee have expressed alarm at the state’s stricter method because it could mean two-thirds of students would have to repeat third grade. About 41% of students statewide fall just below the state’s threshold and could be retained.

School boards in Memphis and the surrounding suburbs recently signed a joint statement saying the state’s standard is unfairly high for students and could potentially hold back students who are actually reading on grade level. Instead of relying on one test, the statement suggests the state should consider other ways for students to show their reading skills.

The Memphis policy creates 12 points for second graders to earn throughout the year: four from quarterly report card grades in English class, six from two district reading tests during the school year, and two from the state’s optional annual exam for second graders. Students earning at least eight points will be promoted to third grade. If not, they’ll be required to attend summer school to try to boost scores to avoid repeating second grade.

Burt said the district is planning several community meetings about the state law and the district’s policy in the coming weeks.

‘Let’s test.’ Tennessee pushes ahead with in-person testing, remote learners included, during pandemic

2021-02-17T23:08:36+00:00

While at least six states are seeking to cancel student testing this spring as the pandemic grinds on, Tennessee isn’t wavering in its plan to give tests in person to most of its nearly 1 million students.

“Let’s test and see where we are,” said House Education Committee Chairman Mark White, calling the results crucial to understanding how much students know after a year of learning disruptions. “I think it will help us in the long run.”

His enthusiasm is shared by Gov. Bill Lee and most Tennessee policymakers who are trying to figure out how to target support for students who have fallen behind.

But it runs counter to thinking in states like Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, where leaders have said they intend to ask the federal government to waive testing requirements for a second straight year.

Whether and how to test this spring are the latest pandemic questions being debated and brainstormed in every state. While testing could start as soon as March in some places, the spread of more contagious coronavirus variants, some possibly resistant to vaccines, might cause more school buildings to shutter and disrupt testing again.

The Biden administration is accepting state requests for testing waivers, but has not indicated whether it will approve them or issue a blanket waiver as former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos did last spring. Miguel Cardona, the president’s nominee to succeed DeVos, has said testing could be useful this year — but that schools should not test students on campuses that are closed for safety reasons.

Those wanting to cancel tests say they can’t create an ideal testing environment when some students are learning in person, some remotely, and some both. Officials also worry about the stress that weeks of annual assessments would add to an already difficult school year.

But in Tennessee, state officials believe testing can be done safely and well with careful planning. Last summer, they brushed aside early calls for cancellation from the state’s largest teacher organization, which questions the validity of assessment results even in normal years. And as for more recent concerns raised by several school boards about whether remote students should have to participate, they say adequate safety protocols are in place.

Since early fall, state and local school leaders have mapped out the logistics for giving assessments to more than 726,000 public school students between April 12 and June 10.

The Tennessee Department of Education widened its testing window by several weeks to provide more flexibility because of varying school calendars and the potential for illness and quarantines to disrupt testing for some students.

“The health of our students, families, and educators is paramount,” said department spokeswoman Victoria Robinson, detailing meetings, training, guidance, and adjustments aimed at following health protocols and policies.

Why test in person?

With approximately a fifth of its students learning remotely, Tennessee has practical reasons for requiring all students to test in person.

First, it’s a more secure environment, with test administrators and proctors on site to make sure students are doing the work themselves. Second, it alleviates concerns about internet bandwidth at home that could put some students at a disadvantage if tests were given online.

Perhaps most important, though, is Tennessee’s plan to administer paper-and-pencil tests for one year before transitioning to online exams under its 2019 contract with testing company Pearson. The state planned to use the paper tests last spring before assessments were canceled nationwide because of the emerging virus. Since then, Pearson has stored about 75 tons of testing materials, for which the state already has paid $11 million, in its warehouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Tennessee’s paper assessment materials, printed by testing company Pearson, were supposed to be used in the spring of 2020 before student tests were canceled nationwide due to the pandemic. The materials have since been in storage.

To keep students socially distanced during testing, the state has encouraged staggering schedules or securing additional testing locations like libraries, churches, or community centers. Most districts that offer remote learning plan to test those students separately from classmates learning in person.

In rural Dickson County, just west of Nashville, testing coordinator Ray LeComte is looking to use large meeting rooms in churches to test students who are learning virtually. Meanwhile, in-person students will test in school classrooms already set up for social distancing.

“It’s going to be an adventure, but we’ll get it done,” LeComte said of his 8,000-student district.

Rutherford County Schools, the state’s fourth-largest school system with more than 47,500 students, expects to bring in distance learners to school buildings on days when other students aren’t there. The district already tested some of its high school students on nontraditional schedules in November and “it went very well,” said testing coordinator Kevin Whittington.

“The No. 1 thing is you have to communicate with students, parents, and stakeholders that we’re offering a very safe testing environment,” Whittington said.

Getting families on board

State testing in the fall went smoothly for about 50,000 high school students, Assistant Commissioner Casey Haugner Wrenn said last month in a report to the State Board of Education. The bigger test happens this spring when hundreds of thousands students are to take their TNReady assessments in grades 3-8 and end-of-course exams for high schoolers.

Whether remote students will show up to test in person is a concern.

State lawmakers recently approved a one-year policy with incentives for districts to encourage student participation. In addition to allowing test results to be excluded from teacher evaluations, it lets districts exclude the scores from their state ratings, as long as at least 80% of their students take the tests. In a normal year, the federal government requires 95% participation, and Tennessee is seeking a federal waiver for the lower threshold.

“I think everybody across the country is expecting a lower participation rate this year,” said Scott Marion, executive director of the Center for Assessment, which advises about 40 states on testing matters.

But Marion said, “there’s nothing magical about 95% participation, or even 80% participation” when it comes to data.

“There are political polls that are based on calls to a thousand representative households across the country,” he said, and the same representative analysis can be applied to test results.

Others say the more student results, the better, especially in a state like Tennessee that for 15 years has used data to inform its education improvement work.

“Data-driven decisions are the right thing to do for students, and the way we do that is by having assessment data on how students are doing,” said David Mansouri, president and CEO of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, a Tennessee research and advocacy organization.

“I think 80% is an indicator meant to say we care about knowing how students are doing,” he said, “and we want to make sure there’s a good-faith effort to administer the test this year.”

Tennessee strengthens third-grade retention requirements as legislature takes up flurry of education bills in special session

2021-01-22T01:40:29+00:00

Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday approved new requirements that increase the likelihood of schools holding back more students who aren’t considered proficient in reading by the end of third grade.

They also authorized new summer school and after-school tutoring programs to help students catch up and struggling third graders to avoid being retained. And they voted to hold teachers, schools, and districts harmless from the results of state tests scheduled for this spring.

The legislature passed a barrage of legislation during the third day of a special session called by Gov. Bill Lee to address learning disruptions for students during the coronavirus pandemic, plus longstanding challenges with teacher pay and literacy.

House leaders expect to wrap up the session on Friday and approve a 2% funding boost toward teacher salaries this year from Jan. 1 to June 30. The Senate passed the measure on Thursday. A spokeswoman for the governor said Lee plans to propose a 4% total increase toward salaries beginning on July 1 for teachers and other certified educators.

The legislature also voted to require school systems to adopt phonics-based reading instruction and revise what aspiring teachers must learn in their college training programs about how to teach reading.

Lee’s administration crafted the remediation and retention legislation. Once the governor signs the bill into law, summer and tutoring programs will launch this year through local school systems, while the new requirements for third-grade retention will kick in beginning with the 2022-23 academic year.

Lawmakers approved the learning programs in spite of last-minute questions about the adequacy of the state’s plan to pay for them with a combination of state and federal funds, plus matches from local districts.

“It’s not going to be enough,” said Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro, a Nashville Democrat, who said the state is “doing this on the cheap.”

“This is an unfunded mandate and a gigantic one,” Yarbro said. “We are extending a six-week period for every district in the state for a lot of students and we are not sending anywhere near the resources to pay for it.”

But Sen. Bo Watson, a Hixson Republican who chairs his chamber’s finance committee, said he was satisfied after the state’s chief fiscal officer testified the funding from one source — unclaimed lottery prizes — should be sufficient for the first two years. After that, the summer school program is to be scaled down.

The third-grade retention plan was the most controversial part of the legislation and would determine reading proficiency based on the results of a single test, the state’s annual TNReady assessment for English language arts.

Democrats questioned the wisdom of making TNReady such a high-stakes test for its youngest test-takers, potentially keeping third graders from being promoted.

Struggling readers wouldn’t be held back automatically, though. Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said third graders who don’t score high enough will be given a chance to take the test again or improve by enrolling in the new learning programs.

Lawmakers tacked on one provision to create a process for families who want to appeal their retention through the state education department.

Will holding back struggling third-grade readers improve literacy? Tennessee’s governor thinks so, but others aren’t sure.

2021-01-20T04:30:09+00:00

Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal to take a more aggressive stance holding back Tennessee third-graders who are struggling to read is drawing criticism from educators and parents who question his logic and timing.

As part of a plan to help stem pandemic-caused learning loss, Lee wants to strengthen a 2011 state law that has been largely unenforced, with few students actually being retained.

Beginning with the 2022-23 academic year, the governor wants to require schools to hold back third-graders who don’t meet a certain threshold on state standardized tests. Those students will be given a chance to take the test again or improve through new summer school or after-school tutoring programs slated to launch this year, but will be retained if they do not.

“When we stop the cycle of passing without preparation,” Lee told lawmakers Tuesday, “we give kids a better chance at succeeding in middle school and beyond.”

His plan, discussed briefly before a joint session of the General Assembly, has emerged as one of the most controversial among a slate of legislation lawmakers are considering this week during a special session on education. The legislature is looking at ways to get students back up to speed during the coronavirus pandemic and address longstanding concerns about student literacy and teacher pay.

Third grade is considered a critical year for reading because literacy is foundational to all subsequent learning. Research says students who aren’t proficient by that point are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Other research ties poor reading skills to higher rates of depression, teenage pregnancy, and pre-teen alcohol use.

But critics are concerned about the high bar for proficiency that the governor wants to set. Currently, only a third of the state’s third-graders could meet that threshold based on the results of the state’s most recent tests.

And that proficiency level would be determined by the results of a single test — the state’s annual spring assessment for English language arts which Tennessee has mostly struggled to administer cleanly since 2016 because of computer and logistical problems.

“We have a lot better readers in Tennessee than the state’s data suggests,” said Mike Winstead, superintendent of schools in Maryville and a member of the legislative committee for Tennessee’s superintendents organization.

He believes threatening young readers with remediation and retention if they fall just below the proposed threshold for proficiency is “misguided” and could end up demoralizing students.

Based on 2019 test results, about a fifth of Tennessee third-graders fall in the state’s bottom reading level, which Winstead views as needing remediation or potential retention. He’s most concerned about the 41% who are categorized as “approaching” grade level and also targeted by legislation that Lee has backed.

“A lot of those students just miss hitting the proficient mark by one or two questions and are labeled as significantly deficient in this bill,” Winstead said.

He thinks it would be smarter for the state to focus on students who score in the state’s bottom group — an approach echoed by many educators, said Dale Lynch, executive director of the Tennessee superintendents group.

“A lot of our teachers believe you can be proficient but still be categorized as approaching grade level,” Lynch said.

Some critics are questioning the governor’s timing. His retention proposal likely would eliminate many struggling third-graders from taking national reading tests scheduled for fourth-graders in 2024 as part of the National Assessment of Education Performance, also known as NAEP.

“If you keep kids in third grade so they don’t take the fourth-grade test, your NAEP scores look better and you have a Mississippi miracle,” Winstead said, referring to that state’s dramatic rise on the 2019 national test. “There’s a lot of ways to raise your test scores, and one way is to make sure that kids who can’t pass it don’t take it.”

State officials deny that’s their motivation. The goal, they say, is to help districts help their students who are most in need of improvement.

“This bill would provide significant and fully funded supports and pathways that have never been provided before, … with retention being the last of those pathways,” said a spokeswoman for the education department.

Others concerned about high-stakes testing question the bill’s dependence on a once-a-year test to gauge student proficiency. Tennessee plans to administer those tests in person this spring, even as the pandemic continues to disrupt schools.

Stephanie Love, a school board member in Memphis, said Tennessee’s embattled TNReady assessment has been unreliable during a normal year, much less during a public health crisis.

“I agree there should be some type of accountability measure,” she said, “but it has to be something we can trust.”

Nashville parent Sonya Thomas has other concerns about shifting to a punitive structure too soon. The state plans this year to start retraining teachers on phonics-based reading instruction and change how prospective teachers are taught in college to teach reading.

“I think we’ve got to put first things first,” said Thomas, who leads the Nashville Propel parents group. “We’ve got to equip our teachers. We can’t punish our children for something that is not their fault.”

Even before the governor proposed enforcing the state’s 2011 retention law, Memphis school leaders were considering whether to delay a new Shelby County Schools policy to start holding back struggling second-graders.

“The pandemic has changed everything,” Superintendent Joris Ray said earlier this month.

The school board approved the policy in 2019 and based it on students meeting eight of 12 criteria, not just TNReady test results. Ray now says he might wait to see the results of more district-administered reading tests before deciding whether to proceed.

“You’ve got to take that into consideration when you’re implementing anything that’s new and that’s going to possibly have an adverse effect on children,” he said.

Chalkbeat reporter Laura Faith Kebede contributed to this report.

Tennessee governor unveils summer school and tutoring proposals, promises teacher pay hike

2021-01-15T00:25:13+00:00

Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday proposed new summer school and tutoring programs to catch students up from learning disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

He promised a pay hike for teachers, but did not specify an amount.

The governor also wants state testing to happen this spring — but only to determine how much students know after a year of uneven teaching and learning, not to hold teachers and schools accountable for the results. And he is asking for a new statewide emphasis on phonics-based reading instruction.

The details came in the first wave of bills filed in advance of a Jan. 19 special legislative session focusing on K-12 education.

“Educators across the state are working tirelessly to turn the tide for their students and help them regain critical math and reading skills,” Lee said in a statement. “We believe they should be compensated for their efforts and look forward to working with the General Assembly to provide funding for our teachers.”

The governor is expected on Friday to ask lawmakers for more money for teacher pay, likely by about 4%. That increase would match what Lee proposed a year ago but rolled back after the pandemic emerged and the state’s economy sputtered. He’s also expected to propose the same level of funding next year for schools that saw their enrollment decline this year.

The decisions will set the state’s policy agenda for students, educators, and schools for at least the rest of the public health emergency.

The summer school and tutoring proposals aim to help struggling students catch up on learning if they can’t read on grade level or are identified as needing intense academic help based on the state’s screening and intervention system launched in 2014.

“COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of education, and we are on the cusp of severe consequences for our students if we don’t act now,” Lee said.

The six-week summer school program, for kindergarteners through grade eight, would begin by June through local school districts and be staffed by teachers getting paid a minimum of $1,000 per week. A second six-week program is proposed for summer of 2022. And in subsequent years, the program would shift to four weeks for grades four through eight.

“This pandemic has highlighted the importance of continuity and additional supports for students who need it,” said Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, adding that the additional summer learning time would be for full days, and provide transportation, too.

While school systems would have flexibility to run their own programs, they would be required to emphasize reading and math. “And I feel strongly that we need to include play as well, especially for young children in the summer,” Schwinn said.

The after-school tutoring program would launch in the fall, staffed by a corps of trained tutors that could include teachers or college students. Three days a week, tutors would work with students at a ratio of one to five in the elementary grades and one to eight for older students.

“This reflects the best practices we’ve seen,” Schwinn said.

The learning program legislation would strengthen a 2011 Tennessee law that allows schools to retain struggling readers in third grade. Currently, few students are actually held back.

By 2023, Schwinn said, a student who is not reading at grade level by the end of third grade would be retained, retested, or required to participate in the extra learning programs.

“We’ve had this retention law on the books. It would now be strengthened with this proposal,” she said, “and it comes with significant state funding.”

The cost for the new learning programs — estimated at about $90 million annually for the first two years of summer school and an undetermined amount for the tutoring — would be covered through a combination of federal and state funds, plus matches from local districts.

“It’s a big commitment and investment in the future of students, and I think it is one of the things we hope other states do as we all come out of the pandemic,” Schwinn said.

And because reading proficiency is the foundation for all learning and only a third of Tennessee third graders are reading on grade level, the governor wants to require all 147 school districts to adopt high-quality literacy programs that are based on phonics. That proposal aims to work alongside the state’s new Reading 360 initiative, which will invest $100 million of one-time federal funds in phonics-based reading programs, including new reading instruction training for teachers in the early grades.

Summer school and tutoring proposals expected as Tennessee tries to help students catch up

2021-01-13T00:18:47+00:00

Gov. Bill Lee is expected to unveil proposals this week to create or expand summer school options and after-school tutoring programs as Tennessee seeks to catch up students from learning disruptions caused by the pandemic.

House Education Chairman Mark White said Monday the proposals will be among a barrage of legislation on K-12 education filed in the coming days through the governor’s office.

The 112th Tennessee General Assembly convened on Tuesday and is gearing up for a Jan. 19 special session to focus on pandemic-related challenges for students, educators, and schools.

Other likely proposals, White said, would increase pay for educators; maintain next year’s state funding levels for schools that have lost students this year; and require all school districts to adopt high-quality literacy programs that are based on phonics.

The details come as Tennessee is due for another massive infusion of federal stimulus money to support its students and schools. Tennessee expects to get $1.1 billion, with about $990 million going directly to local school districts. That’s four times the $260 million received in the first round of emergency funding.

Addressing learning loss and reopening school buildings safely are among the major priorities behind the emergency money, and the state education department will get its own pot of about $200 million to work with.

White said the legislature eventually may consider proposals that could extend the school year to help students make up for missed learning time. But during the special session, the learning focus will be on summer school and tutoring, he said.

“If we’re going to have more summer school this year, I’ll advocate that it must be done in person,” said the Memphis Republican. He’s frustrated that most Memphis schools have not offered an in-person option this school year, even as Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray says reopening school buildings isn’t safe yet in his community.

“I just don’t see the value of having summer school virtually if we’re trying to catch students up,” said White.

Both summer school and tutoring are considered concrete ideas for helping struggling students get back on track.

Research shows that “seat time” matters for student learning, whether through summer school, extended school days, or turning spring break into a weeklong learning academy.

According to other research, tutoring in small groups can lead to large academic gains, although it’s expensive to provide a low student-to-staff ratio. Last summer in the pandemic’s early days, the family foundation of former Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy, spent $1 million to hire a thousand college students to tutor elementary-age students at Boys & Girls Clubs across Tennessee.

A new state commission advising lawmakers on how to close learning gaps caused by the pandemic is calling for “aggressive” remediation programs that target the state’s most vulnerable students, including those who are of color, learning the English language, have disabilities, or are from low-income families.

The Tennessee Commission on Education Recovery and Innovation, created by the legislature when it became clear that COVID-19 would grind on, recently delivered the first of three reports to assess the effects of the learning loss on the state’s education systems and make recommendations.

“In reality, we don’t know the true effects,” said Tara Scarlett, the commission’s chairwoman and president of the Scarlett Family Foundation, during a recent meeting.

Because state tests were canceled last year when the virus spread rapidly across the U.S., the panel has had to rely on pre-pandemic data, national education trends, and results of a survey sent to Tennessee school superintendents.

Nationally, the nonprofit testing organization NWEA predicted that U.S. students started this school year having lost roughly a third of a year in reading and half a year in math, but newer data suggests that learning loss projections may have been overstated.

Even so, it’s clear that instruction models this school year have varied widely by district, including in Tennessee. Students of color and students from low-income families have been far more likely to be learning fully virtually, while the parents of students attending in-person school say the quality of instruction is better.

In its first report, the new commission said it’s critical for Tennessee to administer state tests this spring so the results can set a new baseline and inform interventions and innovations moving forward. Similar calls have come from the State Board of Education and influential education advocacy groups such as the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or SCORE.

The legislature is expected to agree and require testing, but also to order a one-year pause in accountability policies that tie test scores to teacher evaluations and school ratings.

The nine-member commission recommends the state prioritize programs that shore up learning, including a laser focus on literacy and numeracy for students in kindergarten through the third grade. Other priorities should be student well-being, technology gaps, and preparedness for higher education and career opportunities, the panel said.

Last week, Tennessee’s education chief, Penny Schwinn, announced plans to invest $100 million of one-time federal funds in phonics-based reading programs, including new reading instruction training for teachers in the early grades. Her Reading 360 initiative includes new literacy resources, mentoring, and support for educators and families.

Tennessee governor calls for special legislative session focused on education

2020-12-29T22:20:06+00:00

Gov. Bill Lee called Tuesday for a special legislative session next month to focus on escalating challenges with Tennessee education during the pandemic.

The Republican governor wants the newly elected 112th General Assembly to convene on Jan. 19 to look specifically at education before taking up other business during its regular session.

On the agenda will be questions about state testing accountability next spring as the pandemic continues, as well as funding for teacher pay and schools for the following academic year. Lee also wants lawmakers to approve initiatives to address learning loss and a comprehensive literacy package to improve students’ reading proficiency.

“We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense disruption for Tennessee’s students, educators, and districts, and the challenges they face must be addressed urgently,” Lee said in a statement. “Even before the virus hit, and despite years of improvement, too many of our state’s students were still unable to read on grade level. I’m calling on the legislature to join us in addressing these serious issues so we can equip our hardworking educators and districts with the resources and supports they need to set our students on the path to success.”

Leaders of both chambers of the General Assembly said they support the special session.

“Tennessee has made tremendous improvements in education over the last decade. The virus has begun to put all of that at risk,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally. “It is of paramount importance that we take steps to reverse the learning loss that has taken place and prevent any further erosion of our progress.”

House Speaker Cameron Sexton said a statewide response is necessary to blunt the pandemic’s impact on education.

“Our goal is to make sure students are learning in the classroom, teachers have the resources they need, and our students have additional assistance in their educational journeys to improve their chances of success,” Sexton said.

Details about each issue will be released by Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn “in the near future,” according to a news release from the governor’s office. That includes a plan to launch a literacy program dubbed “Reading 360,” which will leverage a federal grant to support a phonics-based approach to reading instruction in the early grades.

In early 2020, the legislature appeared to be on track to approve a major literacy package. However, the spreading coronavirus and a related economic slowdown sidelined the $36.5 million proposal in June.

The same GOP-controlled legislature maintained funding for K-12 schools for this academic year, but also rolled back a promised pay raise for teachers and rejected Democrats’ calls for emergency education funding.

The leader of the Senate Democratic caucus said Tuesday that any new education investments should address systemic funding issues that go beyond this year’s learning losses.

“The coronavirus did not create inequities in education and it is not the cause of our teacher retention crisis, but it did make these problems worse,” said Sen. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis.

“No matter what zip code you’re in, every child deserves a great, well-funded public school, and our teachers deserve a safe working environment that respects and rewards their contributions,” she said.

Tennessee’s last special session was in August after the governor called legislators back to Nashville for a week. They passed protections to businesses from lawsuits arising from the coronavirus and new penalties for protesters camped on state property to demand racial justice.

Tennessee governor may call special legislative session focused on education during pandemic

2020-12-09T01:45:52+00:00

Gov. Bill Lee is reportedly mulling whether to call a special legislative session on education as he looks to tackle a growing list of challenges facing Tennessee students whose learning has been disrupted by the pandemic for a second straight school year.

The Tennessean reported Tuesday that the Republican governor is considering a special session to prioritize education issues escalated by the coronavirus, based on conversations with “multiple legislative officials.”

A spokesman for the governor would not confirm that report but said education is a priority for Lee.

“The Governor is weighing a number of options to ensure that students and educators have the resources and supports they need to succeed in the most challenging school year in Tennessee’s history,” press secretary Gillum Ferguson said in a statement. “We’ll continue to work with the General Assembly to chart the most appropriate path forward on this critical issue.”

Education is already expected to be front and center of the regular session that’s scheduled to convene on Jan. 12. A special session would likely happen that same month and focus solely on education.

Among decisions awaiting lawmakers: a literacy proposal left over from the last session, ways to address learning loss, funding schools as enrollment declines, how to handle state assessments scheduled for next spring, and whether those test results should be used to hold students, teachers, and schools accountable.

“Ultimately, it’s the governor’s call,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton told Chalkbeat. “If Gov. Lee decides to call a special session, he has that authority, and we will work with him.”

Lee has ordered a special session before. In August, lawmakers convened for a week to pass protections to businesses from lawsuits arising from the coronavirus and new penalties for protesters camped on state property to demand racial justice.

Asked if the governor has spoken with him about convening another special session, Sexton said: “There’s always conversations going on. Whether they pan out is a whole different discussion.”

As leader of the House, the Crossville Republican said any conversations about education in the legislature need to include ways to incentivize districts to reopen their classrooms. He cited recent statements by Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that schools and classrooms should be open during the pandemic.

“So my expectation is that Tennessee classrooms should be open,” Sexton said, “and there needs to be a discussion about how to hold them harmless for enrollment declines to receive the same level of state funding for schools.”

Cameron Sexton is the speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

The speaker singled out the state’s largest school system in Memphis, which announced last month that school employees will receive a 1% salary increase with money saved by shifting to online classes.

“Shelby County Schools decided to take the money they saved by not opening classrooms and used it to give their teachers pay raises. That’s fine to do. But if school systems aren’t opening classrooms and they’re not spending all their money, should they be held harmless when we set BEP funding for next year?” he said.

Superintendent Joris Ray has kept school buildings closed to Memphis students this fall despite pressure from the state to reopen after COVID-19 cases surged in July. He has said his plan to reopen classrooms in January could be delayed if community spread worsens.

On Monday, the district released the results of a survey of parents and teachers showing less than a third of students are expected to return to in-person learning with the new year. Of teachers, 83% have chosen to continue teaching virtually.

“Shelby County Schools remains committed to flexibility as we base our reopening decisions on feedback from our school board, science, and guidance from health officials,” the district said in a statement.

All other school districts in Tennessee have at least partially reopened school buildings, though many have intermittently closed when COVID-19 has caused staffing shortages.

Tennessee’s new report card on schools omits more than it tells

2020-10-23T14:58:04+00:00

Tennessee’s new online report card on schools and districts contains more blank spaces than information, sparking criticism that the pages deliver little useful information for parents and policymakers alike.

Since its Sept. 21 release, the redesigned report card has been devoid of data related to academics, attendance, finances, and staffing.

Most notably missing is student achievement and growth information, even from years when standardized testing occurred.

Officials at the Tennessee Department of Education say the report card is a work in progress and that many of the blanks will be filled by the end of the calendar year. Spokeswoman Victoria Robinson said Hoonuit, the Minneapolis-based vendor hired to manage the online site, is publishing information as quickly as it’s available and packaged to fit the new design.

“Our desire is to be transparent,” Robinson said.

In the meantime, Tennessee’s main platform for sharing information about its public schools is falling short of its purpose, which is to provide parents and communities with critical facts about how schools are meeting the needs of all students.

The monthlong void in data has been noticed by local, state, and national education groups that advocate for government transparency about the quality of schools.

“This report card is a skeleton,” said Sonya Thomas, who heads a parents group called Nashville Propel. “It’s missing vital information that parents need to make education decisions for their children.”

“If they weren’t going to include the information we need to know right away, our state shouldn’t have pushed this out,” added Sarah Carpenter, leader of the Memphis Lift parents group and grandmother to 13 students in local public schools.

Tennessee’s report card is among the first released by states for the 2019-20 school year — and the skinniest so far, said Brennan McMahon Parton, director of policy and advocacy for the Data Quality Campaign, a national nonprofit group that advocates for data policy and use in education.

Her organization has been watching this year’s new crop of report cards especially closely because of disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, including the cancelation of standardized tests that generate important academic data each spring.

“We expect some gaps this year because of waivers for testing and accountability, but there’s still a lot of useful information that states can share,” Parton said. “We hope Tennessee is an outlier.”

When the new design was unveiled, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said disruptions caused by the pandemic had “limited the data available to highlight on this year’s report.” But she hailed new features — including visuals, a map finder, and pages designed for easier navigation — as improvements that “will enhance the user experience and make this tool more accessible for years to come.”

As with previous years, the latest report card features demographics for nearly 2,000 schools and 147 districts. It debuted with information about graduation rates and graduates’ readiness for college and career based on the Class of 2019. (The department separately released graduation rates for the Class of 2020 last month.)

But most pages currently contain messages that say either “not available” or “coming soon.”

For information about school- and district-level performance on state standardized tests, the report card directs visitors to a separate website where they can download spreadsheets packed with information about proficiency and growth scores from years when testing occurred.

Tennessee education advocates say that detour is not in keeping with the spirit of federal and state laws aimed at testing transparency.

“It’s too much to expect families to download complex spreadsheets and sort through 95,000 lines of data to find out how their schools are doing,” said Teresa Wasson, spokeswoman for the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, a research and advocacy organization founded by former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist.

That’s the case for Carpenter, with the Memphis Lift group, when she looked up the high school attended by her granddaughter in Shelby County Schools. She found “not available” messages on pages that are supposed to present school-wide information about academic achievement, student growth, and attendance.

Sarah Carpenter is executive director of Memphis Lift, a parents advocacy group that launched in 2015.

“What good is this? It’s not telling me anything,” Carpenter said. “I’d rather have the old report card back with the old data. At least that one told me something.”

Robinson said the education department opted to release Tennessee’s report card earlier than in previous years and incorporate information when it’s ready. Historical data on student achievement and growth could be added within days, she said.

Information is “coming soon” about per-pupil spending and staffing details like teacher experience, credentials, and demographics. Other pages eventually will show data from previous years.

“The department will not release chronic absenteeism or English language progress for the 2019-2020 school year due to incomplete data sets (comparable to previous years), which resulted from both a shortened school year and the inability for many students to take TNReady tests in the spring,” Robinson said. “However, the historical data will be populated in November, after the achievement and growth historical data is packaged for the updated format.”

The lag in information has affected work by groups like the Education Trust in Tennessee, which advocates for raising the quality of schools for students of color and from low-income families.

“We are actively working on an analysis of per-pupil spending and what we can learn across districts to really begin thinking about education funding in Tennessee,” said Gini Pupo-Walker, who leads the nonprofit organization. “But it’s hard to analyze if the data is not there. We hope it’s back up soon — not just for us but for parents who might be shopping for schools or school boards that are looking to make decisions about budgets and staffing.”

Statewide report cards began to appear after Congress passed a 2001 law requiring states to test their students annually in grades 3-8 and once in high school and report the results publicly. A 2015 federal law expanded the amount of information that must be reported to the public.

The Data Quality Campaign, which is based in Washington, D.C., believes the pandemic underscores the need for clear information and has urged states to still set a high bar for their report cards.

The group issues an annual report highlighting progress that states make to provide meaningful, easy-to-understand information to families through their report cards. The most recent report, which is based on report cards for the 2018-19 school year, was released on Wednesday and can be found here.

(Editor’s note: Historical testing data was added to Tennessee’s report card on Oct. 23, two days after the publication of this story.)

‘COVID slide’: Struggling Tennessee students have fallen even further behind, say superintendents

2020-09-23T02:21:49+00:00

Many of Tennessee’s lowest-performing students have fallen behind up to two years academically because of disruptions to schooling caused by COVID-19, several superintendents told state lawmakers on Tuesday.

And one of those district leaders called on the state to take quick and decisive steps to help struggling students catch up.

“The state needs a clear plan. We need clear actions. We need clear goals,” said Linda Cash, superintendent of Bradley County Schools in southeast Tennessee.

Cash was one of six superintendents who testified before the House Education Committee during a five-hour hearing focused on reopening schools amid a public health emergency.

Among the revelations: About half of Tennessee’s 1 million public school students are estimated to be learning virtually, although that number changes daily as coronavirus exposure and safety protocols shift many students from brick-and-mortar classrooms to online and back.

Referencing local tests administered in August to assess how much students knew after returning to class following an extended break, Cash said those who were proficient or just below proficient mostly stayed in that range. However, students at the bottom “lost a lot.”

“The most sobering piece was the lowest percentile of our students — the students that were already low — dropped two more grade levels. If that doesn’t shock you, then we need to take a real look at that,” Cash said of early data out of her 10,000-student district.

The testimony sets the course for state-level discussions about ways to support local schools as they seek to catch students up — a conversation that’s also happening across the nation as leaders consider logistics, funding, and whether there’s the political will to pursue widespread recovery.

“I look forward to making sure that we together have a really strong plan about what solutions can be,” Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn told the committee about the next legislative session that begins in January.

Schwinn said early state-level data about learning loss is concerning. She plans to release that data soon. For now, she said any proposed solutions likely will have a significant price tag and require legislative action. Those could include afterschool programs, summer school, and other strategies to extend learning time.

Asked about summer learning programs, Schwinn said she strongly supports that approach “for those students who need it most.”

Rep. Scott Cepicky, a Republican from Maury County, sponsored summer school legislation this year before COVID-19 emerged in Tennessee. On Tuesday, he noted that the number of struggling first graders in his Middle Tennessee district has more than doubled based on early testing this fall.

Cepicky and Rep. David Byrd, a Republican from Waynesboro, suggested that canceling the state’s TNReady assessment next spring might be a way to save millions of dollars to pay for learning recovery programs and also give teachers more time to teach this academic year. However, the state already has a testing contract with Pearson to provide the assessment, and Gov. Bill Lee’s administration wants to move ahead with TNReady in 2020-21.

“It’s incredibly important that we have an assessment to measure student learning,” Schwinn said. “It is also important that we have a consistent assessment so we can compare apples to apples and know how we are doing as a state.”

Superintendents testified they were using federal coronavirus relief funds to help pay for local programs to address some of their learning loss.

But Joey Vaughn, superintendent of Manchester City Schools, said one of the biggest challenges is teaching students virtually.

“Many of our virtual students are our lowest performers. Until we get them back into school, we’re going to continue to struggle,” he said.

Tennessee’s decision to close its school buildings last March means many students missed at least 50 days of classroom instruction — almost a third of the school year — because of the pandemic.

A bevy of studies show that losing time in school sets students back academically, especially those who come from low-income families, have disabilities, or are English language learners.

In June, the legislature created a special commission to develop recovery plans in the face of learning setbacks for school children, disruptions to university life, and the likelihood of more school closures. But the nine members of the commission, which is scheduled to report its findings to the legislature by Jan. 1, have yet to be named.

Rep. David Hawk, a Republican from Greeneville, said the state can’t wait for a report to begin addressing the scope of the needs.

“We can’t take another six to nine weeks and allow those students to fall even further behind. As a committee, we’ve got to push right now, this minute, to make sure those students don’t fall further behind,” Hawk said.

Besides Cash and Vaughn, superintendents who testified were Troy Kilzer of Chester County, Russell Dyer of Cleveland City, Danny Weeks of Dickson County, and DeAnna McClendon of Monroe County.

The superintendents were picked by Schwinn and Dale Lynch, executive director of the state superintendents group. But Rep. Antonio Parkinson, a Democrat from Memphis, said at least one superintendent from the state’s four urban districts should have been invited.

“I’m sure they have a perspective that would need to be presented before this body. It may be different from your perspective,” Parkinson told those testifying as he thanked them for appearing.

Tennessee teacher evaluations should be dropped this year, say several legislators

2020-09-16T22:19:25+00:00

Teachers are under so much stress doing their jobs during a pandemic that they shouldn’t also have to worry about being evaluated as required by Tennessee law, several legislators said on Wednesday.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers voiced concerns about teacher evaluations and student testing while quizzing state education officials about COVID-19 disruptions to schooling for a second straight academic year.

The brief but impassioned discussion by members of the joint Government Operations Committee offered an early glimpse at hot-button education issues that newly elected lawmakers are expected to take up when the next legislative session begins in January.

“Evaluating kids or teachers – adding that stress – it just seems ludicrous to take time out to do those things,” said Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Knoxville Democrat and retired educator.

For almost a decade, Tennessee has relied heavily on student test scores to determine teacher pay raises and decide when to intervene in low-performing schools. Critics blame the process for an exodus of teachers from the profession.

For now, Gov. Bill Lee’s administration is more open to reassessing the state’s teacher evaluation system than canceling the annual student assessment known as TNReady for a second straight year.

“To go two school years without a sense of student progress and a snapshot of where our students are at would be a real challenge, I think, for our districts and students after we’ve experienced these periods of school closure,” said Charlie Bufalino, the education department’s legislative and policy liaison. “I think there’s an opening and an ongoing conversation around the accountability metrics.”

In Tennessee, only the legislature has authority to scuttle the state’s testing and evaluation mandates. However, the U.S. Department of Education has a say when deciding whether to grant waivers on such programs. In a letter earlier this month to chief state school officers, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said states should not count on getting the same blanket waivers on testing that her department granted last spring.

“My interpretation of that letter is that states should not expect a waiver of the assessment requirement,” Bufalino said, “but the federal government is willing to have conservations about waivers on the accountability side.”

Sen. Janice Bowling, a Republican from Tullahoma, questioned the practicality of administering tests this school year during a public health emergency. She noted that schools are pivoting frequently among multiple learning models — online, in class, or a hybrid of the two — while trying to ensure the health and safety of students and staff.

“It’s going to be very disruptive in a very disrupted year to utilize precious time and to try to get an accurate representation of maybe where the student is,” Bowling said.

If tests are administered, Bowling sought assurances that the scores will be used only to assess student progress instead of holding teachers or schools accountable for the results.

Bufalino could not make promises.

“The reason why is that any action to that extent would have to be taken by the General Assembly based on what current state laws are and would require a waiver from the federal government. We are certainly open to having those discussions,” he said.

Because of the unprecedented disruption to American schooling, many state and local education officials across the nation are pushing for canceling federally required testing in 2020-21.

In Tennessee, numerous superintendents, including Joris Ray in Memphis, have written the governor urging the cancelation of TNReady or, at the least, pausing again on accountability measures.

The issues likely will be brought up again next Tuesday when Commissioner Penny Schwinn and a handful of superintendents are scheduled to appear before the House Education Committee.

Calls grow for Tennessee to cancel TNReady testing for second straight year

2020-06-26T22:55:12+00:00

Tennessee’s simmering debate over standardized testing is heating up during the pandemic as key education groups clash over whether the state should remove the burden of testing from school communities for a second straight year.

Groups began lining up both for and against testing after Superintendent Joris Ray, who leads the state’s largest district in Memphis, announced Monday that he will petition Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn to take steps to drop the annual assessment known as TNReady in 2020-21.

The developments follow years of passionate debate about the role of standardized testing, especially how Tennessee uses the results to hold teachers and schools accountable. The discussion has quickly become super-charged as educators prepare to balance instruction with the health and safety of their students amid the coronavirus.

Similar conversations are happening nationwide. In Michigan, Detroit-area superintendents urged state leaders this week to cancel testing. And last week, officials in Georgia asked the U.S. Department of Education to waive the federal testing requirement for another school year.

Several groups representing Tennessee educators are calling on Schwinn to seek a similar federal waiver.

“If we took away all of the stress that comes with standardized testing, teachers would have a safe space to focus this year on the academic, social, emotional, health, and safety needs of our students. We need that now more than ever,” said Beth Brown, president of the Tennessee Education Association, mirroring a similar call from the Professional Educators of Tennessee.

But several advocacy groups say it’s not time to retreat from state testing, especially since the school year hasn’t even begun.

Leaders with the Memphis Education Fund, TennesseeCAN, and the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, known as SCORE, say another year without testing data would deepen a void in important information about how much students are learning — or not learning — during the unprecedented disruption to education.

“Educators use assessment data to inform instruction,” said SCORE President and CEO David Mansouri. “Losing multiple years of data can intensify gaps in learning and magnify equity challenges across the state.”

Schwinn offered her first public comments about the intensifying debate on Friday, urging patience for discussions to come and calling for a laser focus on reopening schools safely.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn answers questions from legislators during a 2019 hearing.

“I think it’s premature to make a call about testing in June, just weeks before schools reopen,” she said. “And I think that any possible conversation about an assessment that’s 10 months away is not our priority right now. Our priority is to keep our students and staff safe as they go back to school.”

Schwinn noted that Tennessee has a long commitment to testing-based accountability systems.

“We must be able to measure how our students are progressing to know where they need support, and the state remains committed to providing this critical data to educators and families,” she said.

The commissioner has the authority to request a federal waiver on testing, but it’s up to the legislature to decide whether to cancel the assessment, as lawmakers did in March for the 2019-20 school year.

Rep. Mark White, who chairs the powerful House Education Committee, said the legislature currently has no appetite to take up that matter.

“We need to get back into school and see what it looks like and take it from there,” said the Memphis Republican. “We have enough on our plates right now with just reopening schools safely. We’ll address TNReady testing when the time comes.”

The legislature adjourned just last week and isn’t scheduled to convene again until January. But the governor could call a special session this year to deal with issues related to COVID-19, which could include TNReady. Lawmakers also could take up the matter in the winter before most state testing is scheduled to begin.

In Tennessee, TNReady tests in grades 3-8 and end-of-course exams in high school are the only statewide measures of student, teacher, and school performance. Most are required under federal and state law for accountability. Administering the tests is also tied to federal education funding.

The state already paid millions of dollars to Pearson, its testing company, to produce tons of TNReady tests and materials that didn’t get used in the spring. Those printed materials are in storage and likely would be used for a 2020-21 administration.

Testing company Pearson stores printed testing materials, including for Tennessee’s TNReady assessment, in the company’s warehouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

One option is to administer TNReady to gauge student learning without tying the results to final student grades, teacher evaluations, or interventions for low-performing schools.

“I’m open to using it as a diagnostic tool,” White said, emphasizing that the decision would depend on how disruptive COVID-19 is in the coming months. “I think it’s jumping the gun to talk about this now. We have other more pressing issues.”

Dale Lynch, who heads the state superintendents group, said school leaders currently have other priorities besides state testing.

“Right now, most of our superintendents are focused on the safe opening of schools for our students and staff,” Lynch said. “I do think we need to have a conversation around state assessment, but that probably needs to be down the road.”

After canceling TNReady exams, Tennessee must pay millions of dollars to testing company for prep work

2020-05-14T23:45:47+00:00

Tennessee expects to pay about $15.8 million this year to its new testing company under the terms of their 2019 contract after canceling annual tests this spring due to the coronavirus.

That’s about $5 million less than initially planned while state officials continue talks with testing giant Pearson about which products and services were delivered, said Chelsea Crawford, communications chief for the education department.

About $11 million of Tennessee’s bill is for materials already printed for canceled TNReady and end-of-course assessments during an all-paper testing year.

Those materials — about 75 tons in all — now sit in Pearson’s secure warehouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and could be used next school year if the state chooses.

Sticking with paper tests in 2020-21 would save Tennessee a significant amount of money next year but slow its planned transition to online testing. State leaders view efficient and effective testing as a pillar of the state’s policy agenda aimed at increasing student achievement by holding students, teachers, and schools accountable for results.

Decisions about payment and future tests are among scores of questions and adjustments that all states are dealing with after the pandemic shuttered schools nationwide before testing season got underway.

A spokesman for Pearson, which manages annual assessments in 22 states, said the British-based firm is trying to support each state’s decisions. “Our assessment team remains fully staffed and ready to help state partners with options to resume testing when it is safe to do so,” said Scott Overland on Thursday.

Tennessee’s education department signed its two-year contract with Pearson last summer worth almost $40 million. First-year costs were estimated at about $20.1 million.

After several years of major technical problems with two different testing companies, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn opted for an all-paper testing year in 2019-20 — and to wait until the second year to begin shifting students back to online exams. The idea was to give the state’s new vendor more than a year to prepare.

But now the state is leaning toward testing all students in grades 3-11 on paper next school year to save money, especially since questions on the printed tests are based on academic standards that won’t change next year.

“Creating, quality controlling, printing, bar-coding, and packaging paper assessment materials can be very expensive, and Tennessee taxpayers deserve to have their money spent wisely,” Crawford said. “The state is working closely with Pearson to plan for re-use of assessment materials that have already been prepared and not yet shipped.”

Tennessee had planned to gauge Pearson’s performance this year with printed tests and next year with online exams before renewing the contract for up to five years at a total cost of $93.1 million. Last fall, the company completed more than 86,000 tests for high school students on nontraditional block schedules.

But weeks before this year’s spring assessment season opened for most students, Tennessee lawmakers passed emergency legislation to remove the burden of testing from school communities during the public health crisis. The U.S. Department of Education subsequently waived federal testing requirements nationwide.

Since then, state and Pearson officials have had weekly and sometimes daily conversations over the lost year in testing, their contract, and how to move forward.

Crawford said Pearson agreed to store the paper testing materials in its Midwest warehouse at no extra cost and will not charge the state for incomplete scoring and reporting work this spring.

They’re also in talks about adding new testing tools to the state’s contract to help Tennessee teachers assess each student’s level of learning when the new school year begins. Schwinn wants to provide that service to districts at the state’s cost because students missed months of in-person classes.

The transition to online testing remains under discussion too. School districts have made significant investments toward that highly anticipated switch, and local leaders generally favor making that transition as soon as possible. Computerized tests are less cumbersome than paper materials and can be scored much faster.

“There are many factors that will ultimately go in to the decision to return to online testing, and at this time, we are still evaluating all of the information we have to make the best choice,” Crawford said.

Tennessee legislature votes to shelve TNReady testing amid public health emergency

2020-03-19T21:07:00+00:00

Tennessee lawmakers voted Thursday to remove the burden of testing and other government mandates on school communities this year as classes were canceled statewide due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

The unanimous votes in both chambers mean that Tennessee is poised to drop state testing requirements this spring and waive the required 180 days of classroom instruction. Gov. Bill Lee is expected to sign the legislation quickly.

Students, teachers, and schools won’t be penalized for choosing not to participate in state testing that includes the TNReady assessment for grades 3-8 and end-of-course exams for high school students.

Other provisions ensure that districts will receive full state funding for the school year, even if students cannot be present, and high school seniors who are on track will graduate on time, even if their classes are canceled.

The sweeping emergency legislation was crafted this week as the governor urged all districts to shutter public schools for the remainder of March to try to stem the spread of COVID-19, a highly contagious respiratory illness. Many school systems have closed until mid-April — when state testing is scheduled to begin — and closures could be extended for much longer, possibly the rest of the school year.

“We tried to cover everything,” Education Committee Chairman Mark White told the House. “We hope that we come back in in a couple of weeks, but this bill will cover all the anxiety that was going on across our state in our public schools.”

In the past week, the steady spread of the virus across Tennessee made it increasingly clear that it was neither possible nor feasible to test this spring with classes canceled. The public health emergency was exacerbated when deadly tornadoes ripped across Middle Tennessee on March 4, damaging or totaling school buildings in four counties.

On Monday, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education on federal testing requirements and related accountability mandates.

If schools or districts decide to voluntarily test their students, the legislation says the results must be excluded from students’ final grades, teacher evaluations, and A-F letter grades being given to schools this year for the first time — unless they result in higher scores and grades.

In addition, the state will not require teachers in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and non-tested grades and subjects to be evaluated using “portfolio” or alternative models this school year — unless they result in higher evaluation scores. The legislation leaves it up to districts to decide whether educators must submit those this school year.

“We’re hoping that their superintendents don’t require [portfolios],” said Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Knoxville Democrat who said she heard from more than a hundred kindergarten teachers this week about the matter.

Tennessee’s 2,500 student teachers won’t be penalized either. A provision added to the legislation on Wednesday gives the state Board of Education flexibility to issue teacher licenses to student teachers who were not able to complete their classroom placement requirements this spring due to school closures.

Sweeping Tennessee legislation filed to drop TNReady tests, allow fewer instructional days as schools close due to COVID-19

2020-03-18T01:25:05+00:00

Tennessee legislative leaders filed a proposal Tuesday to drop state testing and waive the required 180 days of classroom instruction this year as schools shutter statewide without certainty of when they’ll reopen amid a public health emergency.

The proposal aims to lift the burden of testing and other state mandates from public school communities disrupted by the ongoing spread of COVID-19, as well as deadly twisters that shredded parts of Middle Tennessee earlier this month.

The sweeping measure was filed after two days of talks by leaders of the General Assembly, the Department of Education, and school districts.

“We’re trying to cover everything we can think of,” said House Education Committee Chairman Mark White, who is carrying the legislation in his chamber. “This is uncharted territory, and we just don’t know where we’re going.”

The first votes will come Wednesday in committees as the General Assembly seeks to handle essential business before recessing by Saturday.

Schools are shutting down statewide this week at the encouragement of Gov. Bill Lee, who asked Monday that all in-person classes be canceled through the end of the month.

The legislation says the health and safety risks from COVID-19 “are not fully understood and may necessitate school closures beyond March 31.”

White hopes students will be back in school in April but acknowledged that may not happen.

Among pressing issues are required state tests scheduled to start in mid-April unless the legislature acts to halt them due to two state emergencies prompting school closures. In anticipation of that action, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn requested a waiver Monday from the U.S. Department of Education on federal testing requirements.

Tennessee tests that would be scrapped include TNReady for grades 3-8 and end-of-course assessments for high school students, as well as others for English learners and several alternate assessments.

Schools or districts could still voluntarily test their students, but the results would be excluded from students’ final grades, teacher evaluations, and A-F letter grades being given to schools this year for the first time — unless they result in higher scores and grades.

“The General Assembly seeks to ensure that school districts, schools, teachers, and students are held harmless from testing requirements and accountability measures to provide some relief to Tennesseans during these difficult and uncertain times,” the legislation reads.

In addition, teachers in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and non-tested grades and subjects would not be evaluated using “portfolio” or alternative models this school year — again unless they result in higher evaluation scores. White said ongoing problems with those models led to that addition in the legislation.

For the 2019-20 school year, other provisions of the proposal would:

Ensure that districts receive full state funding for the school year, even if students cannot be present;
Drop the requirement that high school students must pass a civics test to graduate;
Drop the requirement that 11th-graders take an exam to assess their readiness for college;
Require the state Board of Education to revise requirements so that no senior who is on track and eligible would be prevented from graduating on time because of school closings.

Early reaction to the proposal was positive.

“I think this resolves a lot of concerns by students and educators,” said JC Bowman, executive director of the Professional Educators of Tennessee.

You can read the full proposal below:

Governor urges all Tennessee schools to close as coronavirus spreads; Schwinn seeks federal waivers on TNReady testing

2020-03-16T15:21:34+00:00

Gov. Bill Lee on Monday urged all Tennessee districts to shutter schools “as soon as practically possible” for the rest of March to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

All public schools should be closed by this Friday, he said, encouraging a shutdown that will affect almost 1 million students and their families.

Districts that had not already canceled classes for the month quickly responded. Metro Nashville and Knox County announced that schools will be closed through at least April 3. Shelby County Schools, which last week canceled classes in Memphis through March, extended its shutdown and won’t reopen before April 6, while schools in Chattanooga won’t reopen until at least April 13.

Meanwhile, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn on Monday requested a federal waiver related to statewide TNReady testing, which is set to begin mid-April and is required for students in grades 3-8 and once in high school.

Schwinn said Tennessee’s top education priority now is ensuring that low-income students — who rely on school to receive breakfast and lunch – continue to be fed while their districts are closed. On Monday, the Department of Education received two federal waivers providing schools with flexibility to prepare meals and then to deliver them to students.

The developments spotlight the hour-by-hour decisions happening at the state Capitol and school communities in response to the global pandemic.

The General Assembly rushed Monday toward passing a balanced budget and recessing before the week’s end, which could leave big education issues such as the governor’s comprehensive literacy proposal on the table until lawmakers reconvene.

“We have jointly decided to limit all remaining legislative business to fulfilling our constitutional requirement of passing a balanced budget, and any associated actions that will ensure Tennessee can keep its doors open,” Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton said in a joint statement.

Lee’s administration has recently come under fire for its handling of the coronavirus when it comes to public schools.

Last week, the governor emphasized that it was up to the leaders of individual school systems to judge how best to manage the virus. And Schwinn left it up to the legislature to decide whether to scrap state tests.

Even Monday, Lee stopped short of ordering all schools to close, as governors in 32 states have done in one of the most dramatic upheavals to American schooling in a century.

“Superintendents and local leadership have the full support of my administration to determine effective dates for closure this week as they evaluate what is best for families within their respective district,” the governor said.

Those positions began to draw the ire of some superintendents and lawmakers over the weekend.

“I was hopeful that the Tennessee Department of Education would take a lead role in dismissing schools or reducing the 180-day requirement [for schools to be in session],” wrote James Atkins, Grainger County’s superintendent, in a Facebook post on Saturday.

Atkins took issue with department guidance issued on Friday and advising districts against closing schools unless notified of a lab-confirmed COVID-19 illness in a student or staff member.

“I respectfully disagree with the department of education, and I absolutely will not wait until we have a confirmed case before we close schools,” Atkins wrote. “I intend to be proactive instead of reactive.”

In his five-sentence statement on Monday, the governor said the state will issue more guidance to school systems regarding school closures prior to March 31.

“We understand the tremendous burden school closure places on families and we will continue to work with both the federal government and school districts to ensure we continue essential supports like meals for students in need,” said Lee, who declared a state of emergency last week.

The governor’s call for a shutdown came one day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommended canceling any events with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.

“We are relieved to see Gov. Bill Lee take decisive action to protect students, educators and families,” said Beth Brown, president of the Tennessee Education Association, adding that it would be “irresponsible to keep our public schools open.”

Brown also called for the state to cancel state testing this year, as well as its evaluation system for teachers in non-tested grades. “There will be a significant loss of classroom time for students, and the continuity of instruction critical to building knowledge will be disrupted,” she said in a statement.

TNReady testing is scheduled to begin as soon as April 13, although districts have some leeway on exactly when. Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released new guidance saying that states could apply to be able to skip the required tests for closed schools this year. But even with a waiver, Schwinn told lawmakers that only the legislature has authority to cancel the annual assessment — and that the administration is working on several options “for immediate consideration.”

Some Tennessee leaders suggested that Schwinn already has authority under state law to suspend testing, as her predecessor, Candice McQueen, did in 2016 after the failed online rollout of the new TNReady assessment.

On Monday, Rep. Scott Cepicky asked the governor to direct Schwinn to suspend testing for the year as several lawmakers began to draft legislation to put any questions to rest. “With the pressure our schools are already facing navigating the COVID-19 outbreak, the last thing our schools need is the undue burden of preparing and administering statewide assessments,” the Culleoka Republican wrote Lee.

He added that the “unique circumstances” of both COVID-19 and recent tornado damage in Middle Tennessee “will undeniably affect our accountability system due to school closures or student absences.”

“Districts and educators should also be held harmless,” Cepicky said of TNReady test results, which the state uses to hold students, teachers, and schools accountable for their performance.

Rep. Jeremy Faison, a Republican from Cosby, was more assuring.

“Please know that you will not be accountable for classrooom instruction that you did not complete,” Faison told educators in a tweet. “We are working with the Feds (ESSA) on stopping the testing requirements.”

In a related matter, U.S. Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee asked U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to immediately grant any state requests for a one-year waiver from testing.

More Tennessee schools close due to the coronavirus, but TNReady testing is on

2020-03-13T22:25:21+00:00

Tennessee will leave it up to the legislature to decide whether to scrap state testing this spring as the new coronavirus spreads, while local school leaders will continue to decide whether to close schools to try to contain the respiratory illness.

For now, TNReady testing is on for grades 3-11. It’s scheduled to start as soon as April 13, though school districts have some leeway to decide exactly when.

The state’s education game plan for dealing with the pandemic was presented Friday by Commissioner Penny Schwinn in a letter to state legislators and a conference call with district leaders.

“We are learning; we are adapting as we go,” she told superintendents.

In one week, Tennessee has confirmed 26 cases of COVID-19 out of its population of 6 million people. Those cases are in eight of the state’s 95 counties, with the vast majority in Nashville and neighboring Williamson County.

Gov. Bill Lee has said that school or business shutdowns or event cancelations are judgment calls that should be left up to local officials and leaders in consultation with health officials. He declared a state of emergency on Thursday as Tennessee made plans to shore up medical resources in anticipation of more cases.

The state education department planned to release specific guidance on school closings later Friday. That local approach is being “constantly reevaluated,” said Gillum Ferguson, the governor’s press secretary.

Ten states, including Kentucky and Virginia, have shuttered their K-12 schools statewide, amounting to one of the most dramatic upheavals to American schooling in a century.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released revised guidance on Friday suggesting that early short- to medium-term closures haven’t been shown to slow the progression of COVID-19 in a community. Longer closures — eight to 20 weeks — might retard the virus’ community spread, it said. But modeling shows that other recommended measures like handwashing and isolating patients at home could have a greater effect, the federal agency advised.

The U.S. Department of Education also released guidance Thursday saying that states might be able to skip the required tests for closed schools this year.

But Schwinn said the department does not have the authority to pause any testing for TNReady, the annual assessment used to determine how well students are learning and to hold students, teachers, schools, and districts accountable for the results.

“Assessment and accountability are planned for this year, and there is no change to those plans,” she wrote lawmakers. “Any change would need to be at the direction of the legislature, as a matter of state law, including a request to investigate waivers from the federal government.”

In 2016, then-Commissioner Candice McQueen suspended spring testing after the failed online rollout of the new TNReady assessment. Two years later, when widespread technical glitches marred another year of computerized testing, the legislature stepped in and passed several emergency laws weakening how the scores could be used for accountability purposes.

Legislative leaders did not immediately respond Friday when asked if the General Assembly would consider intervening.

Some educators worry that students will be at a disadvantage on TNReady if they’ve missed many classes due to the coronavirus and school closings.

“The achievement gap in standardized testing is already large between black and brown babies to their counterparts,” Memphis educator Timothy Moore wrote on Facebook. “This will not help close it at all.”

Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray announced Thursday that Tennessee’s largest district is shutting down until March 30 in Memphis, followed by similar decisions by the state’s fourth largest school system in Chattanooga, as well as the state-run Achievement School District. Other districts, including Nashville, Knox County, and Williamson County, already had canceled classes and planned to reopen on March 23 following spring break. Rutherford County Schools, the state’s fifth largest district, joined the list of COVID-related closings on Friday.

Schwinn told superintendents that the focus now is on keeping students healthy and fed amid the disruptions. “We all know that many of our students get their breakfast and their lunch through schools,” she said, promising recommendations for food distribution options such as drive-through or home delivery.

Commissioner Penny Schwinn is leading the education department’s response to the new coronavirus.

Other guidance will focus on academic resources that districts can tap should closings be extended or expanded.

The latest federal guidance makes it harder for districts to offer instruction remotely. Schools must make remote instruction accessible to students with disabilities — something advocates say will be difficult to do quickly and for students with a wide range of special needs. In addition, access to digital devices or the internet is limited or unavailable for many students, especially in impoverished communities.

“The department will provide open-source resource links to districts,” Schwinn wrote, citing “free, online programs, the use of existing district materials, and materials that can be printed and mailed to students.”

While children appear to make up a smaller percentage of the documented cases of COVID-19, children have tested positive for the virus that causes it, according to health authorities.

Here’s what we know about children, infection rates, and COVID19

The virus spreads between people in close contact and through coughs and sneezes. The best way to prevent illness is by washing hands often and avoiding those who are sick.

Here’s where to find the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education, as well as Tennessee updates from the departments of education and health.

Support for TNReady rebounds after problem-free testing year, says new poll

2019-10-11T15:00:40+00:00

Three years of technical problems and controversy surrounding Tennessee’s testing program don’t appear to have dampened Tennesseans’ support for giving students annual tests to measure their learning, according to a new statewide poll released Friday.

Fully 85% of registered Tennessee voters who were surveyed believe it’s important to test students each year to know they’re meeting the state’s standards. And eight out of 10 said those results should be used to hold teachers and public schools accountable, says the poll commissioned by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, also known as SCORE, a nonprofit group that researches and advocates for best practices in Tennessee schools.

The findings come as Tennessee administered its first trouble-free TNReady test last school year after three straight years of headaches under two different testing companies. Pearson was hired to take over administration this year after widespread technical problems under Questar and previous vendor Measurement Inc. shook public confidence in TNReady results and put at risk an accountability system that many state leaders believe have led to gains on national tests.

About 69% of those polled support continuing to use TNReady in Tennessee schools, a jump of 10 percentage points over this time last year.

Pollsters also delved into the state’s use of growth scores — which measure learning over time, regardless of whether those students are proficient — in evaluating its teachers and schools. More than half of voters favored using academic growth in teacher evaluations, and more than three-fourths approved of that approach for grading schools.

As Tennessee prepares to give schools their first A-F letter grades next year, 80% of voters said they favored such measures, as well as state intervention, teacher evaluation, and other policies designed to increase transparency about education quality. And more than half said they were less likely to support a legislator who votes to ease off of those kinds of measures.

“There is clear support among all voter groups for robust accountability in K-12 education,” said pollster Robert Blizzard of Public Opinion Strategies.

Blizzard’s group asked a series of questions about K-12 and postsecondary education to 500 voters that are representative of the state based on geography, gender, and party affiliation. Consistent with other surveys commissioned by SCORE since 2015, voters identified education as one of the top issues facing state government, ranking below health care but above jobs and the economy.

Three-fourths favored increasing choice in public schools via charter or magnet schools. And they overwhelmingly agreed that students need an education beyond high school — whether it’s a technical certificate, community college, or a four-year degree — if they want to achieve economic success.

“It’s clear that Tennesseans agree that it is essential to prepare all students to succeed in college, career, and life,” said SCORE President and CEO David Mansouri.

SCORE was established in 2009 by former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, a physician and Republican from Tennessee, and has become one of the state’s most influential voices on education policy and practice. The group recently expanded its focus beyond K-12 education to include college and career.

Its most recent poll did not include questions about education vouchers, a perennially hot-button issue that SCORE has steered clear of but was at the forefront of legislative debate this spring as lawmakers approved Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account plan. That controversial program is scheduled to launch next school year.

The poll showed 58% of Tennesseans believe that Tennessee is generally headed in the right direction. Lee’s approval rating was 61%, while the legislature’s was 53%.

Pearson is ramping up as Tennessee’s new testing company. Here’s how.

2019-09-27T14:04:44+00:00

Leaders with Pearson Inc. have been criss-crossing Tennessee as the testing giant takes over the job of managing standardized testing for almost a million of the state’s public school students.

Under terms of a $40 million, two-year contract that started in July, the company recently hosted a dozen kickoff meetings in six cities to introduce itself to district leaders. Staff also answered questions at another round of regional meetings for local testing teams hosted by Tennessee’s Education Department in the same six cities: Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, Chattanooga, Cookeville, and Knoxville.

For many people in those rooms, the introductions were actually re-introductions. Pearson was Tennessee’s main testing company from 2003 through 2014, when it developed, administered, and scored tests known as TCAPs for grades 3-11. The state veered toward a different vendor after the legislature pulled Tennessee out of a multistate testing consortia that used Pearson and was associated with the politically divisive Common Core academic standards.

Tennessee is now in the era of TNReady, a test entering its fifth year and aligned with new standards that are considered more rigorous than earlier TCAPs in the state’s quest to raise expectations for students. Leaders consider the program critical to measuring student progress and holding teachers, schools, and districts accountable for results.

“We’re excited to be back to build assessments in Tennessee for now and for the future,” said Elizabeth Hanna, the company’s vice president of school assessments. “A lot of our employees who have worked on Tennessee before are still in place, especially in operations and scoring.”

One of 18 states managed by Pearson, Tennessee is a high-profile client for the firm’s Bloomington, Minnesota-based assessment division. Rocked by three straight years of online scoring and test administration problems under two other companies, the state hired Pearson in May to take over from Questar, which is also based in Minnesota, and hopefully restore confidence in its TNReady assessment program.

The state also ordered Pearson to administer TNReady this school year on paper, which gives the company more than a year to ramp up for a return to computer-based testing beginning with the 2020-21 school year.

In a recent Q&A with Chalkbeat, Hanna talked about having Tennessee back with Pearson, whether the one-year pause in online testing was necessary, and what will be different about TNReady this year for students, parents, and educators. Below, we have lightly edited her answers for brevity and clarity.

What has Pearson done so far to ramp up as the state’s new vendor?

We’ve had face-to-face meetings with the department and subcontractors to go over the work plan, production schedules, and communication protocols. As part of our contract, we led 12 introduction sessions across the state to share who we are and to give a high-level description of our contract and what we’re responsible for. These sessions were very well attended by superintendents, district testing coordinators, and technology supervisors who were invited by the department.

[The company is now preparing to administer its first tests in December to high school students who are on non-traditional block schedules, but the bulk of testing for all grades will happen next spring.]

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn stipulated in the contract that Pearson must have boots on the ground. Have you set up shop yet in Tennessee?

We will be opening a small office in Nashville. We don’t have that done yet, but we’re working on it. This will be a small team that includes two to three additional local hires who will be supported by our team members in San Antonio, Iowa City, and Austin.

This is a paper-only testing year under a legislative order urged by Gov. Bill Lee and Commissioner Schwinn. Does this order make the transition easier for Pearson?

We would have been prepared to follow whatever policies were determined by the state, and we support whatever legislative decisions were made. Our proposal was written with online testing in mind, and the decision for a paper-only year was made afterwards. We’re really agnostic about this and could have done either. Dual-mode is in most of our contracts, and we’ve developed processes to support that. We can scale up or keep on paper as long as the state needs for us to do that.

What is Pearson doing to ensure a smooth administration when the state returns to computer-based testing in the 2020-21 school year?

We’re confident. Just to show you our scale, we administered more than 4.7 million tests in our busiest testing week this spring. In one hour, we peaked at more than 178,000 tests. And we completed more than 21 million tests in 2019. So we have true scale that can accommodate Tennessee and the rest of our customers pretty robustly. We have secure and configurable products. We are committed to privacy and security, and our systems go through annual third-party external audits.

We also work closely with lots of other vendors, different platforms, and systems such as Windows or Chrome. We work with different operating system companies and understand what they’re doing so that we’re prepared to deliver our tests on those platforms.

Given the baggage associated with the TNReady brand, has there been talk of changing the test’s name?

That has not been a discussion.

What can students, parents, and educators expect to see from Pearson this year that they’ve not had in previous years under TNReady?

We are contracting with eMetric, which is based in San Antonio, to do dynamic reporting for Tennessee with a secure portal for all accountability programs. This will include a portal for parents and a portal for educators. Parents will be able to access their student’s results online, while educators can access class-level reports. This will be in addition to traditional paper reports that everybody is familiar with and that we’ll still be doing.

Once there’s more than one year of data in the portal, parents will also see progress from year to year. This was part of our proposal. Commissioner Schwinn has talked about the reporting piece being really important to her, and this is in lockstep with that. We will also meet the state’s reporting deadlines.

Below are two maps — one showing where Pearson now has testing contracts and the other where the company maintains operations for its assessment division.

One in three Tennessee teachers wants to leave the profession, survey says

2019-08-22T04:01:27+00:00

A third of Tennessee teachers say they would leave the profession for a higher-paying job and also would choose a different career if given a do-over, according to the results of a new statewide survey.

At the same time, three-fourths of teachers who responded to the survey reported feeling positively about the way their school runs, and nearly 90% said they would recommend their school to parents.

Results from the latest Tennessee Educator Survey, released late Wednesday, are both troubling and encouraging in a reform-minded state that has fostered gains on national student tests but also is seeing a gradual decline in its number of teacher candidates. Research is clear that effective teachers are the most important factor contributing to student achievement.

Despite significant state investments to increase teacher pay, including $71 million this year under Gov. Bill Lee, Tennessee’s average annual classroom salary stands at $53,980, well below the national average but in the top half of states in the Southeast. Minimum pay is $36,000 with a bachelor’s degree and no teaching experience.

But pay is just one factor in teacher satisfaction, and the survey offers clear, actionable lessons for school leaders to retain their top teachers.

“They’re more likely to stay if their planning time is protected, student discipline is being handled effectively by their administrators, and there’s an open and trusting culture with school leadership,” said Erin O’Hara, executive director of the Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt University, which conducted the survey in partnership with the state Education Department.

Many teachers, especially in urban districts, reported they didn’t get sufficient individual or collaborative planning time on a regular basis. But the more they received, the happier they were. Two and a half to three hours of protected individual planning time a week seemed to satisfy most teachers.

“I would rather have more [planning] time than any other resource,” one teacher commented anonymously.

About 69% of teachers surveyed said their administrators managed behavioral issues well — allowing instructional time to be maximized in the classroom — and more than three-fourths reported feeling comfortable raising issues with their school leaders.

But 45% — the same percentage as last year — said they still felt pulled in many directions in terms of what to teach and how to teach it.

Results of the ninth annual survey are especially important because more educators participated than ever before. More than 45,000 teachers and administrators, or about 62%, weighed in, compared with 58% last year and 25% in 2012 when the first survey was conducted across the state’s public schools.

“Policy folks want to hear from teachers; they want to know what teachers think,” O’Hara said.

Higher participation adds credibility to the data, which state officials say is critical to Tennessee’s ongoing research and strategies on issues such as teacher and leader effectiveness, development, and retention.

“I’ve personally reviewed the comments that were submitted, and we are already using this feedback to drive decisions at the department,” Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said in a statement.

The latest survey, conducted this spring in the weeks prior to state testing, continued to track feedback on hot-button issues like TNReady assessments and teacher evaluations. Responses to those questions deviated little from last year.

Only 29% of teachers said information generated by the state’s annual TNReady tests was worth the investment of time and effort. And about three-fourths said their annual evaluations helped them to be a more effective teacher, indicating that educators were continuing to warm to the state’s controversial rating system.

However, significantly fewer school administrators felt positively toward TNReady when compared with the previous year. Only 47% of principals and assistant principals saw the test as a good investment, down 11% from 2018.

Recruiting, retaining, and developing effective teachers have become front-burner issues in Tennessee as droves of experienced educators are expected to retire in the next decade and districts struggle to find enough teachers for special education, English language learners, and high school math and science. Rural districts face unique challenges in attracting high-quality faculty. Another concern is lagging diversity among teacher candidates, only 15% of whom are people of color, compared with 35% of the state’s student population.

“It’s definitely a challenge for us,” acknowledged Rep. Mark White, the Memphis Republican who chairs the House Education Committee. “It’s regretful that one out of three educators would leave the profession for higher pay, but we’ve got to keep moving the ball on standards and accountability. The world is changing fast and the demands are high in every field, education included.”

You can find the full results of the 2019 survey here and previous surveys here.

Most test scores increase in Tennessee’s largest district; reading results down for youngest students

2019-08-15T13:12:47+00:00

State test scores for Shelby County Schools increased this year in every subject except English for elementary and middle school students, according to state data released Thursday.

But the district’s students did not make as much progress as other students across the state, earning Shelby County Schools the lowest score on the state’s 5-point growth scale.

Students did best in fourth-grade math, where 34.7% scored proficient on the state’s TNReady test, up from 27.9% last year. But in third-grade literacy, just 24% of students scored proficient, down from 27% last year.

Shelby County Schools officials said the results show “obvious areas for continuous support and improvement,” but cited examples of “encouraging progress that the district can build on.”

Superintendent Joris Ray, who started his first full year as district leader this week, said he was confident new efforts such as increased emotional support for students who have experienced trauma and increased attention on ensuring students have equal access to rigorous programs would help the district “overcome some significant barriers to learning that we’ve seen in previous years.”

“Working together, we will improve these results on behalf of all students,” Ray said in a statement. “That is our imperative task and one that I and my team keep in front of us every day. I realize that this is hard work, but the teachers, principals, and central office have the heart to move this work forward in our district.”

Three schools in the district, Tennessee’s largest, also improved enough to be excluded from the state’s next list of low-performing schools, used to determine in part which schools undergo state intervention. All of them appeared on the “priority list” for the first time last year — Dunbar Elementary, Getwell Elementary, and Robert R. Church Elementary.

Search below for a school within Shelby County Schools, including most Memphis charter schools. You can compare TNReady scores to see the percent of students scoring proficient and growth scores for multiple schools. If a score is marked as redacted, that is because there were not enough valid samples or the overall average is less than 1% or greater than 99%.

The district pointed to progress in all high school subjects as a “bright spot” in this year’s test scores. High schools have been the hardest for the district and state to improve, especially as students arrive several grade levels behind. Last year, Shelby County Schools dispatched a team of reading specialists to focus on high school, increased teacher development, and adjusted curriculum to better align with new state requirements. This year, the share of high school students scoring proficient in English II went from 18% to nearly a quarter. About 20% of high school students in English overall met state expectations.

The district already told parents that third-grade reading scores dipped this year in meetings about plans to hold back second-graders who don’t read on grade level for the 2021-22 school year. The school system aims to have 90% of third graders reading proficiently by 2025.

Ray said in a call with reporters Thursday morning that overall, the district is moving in the right direction.

“Next year this time we’ll be having a different conversation,” he said. “I guarantee it.”

NOTE: The state department said it did not administer elementary social studies and English III exams this year.

You can see schools Shelby County Schools leaders highlighted below:

As Tennessee’s turnaround district enters its eighth school year, scores remain stubbornly low

2019-08-15T13:04:54+00:00

At a make-or-break moment for Tennessee’s turnaround school district, its 30 schools have collectively delivered another round of low test scores.

Only 3.4% of high schoolers in the Achievement School District met the state’s proficiency standards on this year’s math and English exams, while 12.6% of elementary students reached that benchmark, according to data released by the state education department Thursday.

The news is not surprising: The Achievement School District oversees 30 of the state’s lowest-performing schools, the majority of which are in Memphis.

Still, the scores deliver another blow to the credibility of the turnaround effort once heralded as a national exemplar. This year, the district — whose low-performing schools are taken over by charter school organizations tasked with improving them — lost its third leader, had its poor performance analyzed by an academic study, and came under scrutiny from the state’s new education chief. Commissioner Penny Schwinn says she plans to announce major changes to the district soon.

Those changes will target a district where only a handful of students meet the state’s standards in reading and math.

Search for a school within the Achievement School District below. You can compare TNReady scores to see the percent of students scoring at/above grade level for multiple schools. If a score is marked as redacted, that is because there were not enough valid samples or the overall average is less than 1% or greater than 99%, according to the state department.

Only 7.5% of the achievement district’s elementary and middle school students scored on grade level in English, down slightly from last year. In math, 12% of students scored at grade level or higher, which represented an increase. Both remain well below state averages.

In the district’s five high schools, scores in Algebra I, Geometry, and English rose but remained very low, while U.S. History scores slightly dipped.

About 3% of high schoolers in Algebra 1 and 4% in English 1 scored on grade level. (Two of the five high schools are alternative schools that serve students who have already fallen behind in high school).

A searchable database of last year’s scores for schools in the achievement school district is available here.

This year’s scores reflect the first normal testing season for Tennessee in years. Public trust in the test’s reliability was at an all-time low after three straight years of technical glitches, scoring errors, and score delivery issues. But this spring, TNReady’s administration went the smoothest ever, building back at least some credibility in the results.

While the state exam, known as TNReady, measures academic performance with a battery of tests, the state uses a different system to capture how much a student grows academically over a school year. That system is designed to recognize improvements in districts and schools that serve many students from low-income families, who tend to score lower on state tests. That includes the Achievement School District, where three-quarters of students live in poverty.

For the second year in a row, the district as a whole scored at the lowest level of student growth, 1 on a scale of 1 to 5.

The achievement district wasn’t the only turnaround effort in Tennessee to struggle with boosting scores. Of 10 turnaround schools that are currently still a part of the Shelby County Schools’ Innovation Zone and took state exams last year, seven ranked a 1 in student growth.

Only five schools in the Achievement School District scored a 5, or in the top level of student growth, compared to eight schools last year. The four schools are Brick Church Middle School, Neely’s Bend Middle School, Libertas School of Memphis, Cornerstone Prep Denver, and Cornerstone Lester Prep.

LEAD Public Schools in Nashville runs both Brick Church and Neely’s Bend, the only two schools in the achievement district not in Memphis. LEAD Public Schools CEO Dwayne Tucker credited consistency in the principals and teaching staff at both schools for the growth.

But while LEAD’s two schools gained the highest growth scores, less than 15% of their students scored on grade level in math and English.

“There’s very little chance of changing a student’s trajectory without the retention of our school leaders and the overwhelming majority of our high-performing teachers,” Tucker said. “That’s been our focus, and that’s why you see the growth. But, academically, we are far from where we want to be and where we believe our students should be.”

Schwinn said she is rethinking the state’s approach to improving struggling schools, but exactly how that will work is unclear.

She told Chalkbeat last month that she plans to shift the state’s turnaround strategy “aggressively towards local partnerships.”

That could look like expanding Tennessee’s Partnership Network model, currently in Hamilton County, where the state and local district are trying to work together to improve a handful of low-performing schools. Those schools along with others in the southeastern country saw their test scores improve after a year under the model, district officials said this week in advance of the state’s official test score release.

Schwinn told Chalkbeat in late July that she will announce major changes to the Achievement School District soon – and before that will take her meetings on the road to Memphis.

NOTE: The state department said it did not administer elementary social studies and English III exams this year.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story left off Cornerstone Lester Prep from the list of achievement schools that scored a 5 on student growth.

Six things to know about Tennessee’s TNReady scores coming out this week

2019-08-14T14:55:41+00:00

Tennessee is scheduled on Thursday to release the results of its annual tests for public school students, marking the fourth year of scores in the assessment era known as TNReady.

Starting with third-graders, TNReady measures student academic performance with a battery of tests designed to assess every student’s true understanding of the material they’ve studied, not just memorized. The goal is to know how to help students advance their knowledge and skills, teachers raise their level of instruction, and districts improve their schools.

Here are six things to know about scores coming soon for the 2018-19 school year.

Tennessee is anxious to rebound from the last round of mostly flat results.

Scores from 2017-18 had some bright spots but were disappointing overall, as middle school performance dropped in every subject and students also saw across-the-board declines in science.

But it’s important to remember that 2017-18 was a wild testing year. Widespread technical problems disrupted exams taken by high schoolers and some middle school students on computers. Then while testing continued, state lawmakers passed emergency legislation rolling back the importance of those scores in students’ final grades, prompting worries that older students stopped trying on the rest of their tests and hurt the final results.

TNReady scores will be taken more seriously this year, though there are still skeptics.

Just a year ago, public trust in the test’s reliability was at an all-time low after three straight years of technical glitches, scoring errors, and score delivery issues. But this spring — after major safeguards were required of testing company Questar — TNReady’s administration went the smoothest ever, building back at least some credibility in the results.

“Last year was ugly, but I feel much better about everything this year,” said assistant principal Tara Baker after coordinating testing this spring at Nashville’s McGavock High School.

Even so, distrust in TNReady won’t evaporate overnight, especially for those who don’t believe a single summative test can accurately and fairly reflect a student’s learning or a teacher’s effectiveness — no matter how well administration went.

“It’s going to take a lot more than one year for faith to be restored,” said Beth Brown, president of the Tennessee Education Association, the state’s largest teachers group.

Keep an eye on reading scores. Tennessee has big goals for improving literacy.

With a little more than a third of its third-graders reading on grade level, the state has a huge hill to climb to get to 75% by 2025 — a goal set in 2016 by former Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration and reaffirmed this year by Gov. Bill Lee.

Third grade is considered a benchmark year for reading because the skill profoundly affects a child’s educational development. Students who don’t read well by the end of that year are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers.

Last year’s third-grade reading performance was encouraging. After years of stagnant scores, a 2.3% increase moved Tennessee to almost 37% of its third-graders reading on or above grade level. But to reach its long-term goal, the state will have to move around 6% more third-graders to proficiency every year.

Results in science also will be interesting to watch.

Last year’s science drops were a big surprise since Tennessee had not yet transitioned to new, more difficult standards and a new aligned test for that subject. At the time, then-Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said the declines reinforced the need to support science teachers in the shift to higher expectations beginning in the fall 2018. Now that those tougher standards are in place, another drop would be expected — but stay tuned!

Student performance will be part of this year’s teacher evaluations, but won’t be used to give schools an A-F letter grade.

For teachers in tested grades, their students’ growth scores from 2018 to 2019 will account for 35% of their overall effectiveness rating, while classroom observations will continue to determine the bulk of their evaluation.

But the plan to use TNReady results to begin giving each school an A-F grade has been delayed for a second straight year. The reason goes back to 2018 testing headaches and subsequent state laws that shield schools from any “adverse action” from those scores, including assigning letter grades to schools. Because this year’s letter grades would have been based on student achievement results for both this year and last, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn has ordered a 2020 launch. But schools will still be rated this year on a scale of 0 to 4 using other metrics, which you can view on the state report card.

The education department will release statewide, district-level, and school-level results all at once.

That’s a huge data dump, since about 715,000 students in grades 3-11 completed 2 million tests statewide during the month-long spring testing window that ended on May 3.

A year ago, the department released statewide and district-level results in July and school-level scores in August. However, state officials received feedback that a single-day release would be better for school systems.

Anyone with internet access will be able to look up how their school, district, or state performed. As for students’ individual performance, parents or guardians can ask their school administrators to see those score reports. Districts distribute individual reports in different ways, but the information is fair game beginning Thursday.

Memphis third grade reading scores dip as district builds case for retaining students

2019-08-08T20:56:23+00:00

Fewer Memphis third grade students than last year are accomplished readers, according to Shelby County Schools’ annual state test data discussed in meetings with parents.

About 24% of third graders in Shelby County Schools scored proficient in reading on the state’s standardized assessment TNReady. That’s down from about 27% last year, and in contrast to 36% of elementary students statewide who tested proficient.

The full results from spring testing are scheduled to be released next week, but Memphis district officials shared the statistic this week at a meeting with parents on a new retention policy that will hold back second grade students who aren’t reading on grade level. The policy will begin in the 2021-22 school year.

Antonio Burt, the district’s chief academic officer, declined to speculate on why the scores dipped. Rather, he said the district would be looking to hone existing strategies — such as daily 45-minute small-group instruction and teacher leaders dedicated to foundational reading skills — and equip new second grade teacher assistants.

“The work and the need around K through 2 is so important,” he told Chalkbeat after Wednesday’s community meeting at Gaisman Community Center to explain the district’s retention plan.

“And as a state, we’re still recovering from the standards shift,” he added later about the state’s 2016 change to a new test with tougher requirements.

The news is a blow to the district’s efforts to strengthen early literacy, which has been a priority for the Memphis district. Superintendent Joris Ray and his leadership team often point to the correlation between third grade reading levels and a similar percentage of students considered college-ready on the ACT test.

Antonio Burt, the chief academic officer for Shelby County Schools, speaks to parents and teachers about the district’s upcoming second grade retention policy and strategies to improve reading.

“We know that if our kids that don’t master reading prior to third grade, they’re four times more likely to drop out of school,” Burt told parents Wednesday evening. “That same student would then be four times more likely to be incarcerated.”

Shelby County Schools is aiming to have 90% of its third grade students reading proficiently by the year 2025. That’s higher than the state’s goal of 75% for that same year.

This year’s kindergarten class would be the first group that could be held back a year because of Shelby County Schools new retention policy, Burt said. The district will require students to meet eight of 12 benchmarks, including minimum report card grades and reading scores, throughout the year in order to pass second grade.

Candace Marshall, a prekindergarten teacher and parent, said she mostly favors the retention policy and had faced resistance at a Memphis charter school when she wanted her niece to repeat first grade.

“I don’t want her to be a statistic. It made me question how many other kids get passed along,” she told Chalkbeat.

Tennessee will wait another year to grade its schools A-F

2019-07-30T21:03:26+00:00

Tennessee has delayed for a second year its plan to start giving A-F grades to its 1,800 public schools — another reprieve for schools that are expected to receive poor ratings.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn informed district leaders on Monday that her department will wait until after next school year to launch the system, which is designed to increase public awareness about the quality of K-12 education in Tennessee.

Just as last year, the delay is rooted in two emergency state laws passed in 2018 after days of online testing problems called into question the reliability of scores on the annual student assessment known as TNReady. Legislators ordered schools shielded from any “adverse action” from those scores, including assigning letter grades to schools.

This year’s letter grades would have been based on student achievement results for both this year and last, as well as other factors like chronic absenteeism and out-of-school suspensions.

“We determined that state law prohibits the department from using student performance and student growth data from the 2017–18 school year in assigning school letter grades,” Schwinn told superintendents in an email.

The state will stick with a scaled-down numeric rating system for now and switch to letter grades after the 2019-20 school year, she added.

The delay is considered a short-term win for groups that don’t believe single letter grades are the way to increase transparency about school performance.

“Ultimately, we think it confuses more than it helps,” said Dale Lynch, executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents.

“We’re not opposed to grades or school designations,” he added. “We just don’t think that you could ever take a group of scores and add them up to come up with one single score that gives a good picture of how schools are doing in Tennessee.”

It’s also a reprieve for low-performing schools that are academically in the state’s bottom 5 percent, known as priority schools. Most are in Memphis and Nashville and were expected to receive some of the lowest letter grades.

It’s uncertain how parents and communities will respond eventually if their school is rated “D” or “F,” especially in Tennessee’s two largest cities where the state is preparing to launch a voucher program as soon as next year. That education savings account program, which the legislature approved this spring at the urging of Gov. Bill Lee, will give eligible parents the option of leaving public schools and using taxpayer money toward private school tuition or other private education services.

Some public school advocates who want greater transparency about school quality worry that single letter grades could backfire, especially with vouchers on the horizon. Instead of encouraging school communities to work urgently to improve their schools, an “F” designation could stigmatize schools already burdened with high needs, especially in low-income areas, and create yet another hurdle to overcome, says Gini Pupo-Walker, a leader with the Tennessee Education Equity Coalition.

“The good thing about an A-F system is that people understand what those grades mean and it can prompt urgency in all kinds of folks and ways,” Pupo-Walker said. “But the bad thing is that a single rating can come to define a school and it may not capture all of the dimensions of that school community.”

Conversely, she said, good letter grades awarded to schools can mask important shortcomings such as low performance by subgroups of historically underserved students.

Pupo-Walker hopes the extra year can be used to better educate the public about the upcoming rating system and its purpose.

"For us, this is not about A-F grades. It is about providing clear, transparent, and accessible information that people can use to make decisions."

Gini Pupo-Walker, Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition

“For us, this is not about A-F grades. It is about providing clear, transparent, and accessible information that people can use to make decisions,” she said.

Tennessee has walked a tightrope in recent years to comply with a handful of state and federal laws about school ratings. A 2016 state law ordered creation of an A-F grading system, which Tennessee leaders then incorporated into the state’s education accountability plan to comply with a 2015 federal law requiring a school rating system. But after TNReady testing headaches, subsequent state laws forced department officials last year to toss out the A-F system — at least temporarily — that had been under development for more than a year.

In the interim, the department has used a numeric rating system — with 0 being the worst and 4 being the best — to provide useful information about how schools are doing in areas such as chronic absenteeism; out-of-school suspensions; student readiness for college, career and the military; and a variety of student achievement and growth data.

That system will continue this year, and the department plans to publish the newest numeric ratings online in mid-August as part of the updated state report card, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Schwinn wants the state Board of Education to review and develop rules for Tennessee’s school rating system this fall, giving professional and advocacy groups another opportunity to weigh in. Their input could change how the state comes up with the final grades.

“There are many dimensions to a rating,” said Pupo-Walker. “The more deliberation and thought about what goes into it, the better.”

Tennessee signs two-year, $40 million testing contract with Pearson

2019-06-28T23:46:47+00:00

Tennessee has signed a two-year contract worth almost $40 million for British-based Pearson to take over its student testing program beginning July 1, according to documents released on Friday.

The contract runs through June 30, 2021, and the state has the option to renew terms annually for up to three years through 2024. The five-year cost would be $93.1 million, significantly less than the state’s $30 million-a-year agreement with Questar, which has administered the TNReady assessment the last three school years.

The world’s largest and oldest testing company, Pearson was awarded Tennessee’s contract in May and negotiated with state officials for two weeks before both parties signed the agreement on June 14. But the final contract — showing that Pearson has two years to prove itself before the state extends their agreement — was sealed until Friday following reviews and approvals from state finance and treasury officials.

“There weren’t really any sticking points during the negotiations,” Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn told Chalkbeat earlier this week. “What was nice about the process is that we got a competitive bid to start with.”

Pearson’s five-year proposal scored higher and cost $16 million less than the one submitted by Questar, the only other bid considered after a third company’s proposal was thrown out for not meeting the state’s requirements.

Schwinn said Pearson has a “strong track record” for delivering large-scale testing like Tennessee requires; the technical capacity to test online eventually; and processes for returning scores faster to districts than under previous TNReady vendors.

The 88-page Pearson contract covers delivering, administering, and scoring the assessment, as well as reporting the results. The state has a separate agreement with New Jersey-based Educational Testing Service, or ETS, to develop test questions, forms, scoring keys, and guides for TNReady.

Tennessee high school students took their state tests online this year, but Pearson will administer TNReady to all grades using only paper materials in the upcoming school year before older students switch back to computer-based tests in 2020-2021. This spring, Gov. Bill Lee called for the online slowdown at Schwinn’s urging and the legislature ordered one year of paper-only testing to give the state’s next vendor sufficient time to prepare.

Pearson becomes the third company in five years to oversee TNReady in the state’s messy transition to computer-based testing. While the test’s content has been hailed for aligning with Tennessee’s new academic standards, its delivery has been rife with problems since its rollout in 2016. That year, the state fired North Carolina-based Measurement Inc. after its online platform failed on the very first day of testing. Then a year ago, former Education Commissioner Candice McQueen ordered the search for a new vendor after days of technical glitches under Questar undermined public trust in the reliability of 2018 results.

From civics to vaping, here are 10 education laws taking effect July 1 in Tennessee

2019-06-27T17:45:37+00:00

Tennessee students will have to pass a U.S. civics test to earn their high school diploma, while all teachers must learn about human trafficking under dozens of new state laws that take effect July 1.

Public education was a favorite subject of many of the hundreds of bills taken up during this year’s legislative session.

Among high-profile orders from lawmakers is a one-year return to paper testing on the state’s annual TNReady assessment, while Tennessee switches to its new testing company. Another is Gov. Bill Lee’s initiative to beef up vocational education to give students more opportunities for work-based learning and apprenticeships.

But school districts also will have to follow (or be aware of) many new laws that didn’t grab headlines. Here’s a look at 10 such measures that become effective with the new fiscal year — just in time for a new school year.

Civics 101

Under a 2018 law, Tennessee students had to take a U.S. civics test to graduate from high school. But under this year’s updated law, they now actually have to pass the exam. From the Declaration of Independence to the U.S. Supreme Court, the 50 questions are drawn from the citizenship test administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Students must get at least 70% right to receive their diploma, and they can take the online test multiple times. The goal is to build a more informed citizenry.

Human trafficking

All Tennessee teachers and high school freshmen must watch a video about human trafficking under a law aimed at increasing awareness about the dangers of children, young people, and women being bought or sold, usually for sex. The student video will fall under family life curriculum, and parents may opt their children out of viewing it. The teacher video will be required training. It’s up to local districts to approve both resources. Sponsors of the legislation said that human trafficking is a disturbing and underpublicized danger to children and youth. Eighty-five of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported at least one case of human trafficking in 2011, and 94 children are trafficked in the state every month, according to a report by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Vanderbilt University.

Women’s suffrage

To mark the 100th anniversary of the U.S. constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote, schools must teach about the women’s suffrage movement in all grades during the upcoming school year. The monthly instruction will recognize Tennessee’s role in the movement leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment on Aug. 18, 1920. The state Education Department will make resources available to teachers.

Feminine hygiene

High schools will be authorized to provide free feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins and tampons in bathrooms and locker rooms. While not a mandate, the law aims to raise awareness that some female students don’t have financial or emotional support at home to help them tend to their bodies, especially as they begin their menstrual cycles.

No vaping

Schools will be able to deal with vaping the same as with tobacco products under a new law supported by the Tennessee School Boards Association. That means they may ban vapor products anywhere that smoking or tobacco products are prohibited on school campuses. The law also doubles to more than 100 feet the distance from any school entrance that an adult staff member may smoke. And it prevents smoking on any campus after regular school hours.

Often called vaping, using e-cigarettes has overtaken smoking traditional cigarettes in popularity among students, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tennessee law already makes it a misdemeanor to sell or distribute vapor products, which like tobacco products are highly addictive, to someone under age 18 or to help them get such products.

School buses

For districts that have cameras inside school buses, a parent or guardian may request to view footage if they believe that their student experienced harm, harassment, or bullying while being transported. They may not copy the footage and must view it under the supervision of the superintendent or a designee.

A separate law took effect in May permitting districts to install cameras on bus exteriors to record images of vehicles that illegally pass when a bus stops to load or unload students. Violators of that law could be fined up to $1,000.

College and career

Districts must notify families about available school-approved early college and career experiences before their student registers for the next round of high school classes. That notification can come electronically or by mail, and the district also must post the information on its website.

Heart health

Most Tennessee public schools already have a defibrillator device on campus for cardiac emergencies. But when school resumes, all 1,800 schools will be required to have at least one automated external defibrillator, or AED, on site. The device can restore a heartbeat during cardiac arrest, the No. 1 killer of student athletes in the United States, according to the nonprofit group Parent Heart Watch.

Joint custody

Beginning in July, divorced parents who share custody of a child may choose which parent’s address to use when placing their student in a zoned school. The parents must have a parenting plan and agree on their school choice. If the student lives outside a school’s zone, the family is responsible for providing transportation.

Incarcerated juveniles

A new law will enforce Tennessee’s existing rule that juveniles who have been placed in a detention center for committing crimes must receive a minimum of four hours of educational instruction each day. Staff at some detention centers were not aware of the rule or ignored it, according to one sponsor of the legislation.

Editor’s note: Many other new laws related to children and education took effect earlier this year. You can find the full list in the legislative summary published this month by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth.

Tennessee chooses testing giant Pearson to take over TNReady

2019-05-30T22:10:00+00:00

Testing company Pearson will take over Tennessee’s student assessment program beginning next school year.

The state announced Thursday that the London-based testing giant had the strongest of two bids after Tennessee invited companies to seek the contract to administer its problem-plagued standardized testing program known as TNReady.

“Pearson is known for having incredibly strong administration and efficiency, and so I think it will be a good partnership,” Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn told members of the State Board of Education soon after the award became public.

Schwinn did not disclose the amount of Pearson’s bid but promised “a massive reduction in the cost of the test administration.” She previously had estimated it would cost about $20 million each year.

“We’ve been spending anywhere from $7 to $11.50 [per] paper test,” Schwinn said. “We’re in a really good place in terms of where we are as a state in negotiating, so that will allow us to have a really competitive cost structure.”

In choosing Pearson, the state bypassed its current vendor and the other bidder, Minnesota-based Questar Assessment, which is being paid $30 million for the just-completed administration of TNReady this school year. The proposal from from an undisclosed third company was thrown out for not meeting the state’s requirements, said Jennifer Johnson, spokeswoman for the state education department.

The state now begins negotiating with Pearson and will sign a contract by June 13, according to Tennessee’s timeline for choosing a new vendor.

Pearson will become the third company in five years to administer TNReady in the state’s messy transition to computer-based testing.

Questar took over in 2016 after former Education Commissioner Candice McQueen fired North Carolina-based Measurement Inc. when the launch of its online platform went so badly that most testing was scuttled for the year. Questar had problems, too. McQueen ordered the search for a new vendor last June after days of technical glitches undermined public trust in the reliability of 2018 results. While TNReady went much smoother this spring with fewer students testing online, state officials said they were ready for Questar to hand off the work.

Only a handful of companies have the capacity to manage large-scale testing like Tennessee is seeking for most of its 1 million public school students. The oldest and largest, Pearson is also the world’s largest textbook publisher and increasingly a player in digital curriculum. The British company makes most of its profits in the U.S.

It won’t be the first time that Tennessee has turned to Pearson. From 2003 through 2014, the company developed, administered, and scored tests for grades 3-8 and end-of-course exams for high school students. And in 2016, after McQueen fired Measurement Inc., the state awarded an emergency contract to Pearson to score completed TNReady tests before choosing Questar to take over. At the time, McQueen pointed out that Pearson scored the National Assessment of Student Progress, also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” and had contracts in 25 states.

But Pearson won’t be expected to administer online tests when it takes over testing next school year. At the urging of Gov. Bill Lee this spring, the legislature ordered that students will take their state tests on paper in 2019-20 as Tennessee transitions to its new vendor.

“I felt pretty strongly about moving to paper next year,” Schwinn told the state board, emphasizing that Pearson will need at least a year to prepare for online testing. She cited problems in states like Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and New York when they tried to do it in less time.

“We have never in this country seen an assessment vendor have a successful online administration with three to four months of standup — ever,” she said. “It’s just part of how difficult it is to set up an online administration in a new test and a new environment, especially in a state that has a significant rural community presence.”

Schwinn said Pearson also will be expected to return scores faster than during the first three years of TNReady, when some results weren’t released until the fall.

“Our goal is by next summer that we have all of the data and accountability metrics reported to districts no later than Aug. 31,” she said, “so that people can actually have that data and make decisions.”

Schwinn said Pearson will face penalties if it doesn’t meet the terms of its contract and also must establish offices in Tennessee instead of working remotely.

“We haven’t required that before … [but] those are some of the things that we wanted to correct for this time — have someone close — so if there is a problem, it is literally driving distance away and we’re able to meet in person more frequently,” she said.

Hear that sigh of relief? Online testing just finished in Tennessee – and it worked this time

2019-05-07T19:31:27+00:00

One year after frozen computer screens and spinning cursors left many of her students and teachers in tears, assistant principal Tara Baker is giving Tennessee significantly higher marks for its handling of state tests completed just last week.

“I would have graded our state an F-minus last year, but this year was more like a B-plus,” she said of the state’s computer-based assessment.

“Everything went much much smoother and I’m very relieved,” said Baker, who coordinates testing for 2,200 students at Nashville’s McGavock, one of the largest high schools in the state.

In all, about 715,000 students in grades 3-11 completed 2 million tests statewide during the month-long spring testing window that ended on Friday. Most were taken using paper and pencil, while high schoolers stuck with keyboards and submitted about 700,000 tests online.

The last of the paper tests are being shipped this week to Minneapolis for scanning and scoring by Questar, the state’s testing company. Preliminary scores are to be delivered by May 20 for districts that met Monday’s shipping deadline and plan to include those results in student report cards.

The quiet conclusion to the annual TNReady testing season elicited a collective sigh of relief from families and educators across Tennessee and marked the first time in four years that the beleaguered assessment wasn’t marred by widespread technical snafus and breakdowns in the rocky transition to online testing.

“Aside from minor issues related to user error or local infrastructure limitations, the computer-based testing processes were completed without incident,” said Penny Schwinn, who cleared her own first big test as the state’s new education commissioner.

Hired in part because of her experience troubleshooting testing in Delaware and Texas, Schwinn took the helm of Tennessee’s education department in early February and identified a smooth test administration as her top priority this spring.

She quickly made changes so her department could monitor Questar’s administration of online tests in real time, deployed staff across the state to address problems, and oversaw a string of safeguards and customer service improvements ordered last year by her predecessor, Candice McQueen. The overhaul came after days of technical problems last spring led to emergency legislative orders that basically gutted 2018 results from student report cards, teacher evaluations, and school accountability systems.

This time around — under changes stipulated in a revised contract signed last fall — Questar dedicated an entire computer infrastructure to Tennessee so that TNReady would not be affected by its clients in seven other states. Only weeks earlier, students in New York struggled with computer-based tests via Questar.

A high volume of internet traffic was just one of the issues that caused mass frustration last year when TNReady season opened with fits and starts. On one day, testing was interrupted when a dump truck severed a fiber optic cable in East Tennessee, while the online assessment was completely shut down on another day due to traffic patterns that resembled a cyber attack. A subsequent investigation debunked the latter theory and blamed Questar’s unauthorized change to an online testing tool.

As a result, the state docked Questar $4 million in pay and didn’t allow the company to make coding changes without state approval during the final year of its contract. The Minneapolis-based vendor is on track to be paid about $26 million for this year’s testing and is among an undisclosed number of companies seeking the state’s new testing contract for next school year.

“I’m glad we were able to give students and teachers a testing experience they deserve,” Assistant Education Commissioner Mary Batiwalla said Wednesday as she listed some highlights.

Successes included a 38 percent drop in calls to Questar’s customer service center and an average wait time of 10 seconds compared to 5 minutes last year, she said.

Schools made their own adjustments. At McGavock, where about 500 students tested every day for three weeks, Baker added a proctor to each classroom to support her test administrators and allotted more time each morning to get students started. “Once our students got logged on, things went pretty smoothly,” said the assistant principal, one of 150 educators who participated in former Gov. Bill Haslam’s “listening tour” last fall to troubleshoot TNReady problems.

Tara Baker raises her hand to talk during Gov. Bill Haslam’s Sept. 4 roundtable discussion about state testing challenges. An assistant principal at Nashville’s McGavock High School, Baker was among about 150 educators invited to participate. (Photo courtesy of TN.gov)

Assuming that scoring goes without a hitch this spring, the smoother testing experience means that Tennessee will get back on track with its systems for using test score growth to hold students, teachers, schools, and districts accountable, according to Elizabeth Fiveash, assistant commissioner over policy and legislative affairs.

“We won’t have to make any changes to our accountability system to account for any testing anomalies like we’ve had to in recent years,” Fiveash said. “That’s going to let us implement our accountability model more consistently.”

For students, preliminary TNReady scores will count for up to 25 percent of their final grades, depending on what grade and district they’re in. More than half of Tennessee’s districts plan to incorporate those results, according to Batiwalla.

For teachers in tested grades, their students’ growth scores will account for 35 percent of their overall effectiveness rating, while classroom observations continue to determine the bulk of their evaluation scores.

Batiwalla said districts will receive the final TNReady scores in July, and the results will be announced publicly in August.

Next school year, testing will look different again in Tennessee. All of TNReady will be completed on paper to give the state’s next testing company time to ramp up for an online assessment for older students beginning in 2021. That change was ordered by the legislature this spring at the urging of Gov. Bill Lee.

So far so good? Nearly halfway through, Tennessee state testing remains glitch-free

2019-04-17T22:09:51+00:00

Tennessee’s school districts are nearly halfway through online testing, and for the first time in three years, no major issues have been reported.

About 200,000 computer-based exams were submitted Tuesday and Wednesday – the heaviest days of state testing so far this spring, according to the state Department of Education. That puts the state about 43 percent of the way through testing season to date. From April 8 to May 3, Tennessee students will take 700,000 online exams and 1.3 million paper tests

This calm is critical to both school districts and state Education Chief Penny Schwinn, who said when hired in January that getting state testing right would be her first priority. And for Tennessee students, this year marks the first time in three years that they have not faced major problems with the state’s annual TNReady assessment, administered under two different vendors.

“It’s not over yet and we have a long way to go,” Schwinn said. “But I will say I’m encouraged by what we’ve seen.”

Because Tennessee has produced multiple years of questionable testing data, this year’s smooth testing is especially important to school leaders, said Megan Quaile, executive director of charter network Green Dot Public Schools Tennessee in Memphis. Quaile said testing has gone well this week at her three high schools and two middle schools.

“Last year, we had students waiting 90 minutes to access their tests after they were kicked off the system,” Quaile said. “We haven’t had a good testing year in years…This data is important in how we make decisions in serving kids.”

Unlike previous years, the only testing issues being reported to the Department of Education’s testing hotline are either due to user error or minor infrastructure issues, like internet connections momentarily going out, said department spokesman Jay Klein.

“Moreover, all issues have been resolved either through over-the-phone guidance or the deployment of physical team members,” Klein said.

Schwinn said she had sent department staff all over the state this week, so if an issue comes up, “someone can be there within minutes.”

Schwinn announced last week that she requested two other companies triple-check the work of Questar, the testing company that gave two straight years of problem-plagued TNReady assessments. Days of testing difficulties last spring led to two emergency legislative orders so that the problematic results wouldn’t affect student report cards, teacher evaluations, and school accountability systems for at least the 2018-19 school year

The two troubled years came after the state fired its previous testing company, Measurement Inc., in 2016 after it oversaw Tennessee’s failed transition to online testing.

Schwinn said this week that the additional review of Questar’s system gave her confidence going into the heaviest days of testing and that the department has not seen any major issues so far with Questar’s system.

“No matter what, with testing, you’re going to have students who are going to unplug the computer or students who are going to do what kids do,” Schwinn said. “But in terms of the vendor and the systems, we have not seen slowdowns.”

Still, Tennessee could have a new test maker next year. Last week was the state’s deadline to receive bids for a single company to oversee the test both on paper for younger students and online for older ones beginning next school year.

Schwinn said the department had received “a number of bids” and planned to select a company and finalize a contract by June. She declined to say how many bids the state received.

Whichever testing company the state chooses likely won’t have to worry about online testing for next year. Gov. Bill Lee announced this month that he wants all public school students to take their state tests on paper next school year as Tennessee transitions to the new company.

Reporter Marta W. Aldrich contributed to this report.

Next week will prove if Tennessee is ready for TNReady. Here’s how state testing is going so far.

2019-04-10T23:50:11+00:00

Following three consecutive years of testing problems, Tennessee is trying again.

So far, students have taken about 43,000 state exams online this week.

By Friday, that number is expected to reach 100,000, and about 700,000 by the end of the month. An additional 1.3 million tests will be completed on paper.

“We’re starting much stronger this year than we did last year,” Tennessee’s Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn told reporters Wednesday.

There is a lot riding on this year’s exams going smoothly. Since 2016, Tennessee students have faced problems with the state’s annual TNReady assessment, administered under two different vendors.

To avoid similar problems this year, Schwinn has established a “control room” for the heaviest days of online testing next week.

“This allows us to see everything that’s happening in real time,” she said. “We have put in place a number of redundancies to get as close to accurate information as possible.”

One of those redundancies is having two other companies triple-check the work of Questar, the testing company that gave two consecutive years of problem-plagued TNReady assessments. Days of testing difficulties last spring led to two emergency legislative orders so that the problematic results wouldn’t impact student report cards, teacher evaluations, and school accountability systems for at least the 2018-19 school year.

In 2016, the state fired its previous testing company, Measurement Inc., after it oversaw Tennessee’s failed transition to online testing.

New York, which also uses Questar, experienced online glitches during testing last week – marking the second time New York has had problems during assessment season. New York’s Education Commissioner requested that Microsoft and Educational Testing Service, or ETS, Questar’s parent company, confirm Questar’s diagnosis and how it planned to fix the issues.

Schwinn said she has asked Questar to continue working with Microsoft and ETS during its testing cycle in Tennessee to monitor and identify any potential issues.

“The best way to mitigate problems is to see what’s happening elsewhere before our testing windows starts,” Schwinn said. “New York saw challenges with its platform. We have required Questar to triple-check the functionality of its systems.”

Tennessee’s window for testing was to start officially next Monday, but the education department gave districts the option to test a week early so it wouldn’t interrupt with Easter break plans for some schools.

By the end of the week, Schwinn expects half of the state’s 147 districts to have completed at least some subject-area testing, but individual districts and schools were given discretion on timing.

This week is the state’s deadline to receive bids for a single company to oversee the test both on paper for younger students and online for older ones beginning next school year. Tennessee hopes to finalize the contract with the testing company it selects by June 13.

Whatever testing company the state chooses won’t have to worry about online testing for next year. Gov. Bill Lee announced last week that he wants all public school students to take their state tests on paper next school year as Tennessee transitions to the new company.

“The best course of action for the state next year is to go with paper and pencil testing,” Schwinn said this week. “We’re going to set up online testing for future years.”

Tennessee governor calls for pause on computer-based testing for one year

2019-04-04T22:19:01+00:00

Gov. Bill Lee announced Thursday that he wants all public school students to take their state tests on paper next school year as Tennessee transitions to a new testing company.

The announcement comes in the same week that a similar legislative proposal advanced easily out of a House education subcommittee.

The one-year hiatus from computer-based tests will not affect TNReady exams this spring under Questar, the state’s current vendor whose contract expires this fall. High school students will still test online when the annual assessment begins on April 15 for most students. Those in grades 3-8 will stick with paper.

“We must ensure the utmost quality in our annual assessment,” Lee said in a statement, lauding legislative leaders for “their thoughtful approach on this matter.”

The announcement comes after three straight years of failures and hiccups with computerized testing in Tennessee. It also signals that Lee and his new education commissioner, Penny Schwinn, are not confident that the state’s next vendor will have enough time to prepare for a successful online administration by next spring.

Schwinn, who was hired by Lee partly because of her experience with testing in Texas and Delaware, has said a full year of preparation is best practice. In recent school visits, she told students, teachers, and parents that she was looking closely at having an all-paper testing year in 2019-20.

“One year of paper-based testing will give the new vendor a full year to properly stand up a Tennessee office, hire exceptional talent, and make sure the assessment is ready for Tennessee classrooms,” Schwinn said.

The legislative proposal is expected to move quickly with the sponsorship of Rep. Mark White of Memphis and Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville, Republicans who chair their chambers’ education committees.

“Our teachers and students deserve our best and this will give the Department of Education time to ensure that everything is running smoothly,” White said, while Gresham called the legislation “a step in the right direction.”

The new plan will be a mixed blessing for students, teachers, and administrators.

On the one hand, they want a problem-free administration of TNReady tests. On the other, school districts have been ramping up for digital testing for more than six years under an order by the state to invest in technology, hardware, infrastructure, and training for the TNReady era.

“While online testing in the long-run could reduce testing costs, our state simply is not ready,” said JC Bowman, who leads the Professional Educators of Tennessee.

The timeline to transition to a new company was delayed when the state invited vendors to bid in March, three months later than initially targeted in the transition to a new governor. The state also jumped through extra hoops to talk with stakeholders and scrutinize what Tennessee needs from its next testing company.

Under its revised timeline, Tennessee will receive bids by late next week and hire its next TNReady vendor in June.

Tennessee already has walked back its transition to online testing two times since 2016 when a wholesale switch failed miserably, prompting then-Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to cancel most of that year’s tests and fire Measurement Inc.

After more computer glitches happened under Questar, McQueen ordered that students in lower grades — some of whom tested online last year — will take their TNReady tests on paper this spring.

Tennessee would take a year off from computer-based testing under legislative proposal

2019-04-04T14:05:00+00:00

All Tennessee students would take their TNReady tests on paper next school year under a legislative proposal to give the state’s next testing company more time to prepare to administer computer-based exams.

House Education Committee Chairman Mark White said the idea is to let the new vendor “get the kinks out” before returning to online exams for older students in the 2020-21 school year.

“We really need one full year in order to test this to make sure everything is right,” said the Memphis Republican.

White’s bill, cosponsored by Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville, was approved late Tuesday by a House education subcommittee and heads next to the chamber’s full committee. It would not change plans to test high school students online this month under Questar, the state’s current vendor whose contract ends on Nov. 30.

A one-year online hiatus was not requested by new Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, but she would support it, according to AE Graham, spokeswoman for the education department.

“We appreciate and welcome the General Assembly taking a thoughtful approach to how to make the state’s yearly assessment work for students, teachers, and taxpayers,” Graham said on Wednesday.

The proposal signals that legislative leaders aren’t confident that the state’s next vendor will have enough time to ramp up for online testing by the spring of 2020, when the bulk of Tennessee’s students take TNReady.

Tennessee has had three straight years of problems administering and scoring its annual assessment under two different vendors, starting with the failed transition to online testing under North Carolina-based Measurement Inc., which the state fired in 2016. Last year, days of testing problems under Questar led to two emergency legislative orders that basically gutted the results from student report cards, teacher evaluations, and school accountability systems for at least the 2018-19 school year.

The timeline to transition to a new company got shortened when the state released its request for proposals from vendors in March, three months later than initially planned because of painstaking efforts to get the contract right, plus the transition in administrations under a new governor. The deadline for bids is April 11, with plans to sign a contract this summer. Because of the shortened timeline, the new vendor will have only months to prepare before some high school students test online in December and well under a year before the bulk of TNReady exams take place in the spring.

Schwinn has said a full year to transition to a new vendor is the rule of thumb. During her recent visits to Tennessee schools, she has told students, teachers, and parents that she’s looking closely at the possibility of an all-paper testing year in 2019-20.

White’s legislative proposal was met with mixed responses from local school leaders, whose districts were required to invest in technology, hardware, and infrastructure to switch to online state tests beginning in 2016.

“What we don’t want is another catastrophe, but more than anything we would like the department of education to be held accountable,” said Shante Avant, chairman of the board for Shelby County Schools, Tennessee’s largest district.

“I just wish they would get this right,” she added.

Lakeland School System, a smaller district near Memphis, has sought to make its students digitally literate, so online testing makes sense. But Superintendent Ted Horrell said he also wants a clean test administration.

“I would assume the legislature wouldn’t run a bill like this unless there was some doubt whether the state could run online testing well next year. Obviously we’ve have problems in previous years that we don’t want to repeat,” Horrell said.

The state’s superintendents have urged the education department not to let headaches stop the state’s switch to online testing. On Wednesday, the group’s executive director said he is disappointed by — but also open to — the prospect of taking a breath.

“We don’t want to do online testing if it’s not going to be successful,” said Dale Lynch, executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents.

Meanwhile, schools are preparing for spring TNReady testing that begins on April 15, with online exams for high school students and pencil-and-paper tests for younger grades.

Schwinn and her team are working closely with Questar to avoid a repeat of computer-based testing glitches that occurred Tuesday in New York.

Tennessee is requiring the Minneapolis-based company to use a computer testing platform that is independent from its infrastructure for other states it serves — a safeguard that Schwinn says gives her more confidence.

“We are optimistic about the way our students and teachers have interacted with the platform so far, the safeguards put into place to optimize the experience, and the changes Commissioner Schwinn and her team have made for the vendor,” said Graham.

Laura Faith Kebede contributed to this report.

Teachers are ‘ready to fight,’ says new Tennessee coalition inspired by strikes in other states

2019-03-12T21:36:12+00:00

Weary of standardized testing and underfunded schools, and alarmed by the prospect of education vouchers and charter expansion in Tennessee, a group of teacher leaders have organized a new statewide coalition and say they are “ready to fight for the schools our students deserve.”

The coalition, called TN Teachers United, launched last week after meeting with two teachers who helped organize statewide walkouts last year in Arizona and West Virginia.

While a Tennessee walkout isn’t the goal at this point, it remains a possibility, according to the three primary organizers: Tikeila Rucker of Memphis, Amanda Kail of Nashville, and Lauren Sorensen of Knoxville.

“I won’t say that Tennessee is next, but I also won’t say that we’re not,” said Rucker, a former classroom teacher who is president of United Education Association of Shelby County, one of two organizations that represents Memphis teachers.

“I think we have to leave everything on the table,” added Kail, a teacher at Margaret Allen Middle School in Nashville, home to the state’s second largest district. “A lot of people are afraid to talk about it, but we can’t be afraid. I think we’re reaching a boiling point.”

National momentum

In the last year, teacher movements have started small in other states like West Virginia, Arizona, Kentucky, and Oklahoma — with powerful results. But it’s uncertain whether Tennessee’s coalition will be able to grow the grassroots support needed to make demands, even though the states have similar dynamics, including weakened unions, thin labor rights, and business-friendly politics that lean Republican.

Tennessee is a deep red state where teacher strikes have been illegal since 1978 when the last one occurred in Memphis. Teachers unions were further weakened in 2011 when they lost collective bargaining rights under the administration of Republican Gov. Bill Haslam.

Meanwhile, the state rolled out education reforms driven by new academic standards and measures to hold teachers and schools accountable. Those tied teacher evaluations to student test results, a shift that still angers educators who question the validity of scores under Tennessee’s problem-plagued TNReady test.

Haslam also invested $500 million in new funding in K-12 education, including teacher raises, but Tennessee’s per-pupil funding remains one of the lowest in the region and in the bottom half of the nation.

Adding fuel to the discussion is new Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s announcement last week that he wants to create a voucher program, which would divert taxpayer money to pay for private education services, and also make it easier to start new charter schools in Tennessee. Both proposals are opposed by educator groups who would rather see more investments in traditional public schools.

Bill Lee speaks with reporters in November 2018 after his election as Tennessee’s 50th governor, as outgoing Gov. Bill Haslam looks on.

“Given our current governor and the state legislature, things look really grim,” said Kail. “We’re also seeing a decline in people who want to be teachers enrolling in colleges of education.”

Kail and other organizers created a Facebook group and began promoting the new coalition this week by inviting educators to join and complete a questionnaire about their biggest concerns. Within a day, they had more than 200 members — and were growing by the hour. There are no plans to collect dues like a union does.

One organizer said feedback from the questionnaires will drive their next steps. “It doesn’t do us any good to have hundreds and thousands of people who are upset and angry. It’s only going to help if they’re passionate enough to do something about it,” said Sorensen, who teaches at Halls Elementary School in Knox County.

The organizers are following a blueprint used by teachers in West Virginia and Arizona who talked through their strategies during an hourlong video-conference. They convened with Tennessee leaders on Feb. 28 with the help of Labor Notes, a national media and organizing project that seeks to develop grassroots labor movements.

Chris Brooks, a Labor Notes writer who helped facilitate the meeting, said Tennessee is ripe for stepping up its advocacy beyond the tactics of rank-and-file teacher organizations like the Tennessee Education Association.

“They can be conflict-averse and try to talk people out of doing things like a strike, but a strike can be the most powerful tool there is,” said Brooks, a former labor organizer in Chattanooga who also previously worked for the Tennessee Education Association.

Brooks, who has assisted with teacher movements in West Virginia, Arizona, and Kentucky, believes Tennessee is next.

“Conditions for teachers are bad,” he said of his home state. “Schools are underfunded. Students are over-tested. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves. When people are struggling that hard for teachers to be able to teach and students to be able to learn, I think you’ve got the conditions for an uprising.”

But JC Bowman, executive director of the 8,000-member Professional Educators of Tennessee, cautioned against moving toward a strike.

“If you come out militant, you’re going to bring out the militants on the other side,” Bowman said. “Teachers would be putting their jobs on the line. You play chicken with some people, you can lose.”

Splintered teachers groups

Tennessee has at least six professional and advocacy organizations for teachers, some of which represent educators in labor negotiations with local districts.

All three organizers of the new coalition are active in the largest and most powerful group, the Tennessee Education Association, also known as TEA, and have expressed frustration with its pace.

“Over the past few years, we haven’t gotten results by being at the table,” said Rucker.

Beth Brown, a Grundy County teacher who became president of the teachers association last year, said she welcomes the energy of the new coalition and notes that the group’s core beliefs appear to be aligned with those of the Tennessee Education Association.

They include a call for full state funding of public education; opposition to standardized testing as a means to label and punish schools, teachers, and students; a commitment to education equity; and opposition to vouchers in any form or funneling public money into charter schools.

Brown took issue, however, about the effectiveness of TEA’s work.

“We know that, if it hadn’t been for the advocacy efforts of our members during the last decade, Tennessee would already have had private school vouchers and radical charter school expansion,” she said.

Teacher members of the Tennessee Education Association meet Tuesday with Rep. Harold Love of Nashville during an advocacy day at the State Capitol in Nashville. TEA encourages members to use a day of their spring breaks to lobby lawmakers on issues important to teachers. (Photo courtesy of TEA)

Coalition organizers in Tennessee say talk of a strike is building but emphasize that such discussions are premature. First, teachers must do some soul-searching on priorities and recruiting to gauge statewide support.

“The conversation now is about what really drives us. Is it funding or wages? Is it TNReady? Vouchers? Discipline? Or is it all of these things?” asked Kail. “We saw in Los Angeles how teachers tied together a bunch of things with a lot of success.”

The numbers also have to be there, pulling in as many of the state’s 66,000 public school teachers as possible, as well as retired teachers, parents, students, and community members.

“We should never be afraid of our own power,” said Rucker.

Sorensen adds: “We’ve been paying attention to other states and they seem to be getting results. I’d rather not strike. I’d rather stay in my classroom and teach. But it seems like our politicians don’t respond to anything else.”

Tennessee seeks bids for testing company to oversee troubled TNReady program

2019-03-05T17:55:18+00:00

After eight months of determining exactly what it wants in its next testing company, Tennessee invited vendors on Tuesday to bid for the contract to administer the state’s beleaguered TNReady program beginning next school year.

The state education department is looking for a single company to oversee the test both on paper for younger students and online for older ones, plus provide faster return of scores to local districts than in the first three years of TNReady.

Tennessee also wants stronger computer-based systems and improved training and customer service, both to prepare testing coordinators for annual tests and to troubleshoot when problems arise, according to the 86-page document outlining the state’s request for proposals.

The invitation went out following three straight years of problems administering and scoring the state’s annual TNReady assessment under two different vendors, starting with the failed transition to online testing under North Carolina-based Measurement Inc., which the state fired in 2016.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said the new guidelines set a high bar by requiring Tennessee’s next vendor to triple the state’s current online capacity to handle 500,000 students at one time, far more than needed now. The state also wants the vendor to maintain its computer-based testing system year-round.

“A state assessment system is kind of like a pop-up Amazon for a week,” she said. “You have to set up an entire online system and have it work almost on the spot. You do that once or twice a year as opposed to vendors like Amazon or Google who have their systems up all year round. So we are requiring this new vendor to have that maintained capacity, which we think will allow for a stronger system.”

The estimated annual price tag is $20 million, compared to $30 million being paid per year to Questar Assessment, the Minneapolis-based company whose contract ends on Nov. 30. But that amount could go up or down.

“The $20 million is an estimated maximum liability,” Schwinn told reporters after the document’s release. “That can certainly be lower than that. It can very certainly be higher than that and more commensurate with what we’ve seen under Questar. I think the idea is that we wanted to give a starting point in terms of what vendors can look at in their bids” before negotiations begin.

The document was released three months later than originally targeted due to the state’s painstaking efforts to get this contract right, plus the transition in administrations under a new governor.

It sets April 11 as the deadline to bid, with proposals being scored on May 6 and negotiations with the top choice beginning on May 13. The final contract is to be signed by June 13.

Schwinn acknowledged that the timeline is tight heading into a new school year, with some high school students taking the first tests in December and almost all students in grades 3-11 testing the following spring.

“In a perfect world, we know that best practice is to allow a vendor a full year for transition to a new assessment program,” she said, noting the need to secure facilities, hire staff, and begin preparations. “Given the context that we are in in Tennessee, my No. 1 priority is to ensure that we make the best decision possible to have a strong administration. We’ll move forward with a procurement. We have contingency plans in place.”

Those contingency plans could include administering all tests on paper next school year as the state determines the vendor’s readiness to give TNReady online to high school students and deliver a computer-based science test to grades 5-8.

“That’s going to be part of that evaluation over the summer once we have a vendor selected,” Schwinn said. “I think the most important thing is that we’re going to be making decisions that are in the best interest of the students and the teachers, and taking our time about what makes sense as we finalize who that vendor is.”

Questar Chief Operating Officer Brad Baumgartner has said the company plans to bid again for Tennessee’s testing business, despite widespread online disruptions to students, teachers, and schools under its watch last spring. Days of testing problems led to two emergency legislative orders that basically gutted the results from student report cards, teacher evaluations, and school accountability systems for at least the 2018-19 school year.

Schwinn declined to speak specifically to Questar’s chances but added: “It is an open procurement process and so we will evaluate the bids as they come in. But we will follow all state and federal laws on procurement processes.”

The search for a new testing company was ordered last June by then-Education Commissioner Candice McQueen. At the time, she said a track record of successful online testing would be a must if Tennessee wants to stay nationally competitive.

McQueen’s successor is equally committed to online testing and was recruited to Tennessee by new Gov. Bill Lee because of her experience with test administration in Delaware and Texas.

Even as the state seeks to beef up its computer-based testing systems, Schwinn emphasized that the test itself will not change, nor will its alignment with current academic standards or its level of rigor.

“Teachers and students should not expect changes from year to year in that respect,” she said. “This is more about how the assessment is given — the administration, logistics, and operations.”

You can find the state’s request for testing proposals here.

This story has been updated with new information.

Online trial run of TNReady test dampened by flooding and flu across Tennessee

2019-02-27T19:25:00+00:00

First, an overloaded computer platform derailed Tennessee’s online testing program. Then students struggled to complete their year-end exams because of software bugs and even a fiber optic cable that was severed by a dump truck.

Now as the state tries to get testing right in the fourth year of the TNReady assessment era, it faces several new challenges: flooding and the flu.

About 80,000 students in 83 districts had been scheduled to participate in a statewide online testing simulation on Feb. 21 after months of coordination with the state education department and its testing company, Questar. But forces of nature prevented more than half of those students from logging on that morning to take practice tests on the state’s platform.

The disappointing turnout means a second simulation is now scheduled for March 8. It also represents the latest hurdle in Tennessee’s quest to administer and score its state assessment cleanly for the first time since transitioning to online exams in 2016.

The so-called “verification test” was ordered last year by then-Education Commissioner Candice McQueen as a precaution to ensure that Questar has fixed the glitches that contributed to widespread technical testing snafus and disruptions last spring.

Unfortunately, days of heavy rains and subsequent flooding conditions forced at least 14 districts to cancel classes on the day of the simulation. That was on top of large numbers of illness-related student absences already plaguing schools.

Among those closed was Rutherford County Schools, one of the state’s largest districts, which signed up for about 2,500 students in 20 high schools to participate in the trial run.

Other systems like Hamilton County Schools also didn’t take part after delaying the start of school by several hours that day. The Chattanooga-based district had planned to have 900 students in nine high schools participate in the 40-minute simulation.

The state proceeded with its trial run as planned, and Questar Chief Operating Officer Brad Baumgartner told Chalkbeat afterward that the online system “performed as expected.”

However, state officials acknowledged later that the pool of participants wasn’t large enough to accurately simulate conditions that will exist when TNReady testing officially begins on the morning of April 15 across two time zones.

“The platform performed as expected and the server data looked good, but because of lower than anticipated participation, we did not get to verify the platform for spring testing load expectations,” said Chandler Hopper, a spokeswoman for the state.

Tennessee is now planning a “second, more targeted verification test in the near future,” said Hopper, adding on Monday that the date hasn’t been decided yet.

A similar mock test was conducted last fall before about 30,000 high school students on nontraditional schedules successfully took their exams online after Thanksgiving.

But this spring will be the real test, when significantly more high school students will take TNReady using a computer or other digital device. Because of last year’s testing problems in high schools and some middle schools, only high school students will test online this school year.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the scheduled date for the second simulation test.

TNReady scores won’t count for much in Memphis student grades

2019-02-27T02:47:11+00:00

TNReady scores from 2019 will have a minimum impact on student grades — and in some cases, no impact.

The Shelby County Schools board approved a recommendation Tuesday evening to set the weight of state test scores in report cards at 0 percent for elementary students, and 10 percent for middle school students. Both are the minimum allowed under state policy.

The action highlights the mistrust still prevalent among school leaders after years of major technical failures from the state’s test known as TNReady.

“We do not think there is a good rationale for increasing the weight of TNReady assessments on students’ grades beyond the minimum required by the state, especially considering recent testing challenges,” the proposal read.

State testing is the linchpin of Tennessee’s system for evaluating student achievement. But as technical failures have marred the rollout in recent years, educators have clamored for limits on how the scores are used.

TNReady’s new online system failed on the first day of testing in 2016, and when replacement tests for third- through eighth-graders were not delivered on time, the state Department of Education canceled testing. Last year, many students couldn’t log into their tests and answers weren’t being saved. State lawmakers then moved to ban 2018 test scores from penalizing schools and allowed school boards to exclude them from student report cards. Many school boards took the legislature up on that offer.

The problems prompted former superintendent Dorsey Hopson and his counterpart in Nashville to declare “no confidence” in TNReady and request a pause in testing in August.

State law now gives local school boards a range to choose from every year for how much test scores will count in student grades. The range is 0-25 percent for third- through fifth-graders, and 10-25 percent for middle schoolers.

For high school students, Shelby County Schools already planned to use TNReady scores as 15 percent of a student’s grade, which is also the minimum allowed in state board policy. The maximum is 25 percent. Districts are not required to incorporate their test scores unless the results come back within five days of the end of the school year.

For older students, teachers and school leaders have worried that if scores don’t count in their grades, they won’t try as hard on the state test. That’s not without merit, but the portion of students taking the exam did not drop significantly last year, according to the state.

Just months before its next testing company is supposed to start, Tennessee has yet to receive its first bid

2019-01-30T21:00:00+00:00

With just months to go before a company is supposed to take over Tennessee’s troubled assessment program, the state has yet to release its request for proposals, potentially putting its next vendor on course for another rushed timeline to testing.

The state’s education department had aimed to solicit proposals by December, receive bids by February, and make a decision by April. Now officials are looking at February to release the document that will outline Tennessee’s testing requirements after three straight years of headaches under two different companies.

The delay calls into question whether the state can stick with its timeline of choosing one or more vendors by this spring for a job that starts with the new school year. While a change in test administrators normally requires at least a year of preparation before testing begins, the next company would be expected to test some high school students in November, and then to administer the annual assessment to most Tennessee students in grades 3-11 in the spring of 2020.

Incoming Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn — who was recruited by new Gov. Bill Lee partly for her experience with assessments in two other states — acknowledges that the timetable is not optimal.

“If I look at other states, including the two that I’ve overseen in Delaware and Texas, the traditional timeline is that a new vendor has a year to set up processes that are really strong and then you execute,” she told Chalkbeat.

“That being said,” she continued, “the responsibility that we have at the department is to follow whatever guidelines, legislation, and expectations are set for us. The expectation is that we have a new vendor in place for next school year, and we will do whatever we can to ensure that is as strong a transition as possible.”

Leaders of the Tennessee Education Association, the state’s largest teachers organization, worry that the delay could set the state on a collision course with more testing problems.

“It is crucial that the state get this right as they search for a new testing vendor,” said President Beth Brown, adding that trust in the state’s assessment program is at an all-time low.

Buried in a recent state audit of the testing program known as TNReady was an admonishment that Tennessee’s assessment woes since 2016 can be traced, in part, to short runways given to its current and previous testing companies.

"We have concerns that the department has proceeded with large-scale procurements involving millions of dollars under intense time constraints."

Tennessee Comptroller Justin P. Wilson

“We have concerns that the department has proceeded with large-scale procurements involving millions of dollars under intense time constraints,” the audit said, adding that department leaders “should avoid being forced to implement assessment processes without allowing for adequate time to respond to and resolve potential issues with assessment vendors.”

Tennessee first hired North Carolina-based Measurement Inc. in late 2014 to launch TNReady the next school year. Generally, it takes at least two years to create a test from scratch and prep for launch, but Measurement Inc. got just over one year. The rush order was necessitated by the legislature’s April 2014 vote to pull out abruptly from the multistate testing consortium known as PARCC amid political backlash over the Common Core academic standards.

Measurement Inc.’s online platform collapsed on the first day of testing in February 2016, and Education Commissioner Candice McQueen eventually fired the company.

Why Tennessee legislators share blame, too, for TNReady testing headaches

That set the stage for a rushed hire of Questar Assessment in the summer of 2016 to take over testing that fall. The Minneapolis-based company also struggled with computerized scoring and delivery, culminating last spring with days of technical disruptions that seriously undermined the test’s credibility with students, parents, and educators.

With pressure mounting to get testing right this time around, Tennessee embarked last summer on an ambitious process to solicit feedback from stakeholders and strengthen vendor criteria for its next contract.

But the comprehensive work, combined with a change in administrations, has required moving the goalposts several times for choosing Questar’s successor. Initially, the state had hoped to release its request for proposals last November.

Penny Schwinn soon will become Tennessee’s education commissioner under Republican Gov. Bill Lee. She is leaving her job as chief deputy commissioner of academics in Texas. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe/ Getty Images)

As of last week, state procurement officials were conducting a legal review and evaluation of the document, but other steps remain before its release. The state comptroller must sign off, and Schwinn, who officially starts next week as education commissioner, said she plans to scrutinize the details, too.

Asked whether the state should rethink its entire timetable for moving to a new vendor, Schwinn called it “a fair question” given the delays.

“That is going to be an ongoing conversation,” she said. “What the outcome of that is, I can’t say one way or another. I can say one of the big responsibilities I have is to ensure that I give my honest opinion and we work out the best solution for Tennessee.”

All of the attention reflects the high stakes that Tennessee faces to fix its embattled assessment program to ensure accurate and reliable data about how students are performing.

“We are doing everything we can to make sure this RFP is as strong as possible so that Tennessee students have a successful testing experience,” department spokeswoman Chandler Hopper said in a statement.

It also shows that Tennessee has learned the hard way about the challenges of hiring testing companies in an era of online assessments, when few vendors have the expertise and capacity to handle large-scale jobs that require building, administering, and scoring computerized tests for older students and paper versions for younger ones.

“Vendors will say they can move mountains,” Assistant Commissioner Mary Batilwalla told members of McQueen’s testing task force in November. “We need to say: You can move a mountain? Show me!”

As for the timetable, her department is emphasizing the difference between a vendor having to start from scratch and merely taking a handoff.

“We are not soliciting a vendor to develop our assessment in this procurement, which is typically the case in other states and was previously the case for us,” Hopper said in a statement on Wednesday. “Instead, this RFP is focused solely on administration, which requires a much shorter timeline.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with an additional statement from Tennessee’s Department of Education.

Tennessee’s next education chief starts in February. Here’s how she’s prepping.

2019-01-24T00:13:50+00:00

Penny Schwinn is scheduled on Feb. 4 to take the reins of Tennessee’s education department, where she’ll oversee 600 full-time employees and work on new Gov. Bill Lee’s agenda for public education.

Schwinn is now winding down her obligations in Texas, where as chief deputy commissioner over academics she has been responsible for the work of about 350 employees and half of the programs of the Texas Education Agency.

“As you would want with any public official, I want to make sure we have a really strong transition so that my team is taken care of and the work moves forward in Texas without massive disruption,” she said.

She plans to pack and move to Tennessee next week and expects her family to join her in the spring.

“My husband and I have a 6-year-old and 3-year-old at home, so we’re helping them through this transition and making sure they feel supported in our move,” she said of their two daughters, who eventually will attend public schools in Nashville.

Schwinn, 36, was the final cabinet appointment announced by Lee before the Republican governor took office over the weekend. She is a career educator who started in a Baltimore classroom with Teach For America, founded a charter school in her hometown of Sacramento, California, and has worked as a top state administrator in Delaware and Texas.

In an interview Wednesday with Chalkbeat, she described how she’s straddling two states and getting up to speed for her new job.

TNReady will be Job One, said Schwinn, who is poring over a recent audit of Tennessee’s problem-plagued testing program.

She plans to dig into details to prepare for testing that begins on April 15 under current vendor Questar. Simultaneously, she’ll scrutinize the state’s request for proposals outlining what Tennessee wants from its next testing company when the assessment program moves to a new contract next school year.

The request for proposals is expected to be released in the next few weeks.

“I’m going to be the person who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the new vendor is incredibly strong for Tennessee students, so I want to see everything we’re requesting, ask questions, and make last-minute changes if that’s necessary,” she said.

Tennessee has struggled to deliver its own assessment cleanly since transitioning in 2016 to TNReady, which is aligned to new academic standards and was designed for most students to take online. Three straight years of problems either with online administration or scoring have dogged the state and seriously undermined its accountability work, putting everyone on edge with testing.

In hiring Schwinn, Lee touted her assessment work in two states, including cleaning up behind disruptions that marred testing in Texas soon after she arrived in 2016.

In Tennessee, Schwinn promises tight vendor management, whether it’s with Questar this school year or multiple companies that take over this fall.

“It’s incredibly important that we have accurate data about how our children are performing in Tennessee,” she said of TNReady. “This is my background both in Delaware and Texas in terms of assessment. It’s a good space for me to dig into the work and become an integral part of the team.”

In Texas, Schwinn came under fire for a $4.4 million no-bid award for a contract to collect special education data. A state audit released last September found that she failed to disclose having received professional development training from the person who eventually won a subcontract, which later was canceled at a cost of more than $2 million to the state, according to The Texas Tribune.

While Schwinn said she didn’t try to influence the contract, she told Chalkbeat that she and her department “learned a lot” through that experience, prompting an overhaul of the state’s procurement process.

“It’s important to have transparency when you’re a public official,” she said. “I believe strongly about that.”

As Tennessee’s education commissioner, it’s unlikely that she’ll serve on the evaluation committee that will choose its next testing company, but she plans to be “heavily involved” in the process as she works with programmatic, assessment, and technology experts.

“From a 30,000-foot view, commissioners typically aren’t on those selection panels. They’re able to ask questions and provide direction for the team,” she said.

Schwinn was in Nashville last week when Lee announced her hiring.

Until she is sworn in, interim Commissioner Lyle Ailshie is in charge, and he attended the governor’s first cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Tennessee’s new ed chief says troubleshooting testing is first priority

2019-01-18T01:54:00+00:00

Penny Schwinn knows that ensuring a smooth testing experience for Tennessee students this spring will be her first order of business as the state’s new education chief.

Even before Gov.-elect Bill Lee announced her hiring on Thursday, she was poring over a recent report by the state’s chief investigator about what went wrong with TNReady testing last spring and figuring out her strategy for a different outcome.

“My first days will be spent talking with educators and superintendents in the field to really understand the scenario here in Tennessee,” said Schwinn, who’s been chief deputy commissioner of academics in Texas since 2016.

“I’ll approach this problem with a healthy mixture of listening and learning,” she added.

Schwinn’s experience with state assessment programs in Texas and in Delaware — where she was assistant secretary of education — is one of the strengths cited by Lee in selecting her for one of his most critical cabinet posts.

The Republican governor-elect has said that getting TNReady right is a must after three straight years of missteps in administration and scoring in Tennessee’s transition to online testing. Last year, technical disruptions interrupted so many testing days that state lawmakers passed emergency legislation ordering that poor scores couldn’t be used to penalize students, teachers, schools, or districts.

Schwinn, 36, recalls dealing with testing headaches during her first days on the job in Texas.

“We had testing disruptions. We had test booklets mailed to the wrong schools. We had answer documents in testing booklets. We had online administration failures,” she told Chalkbeat. “From that, we brought together teachers, superintendents, and experts to figure out solutions, and we had a near-perfect administration of our assessment the next year.”

What she learned in the process: the importance of tight vendor management, including setting clear expectations of what’s expected.

She plans to use the same approach in Tennessee, working closely with people in her new department and Questar Assessment, the state’s current vendor.

“Our job is to think about how to get online testing as close to perfect as possible for our students and educators, and that is going to be a major focus,” she said.

The test itself has gotten good reviews in Tennessee; it’s the online miscues that have many teachers and parents questioning the switch from paper-and-pencil exams. Schwinn sees no choice but to forge ahead online and is quick to list the benefits.

“If you think about how children learn and access information today, many are getting that information from hand-held devices and computers,” she said, “so reflecting that natural experience in our classrooms is incredibly important.”

Schwinn said computerized testing also holds promise for accommodating students with disabilities and provides for a more engaging experience for all students.

“When you look at the multiple-choice tests that we took in school and compare that to an online platform where students can watch videos, perform science experiments, do drag-and-drop and other features, students are just more engaged in the content,” she said.

“It’s a more authentic experience,” she added, “and therefore a better measure of learning.”

Schwinn plans to examine Tennessee’s overall state testing program to look for ways to reduce the number of minutes dedicated to assessment and also to elevate transparency.

She also will oversee the transition when one or more companies take over the state’s testing program beginning next school year. Former Commissioner Candice McQueen ordered a new request for proposals from vendors to provide paper testing for younger students and online testing for older ones. State officials have said they hope to award the contract by spring.

In Texas, a 2018 state audit criticized Schwinn’s handling of two major education contracts, including a no-bid special education contract that lost the state more than $2 million.

In Tennessee, an evaluation committee that includes programmatic, assessment, and technology experts will help to decide the new testing contract, and state lawmakers on the legislature’s Government Operations Committee plan to provide another layer of oversight.

Spring testing in Tennessee is scheduled to begin on April 15. You can learn more about TNReady on the state education department’s website.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information about problems with the handling of two education contracts in Texas.

Testing, vouchers, and pre-K: Tennessee legislature’s new ed leader weighs in

2019-01-16T22:12:49+00:00

With a major shift in leadership happening at the State Capitol, the new chairman of Tennessee’s House Education Committee wants to make sure that the state doesn’t backslide when it comes to public education.

Rep. Mark White, a Memphis Republican in office since 2010, was tapped by House Speaker Glen Casada last week to lead the powerful committee, while Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville will continue to chair the Senate Education Committee.

White and Gresham believe that Tennessee’s gains on national tests beginning in 2013 stem from stronger academic standards in classrooms and test score-driven systems for holding students, teachers, schools, and districts accountable. Both have said they don’t want to see dramatic changes to the state’s school improvement policies.

“There’s always things you can tweak or make better, but we don’t want to kill the things that are working,” White said. “We’ve made so many positive gains in the last eight years under Gov. Bill Haslam that I want to make sure we don’t go backward.”

White, 68, holds an education degree from the University of Memphis and was a science teacher and principal in the 1970s at Harding Academy, a private high school in Memphis, before starting an event business

Before his appointment, he spoke with Chalkbeat about issues on the horizon, Tennessee’s testing dilemma, the buzz on school vouchers under governor-elect Bill Lee, and whether there’s an appetite to invest more money in pre-K. This Q&A has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

What are some of the big issues you expect to tackle this year in the legislature?

We need more alignment between K-12 and higher education with more opportunities for students to pursue dual enrollment [which enables students to take college-level courses while they’re in high school]. We also want more vocational and technical education courses so that students are being introduced to marketable skills during high school. We want more of our students to come out of high school with not only a diploma but also a certificate for a particular skill. If you can get them interested in a skill in high school, students much more likely to move on and, if they like working with their hands and have a certification, maybe go straight to work.

Tennessee has yet to cleanly administer and score its TNReady test during the last three years. Can the state restore the credibility of its testing program?

No superintendent has come to me and said we don’t like the test. They like the data that TNReady generates based on our higher standards. The issue has been online administration. I’m pleased that we’re just testing high school students online this year. I don’t know that elementary grades should ever test online. But for all grades, we’ve got to get testing right this year. We can’t afford another year of problems.

What about the amount of testing? Even with the elimination of two high school exams this school year, many teachers and parents are concerned that students test too much, especially in high school where Tennessee exceeds federal requirements.

We’re going to keep looking at that. Through the work of the state’s testing task force, we eliminated chemistry and English III this school year. But I believe that, if we’re going to test to the highest standards, we’ve got to test to make sure there’s been a full year of growth and that teachers are teaching effectively.

After years of school voucher rejections, backers consider another approach in Tennessee

School vouchers are a perennial issue in the legislature and, with a new governor wanting to give parents more education options, do you think this will be the year that some type of voucher bill passes?

There may be a lot of talk about vouchers or education savings accounts, but I don’t think it’s the right climate yet. With the Lee administration being new, I don’t know if they’re going to push it. And even if they do push it, it probably won’t be this year.

I believe in parental choice, but the problem with vouchers moving forward is accountability. We’ve worked so hard making sure the public schools are accountable with testing that if we just give a parent money to go to a private school of their choice or to choose other services and we don’t have any accountability, then I would be against it. If we’re talking about taxpayer dollars and we’re holding one group accountable, then we’ve got to hold everybody accountable.

You’ve been a point person on early childhood education. Is anything happening there?

I’ve talked a lot with Tennesseans for Quality Early Education, and they’re wanting to expand our pre-K programs. I don’t want to lose the conversation around pre-K dollars, but I do think it would be better to think in terms of pre-K through the third grade. Right now only a third of our kids are reading on grade level by third grade, so how do we invest our money up until that milestone grade? I think that would be an easier conversation.

I also think that these are the issues that really matter in Tennessee and are going to lead to improvements. This year in the legislature, I’d like to talk about the things that make a difference and not just sit there and debate whether you like TNReady or not. Those conversations don’t move the needle. It’s old news.

Despite blistering audit, Questar will pursue Tennessee’s next testing contract, says leader

2019-01-04T01:06:12+00:00

The company that oversaw Tennessee’s glitch-ridden student testing program last spring plans to pursue a new state contract to continue the job in the fall, despite a searing audit that blames the firm for most of the online problems.

Officials with Questar Assessment Inc. acknowledged failures in administering the testing program known as TNReady, but added that “we have learned a lot in two years.”

“I understand we have some mending to do, and we hope to be afforded the opportunity to do that,” Chief Operating Officer Brad Baumgartner told Chalkbeat on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the Minneapolis-based company issued its response to an audit of TNReady released last month by the state’s chief internal investigator. Comptroller Justin P. Wilson reported that, while there was plenty of blame to go around including the state education department and even Tennessee legislators, Questar was mostly at fault for technical snafus that exasperated students and educators and prompted the state to dock the company almost $4 million from its $30 million annual contract.

“While Questar does not agree with several of the Tennessee comptroller’s findings, we appreciate the thorough nature of the audit and inclusion in the process,” the company said in its statement.

Among findings that merit further explanation, according to Questar, is the conclusion that the company failed to staff its customer support center sufficiently, resulting in long wait times and high rates of abandoned calls when testing problems emerged.

Baumgartner said the bigger shortcoming was not having a communication plan in place to keep customers informed about widespread slowdowns and outages — a void that he says has been corrected.

“I would liken what happened in the spring to a massive snowstorm in the Northeast and folks are trying to contact an airline’s support line and not being able to get through,” he said. “You generally don’t staff for the possibility of something of that magnitude.”

The company also weighed in on the comptroller’s finding that there was no cyber attack on the second day of testing problems.

“Questar has always held the position that the pattern of data discovered during spring TNReady administration was consistent with what could have been an attack,” Baumgartner said. “But we did not at any time indicate that a cyberattack was certain.”

Tennessee is preparing to invite proposals from testing companies to take over TNReady beginning next school year. To increase their chances of continuing the work, Questar officials are counting on overseeing a successful administration this spring.

The state reported that the administration of more than 72,000 online tests went smoothly last fall. But the real test will come when most high schoolers take their end-of-year exams by computer, while younger students test on paper.

From testing to leadership transitions, here are the stories that you read most in 2018

2018-12-21T22:32:18+00:00

Before the year came to an end, we took a look back into our archives to find the top education stories from 2018. Here are the stories that riled, informed, or befuddled you.

The most read story in 2018 was about a study that suggested that the best way to improve teachers is by coaching principals. Not far behind was a story about a Memphis teacher who created a website to make physics fun and more accessible for his students. The website is now used by students and educators around the country.

News from the state, like the annual release of lists of priority and reward schools, also ranked high among readers, as did stories profiling candidates and changes in education leadership around the state

Sharon Griffin, who has received national recognition for her work in school turnaround, left Shelby County Schools in a surprise move to lead the state-run Achievement School District in May.

Tennessee also got a new governor, Bill Lee, a Republican businessman from Williamson County. Everyone intimately connected to education issues watched the governor’s race closely because the state leader is largely responsible for the fate of the reforms enacted over the last eight years.

Before Lee could name an education commissioner, Candice McQueen took herself out of the running by accepting a job with a national nonprofit. Dorsey Hopson, the superintendent of Shelby County Schools, also removed himself from consideration in November when he announced he would take a position with health insurance giant Cigna.

But the stories that resonated the most with you this year had one common theme: TNReady testing.

We broke the news of widespread problems on the first day of testing this past spring. Students couldn’t log into the system to take the standardized tests. State officials blamed the issues on a conflict between two state testing programs.

The problems continued the next day along with the suggestion that the system could have been hacked.

By the end of the week, state lawmakers had had enough. In an unprecedented move, members of the General Assembly passed a flurry of legislation that largely barred this year’s scores from being used to assess the performance of students, teachers, schools, and districts.

Later, there were calls for the education commissioner’s resignation. But the tenor of those demands changed when we ran a story that questioned the legislature’s culpability in the testing fiasco as well.

Come back to Chalkbeat in 2019 as we continue to cover the stories that matter to educators, families, and policy leaders across the state.

Tennessee was ‘overly ambitious’ in pushing online testing, says state’s chief investigator

2018-12-19T21:13:08+00:00

The state’s chief investigator on Wednesday released 1,700 pages of mostly negative feedback from teachers about Tennessee’s testing program and blamed testing company Questar for the majority of this year’s online blunders.

Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson also scolded the state’s education department for inadequate oversight of the program known as TNReady and said the push to switch to online testing “may have been overly ambitious.”

The comptroller’s audit was released as Tennessee prepares to invite more companies to submit proposals to take over TNReady testing beginning next fall. That request for proposals, which initially was to be released this month, is now set for early 2019 and will include requirements for both online and paper testing.

Questar’s unauthorized change to an online tool was the main culprit behind the technical problems students experienced during a messy return to computerized testing this spring, according to the audit. That tool, which enabled students to turn text into speech if they needed audible instructions, had worked fine the previous fall when a smaller number of high school students had tested online. But Questar changed the feature without the state’s approval before springtime tests taken by the vast majority of Tennessee students.

The Minneapolis-based company also failed to staff its customer support center sufficiently, resulting in lengthy call wait times and high rates of abandoned calls after students struggled to log in, stay online, or submit their exams.

The report confirms many of the early findings the comptroller reported in June. Among them: “There was no cyber attack,” refuting a possible explanation Questar and state officials had offered on the second day of testing problems.

A separate report released Wednesday includes feedback from more than 12,000 teachers who responded to the comptroller’s survey on TNReady. Sixty-six percent of respondents reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the state’s administration of the test.

The comptroller said the education department didn’t do enough to make sure testing would go smoothly, and the audit cited a lack of written detailed processes to make sure Questar met its deadlines.

Questar and the department also failed to adequately track students’ tests once problems emerged, or to update districts on when to expect the tests to be recovered, leaving schools uncertain if their students completed the required exams.

"We have concerns that the department has proceeded with large-scale procurements involving millions of dollars under intense time constraints."

Tennessee Comptroller Audit

On a broader level, the audit pointed out that Tennessee’s chronic problems with TNReady could be traced back to the legislature’s 2014 order to pull out from a multi-state online testing collaborative — something outside the education department’s control.

Tennessee had been preparing for three years to participate in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, known as PARCC, and use the tests it was creating. Political backlash over the Common Core academic standards prompted the state’s abrupt exit — and the need to find another testing company quickly.

Why Tennessee lawmakers share blame, too, for TNReady testing headaches

The testing program has struggled ever since, including the cancelation of most tests in TNReady’s first year due to online failures in 2016 under previous vendor Measurement Inc. Candice McQueen, who became the state’s education chief in 2015, fired that North Carolina-based company and hired Questar to pick up the pieces. But, according to the comptroller, the tight timelines set the state up for problems under both vendors.

In line with the comptroller’s recommendations, the state already has slowed its transition to online testing to include only high school students this school year, plus one science field test for grades 5-8.

Questar also has been docked almost $4 million from last year’s $30 million contract. The company will oversee TNReady testing again this school year to close out its agreement with the state, and Questar officials have told Chalkbeat they plan to submit a new proposal to continue testing in Tennessee.

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen talks in June about changes to Tennessee’s testing program, as superintendents chief Dale Lynch listens.

McQueen told lawmakers Wednesday that the issues raised by the audit have been addressed and that Questar must meet additional requirements this year.

She also reported 64,000 high school students on nontraditional schedules just completed fall exams successfully online. But the real test, she acknowledged, will come next spring when all high schoolers take TNReady.

“The smooth testing experience we saw this fall gives us more confidence in the improvements we are making to help our vendor test online at scale,” McQueen said.

The legislature’s Government Operations Committee has ordered McQueen’s successor to report back to lawmakers before spring testing begins.

Memphis school board softens request to reform state’s troubled TNReady test

2018-12-05T03:32:39+00:00

The board governing Tennessee’s largest school district is asking state legislators to rely less on the standardized test known as TNReady, which has endured a tumultuous online rollout since 2016.

The school board’s annual wish list for state lawmakers dampens stronger language the Shelby County Schools board had proposed last week to “eliminate” the state’s “use and reliance” on the test.

Instead, the Memphis board wants state lawmakers to require the Tennessee Department of Education “to use multiple and/or alternative methods of accountability beyond TNReady that more accurately and reliably assess” student knowledge of state academic standards.

“Much of the trouble with state testing “was around the implementation, not necessarily the tool itself,” said board member Kevin Woods. Board members are scheduled to make their annual presentation to Memphis area lawmakers later this month.

TNReady is the state’s high stakes test that measures student academic performance, starting with third-graders. High schoolers take the online version. In the past, TNReady results have determined teacher raises and evaluations, employment, or whether to place low-performing schools in the state-run Achievement School District. But last year lawmakers temporarily barred using TNReady results for making those decisions after technical glitches interrupted testing for thousands of students.

Leaders in the state’s education department have said that despite the repeated technical difficulties, the test itself is still reliable and a good measure of student progress. In recent years, the state has overhauled requirements for student learning to make them more rigorous. Raising the bar is something the state and Shelby County Schools’ leader Dorsey Hopson agree on — even though Hopson said he had “no confidence” in the online testing system.

Testing students is essential for measuring student progress, said Deidra Brooks, the chief of staff for Memphis Lift, a parent advocacy organization. She urged the board to specify an alternative “that would provide parents with an equitable and transparent way for parents to see how their students are doing.”

The board’s legislative agenda noted a previous bill that failed last year would have allowed districts to use the college admissions test ACT instead of TNReady for high school students. The bill also would have limited the time and number of tests students take during the school year.

Also included in the school board’s legislative agenda was the Memphis school board’s desire to have significantly more say in how charter schools are authorized and overseen.

The Tennessee State Capitol stands in downtown Nashville.

For example, the board said it should be able to decide which neighborhoods are “oversaturated” with schools and prevent a charter school from opening there. Many charter and traditional schools have struggled to enroll enough students as the population has fallen and more schools have opened.

The board is also looking for ways to streamline the authorizing process. It wants to cap the number of charter schools a district can authorize each year, and get rid of a provision that allows prospective charter operators to amend their application during the approval process.

Once schools are authorized, board members want the ability to “take interim measures, short of full revocation” when a charter school is not following legal guidelines or meeting academic standards during its 10-year-charter duration.

The board also continues to oppose a state voucher system that would give public money to parents to use for private school tuition. Governor-elect Bill Lee has expressed support for vouchers, which have failed in the state legislature for about a decade. Lee’s commitment to promote the initiative was underlined by hiring Tony Niknejad as his policy director, who was the former Tennessee leader of the pro-voucher group American Federation for Children.

Below is the full legislative agenda board members will share with state lawmakers who represent the Memphis area Monday, Dec. 17. The school board’s presentation is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. at the Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central Ave.

Memphis school board considers asking lawmakers to drop TNReady testing

2018-11-27T19:57:50+00:00

Memphis school board members are calling on state lawmakers to scrap the state’s standardized test known as TNReady.

The request culminates months of complaints from Shelby County Schools board members who discussed excluding test scores from teacher evaluations before state lawmakers stepped in and reduced the scores’ impact on teachers and students last spring amidst online testing mishaps.

The panel has sharply criticized the state for its failure to implement a reliable online test for the nearly 1 million students in Tennessee, but until now has stopped short of asking state legislators to eliminate it.

The simple request was buried deep in the board’s proposed wish list for area state legislators to take to the General Assembly in January:

“The Shelby County Board of Education urges the Tennessee General Assembly to eliminate the Tennessee Department of Education’s use and reliance on TNReady.”

The school board is set to discuss their legislative agenda at its work session Tuesday, with a likely vote next week. The discussion will come a day after the state testing window for high school students in semester classes opened.

Superintendent Dorsey Hopson, who reports to the school board, already declared “no confidence” in the state’s online delivery of its test in a joint letter with Nashville’s district leader Shawn Joseph in August. The superintendents asked Gov. Bill Haslam and Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to pause state testing until issues were resolved.

The Knox County school board followed suit a few days later but expanded its critique to the whole Tennessee Department of Education that board chair Patti Bounds said “still takes no ownership” of its mistakes.

In response, McQueen, who is leaving her state post in January, said in a letter that a pause was not possible under federal law and would be “inconsistent with our values as a state.” Haslam, who is also leaving office in January, held a statewide listening tour in the fall to hear concerns about the state’s test and announced a technology funding program in response.

School board member Kevin Woods said Tuesday the board should be prepared “to respond to what we’re replacing it with” since the district uses test results in decisions to close schools and place students in competitive programs.

“I just want to make sure… that we have language that speaks to our opposition on what’s not working and our vision going forward,” Woods said.

Board member Stephanie Love previously said the district should look into creating its own assessment of student achievement and growth if problems with the state continue.

“We owe it to our teachers, to our parents, to our students to say ‘no more’ until the state of Tennessee can give us a test that we can trust and that we know will follow through from the beginning to the end,” Love said in April. “I think it’s time for us to come up with our own test to know where our children are, where they need to go and a plan to get them where they need to be so they can graduate and be successful.”

Dear Bill Lee… ‘Respect our judgment and decisions,’ and other pieces of advice from Tennessee educators

2018-11-26T19:31:34+00:00

After the election, we asked Tennessee educators: What would you tell newly elected Gov. Bill Lee about your classroom?

More than 50 of you answered our call. From thoughts on state testing to personal stories on the struggles their students face, teachers across the state had a lot to say to Lee. The governor-elect will take office in January with a new administration and the chance to shape Tennessee education, especially with the recent resignation of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen.

Here is a collection of the letters sent in, which have been edited and condensed for clarity.

‘We are overcrowded, underfunded, and still succeed … at making students better citizens’

Jennifer Graham, Nashville teacher

At Shwab Elementary, our mission is to prepare students for success in middle school and beyond by developing problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills. We serve a community of students that consists of 63 percent economically disadvantaged and 33 percent English language learners. With these dynamics, we do face additional challenges to help our students meet the rigorous academic demands. The challenges include ensuring our students have basic needs such as food and clothing, and adhering to the students’ social and emotional needs throughout the school year. All of these issues have a great impact on students’ academic performance. Our educators go above and beyond to ensure our students are successful.

Lois Walker, Rutherford County teacher

Gov.-elect Bill Lee speaks with reporters the day after being elected the 50th governor of Tennessee. His 75-day transition ends with his inauguration on Jan. 19.

We are overcrowded, underfunded, and still succeed every day at making students better citizens for the future. Every teacher in my building shares their classroom with another teacher because we are so crowded, and many classes are still quite large. We spent all kinds of time and money on testing for these last four years, only to have the test fail every year. We literally can’t afford computerized testing because we don’t even have a 5:1 ratio of computer to student in the high school. Use the ACT. It’s vetted and normed. TNREADY has never been ready, and the ever-changing standards void the meaning of the test even if the test LITERALLY doesn’t fail. How can we legitimately compare our students to other states when they are asking to learn so many standards for the state AND separate ones for the ACT? More is often NOT better. We lose 6-8 weeks of the school year to testing every single year: practice testing, the ridiculous number of days it takes for actual testing, and testing in April so that we have wasted time in May because students shut down when the test is over. AP students lose much of their review time for May tests because classes are disrupted by TNREADY or they even have to take TNREADY and an AP exam. It’s asinine. We need to go back to teaching to learn, not to test. Teachers are leaving in record numbers, and fewer enter the field now because they want to be creative and teach. Please stop the madness.

Rachel Johnson, Shelby County teacher

The workload put on me is too great for me to take. Children need more support for behavioral concerns before we dump millions into standards, test, and curriculum. We are failing to meet basic student needs and then expecting teachers to close the gap with little to no resources and too little pay for the workload we truly do.

Cassandra St. John, Washington county eighth-grade English teacher

My school is a small K-8 school in rural East Tennessee. Although we are no longer considered a Title I school [one that receives additional resources from the federal government because it has a high population of poor students], many of our students come from low-income homes. And as the years roll on, more and more students live with people other than their parents. Opioids and other drugs have begun to affect our community, and our children, immensely. As with many teachers, the stories I hear about some of my students’ home lives are incomprehensible. Despite this, we have incredible, resilient students. For some students, when they have little stability at home, it’s difficult for them to focus and grow in school. I think that you should recognize that Tennessee, because it is a somewhat impoverished state, has students who come to school unprepared to learn because of the stability and structure they lack at home. Please take this into consideration.

Ronda Roberts, Rhea County teacher

We are a small rural school where most students are at or below poverty level. We try very hard to make a difference in our students’ lives. We have a clothes closet that we use to supply several students with clean clothing. We are currently trying to start our very first STEAM program after school, and funds are hard to come by. We love our students and want them to be prepared for the world when they graduate.

‘Good teachers are leaving. If you want this to stop, Pay us. … Respect us.’

Kathryn Vaughn, Tipton County elementary art teacher

I teach during the day and then work at an after-school program for at-risk youth in the evenings. We feed the students a third meal, work with them on their homework, and then teach STEM infused lessons. The students need the program for their social and academic growth. Their parents appreciate the program that feeds their children and keeps them in a safe place until parents can get home from work. Unfortunately, our budget has been cut and the program has ended at many of our schools, leaving students hungry, unsupervised, and parents struggling to make it home by 3:30 p.m. Policies determine this program’s future. As a teacher, I depend on the extra income to pay my student loans and cover medical copays. I have struggled to remain food secure this fall as the program started a month late due to the budget.

Candous Brown, Shelby County teacher

Raleigh Egypt High School is part of the Innovation Zone of schools within the district. As such, we attend for an extra hour daily in hopes of improving student performance. However, as it stands, we have lost so many teachers due to either lack of support or student numbers. We need qualified mentors in the building to support the new staff. But the veteran teachers in the building are not being used to their full potential which is why they are seeking other opportunities. Rapport between the staff needs to be a priority so that teachers can be retained.

Theresa Wagner, Nashville teacher

Our classes lack textbooks, technology, and appropriate infrastructure to support the technology that we do have. Our district is grossly underfunded and cannot offer competitive salaries to attract enough teachers to fill all of our needs. We do not have adequate support staff in the form of ESPs, nurses, school psychologists, social workers, etc. We do have what I think is an excellent career preparation structure through our high school academies where students can graduate with a large variety of industry certifications and go right into the workforce.

Haley McNabb, Achievement School District teacher

Teachers working long hours, outside of what we are asked, and not getting paid for the work we do. We are on the front line to mold our future leaders and we don’t get compensated fairly for all of the work we do. Good teachers are leaving the classroom. If you want this to stop, Pay. Us. More! Respect us more. Respect our judgment and decisions.

‘One test … does not measure my effectiveness or my students’ readiness.’

Heather McCall, Nashville seventh-grade ELL teacher

I work at a great school. However, teachers are more and more being treated as less than professional. We need to be given the freedom to educate students and be treated as professionals. All of this stems from the performance treadmill we are on to make adequate yearly progress on some high-stakes test that has failed us multiple years in a row.

Testing. My students are more than a test score, and the issues related to testing in recent years have reminded us of the over-reliance on testing. We need to actually teach our students and end the testing machine.

Amber Wylie, Munford Schools elementary science/math teacher

TN Ready and teacher scores loom over my heart every year. I watch my kids pour their hearts into a test because they know how important it is to “show what they know,” only to end up crying because of unfair time limits. One test on one day does not measure my effectiveness or my students’ readiness.

David Talley, Blount County Schools teacher

Testing. Every single day. Unfortunately, state testing drives what happens in the classroom. As an educator, I am rated by how my students do on one single test that I don’t even get to see. I am graded on students who come from a diverse background, some of whom don’t even know where their next meal is coming from. Quite frankly, they are not worried about a test. There has to be a better way.

Regina Jones, Lake County kindergarten teacher

I was the secretary/bookkeeper/took-care-of-sick-children in the office for five years before going back to school at the age of 35 to become a teacher. I believe that there has to be a framework to hold teachers accountable, and I have experienced how helpful it is to students’ learning and my teaching. The problem is that just when we begin to get in a productive rhythm, everything is changed. The standards, the curriculum, the portfolios, the evaluations, all of the paperwork that goes along with all of the changes, lesson plans and finding the time to run off or gather materials, and yet, there are still students needing our attention and needing to be taught. There is only so much time in a day. We spend so much time on the “paper trail” that our teacher hearts and minds are too stretched. I have seen where some states are giving teachers one day a week without students to prepare. If this could happen, it may would help.

Jodi Amado, Manchester City Schools first-grade teacher

Testing in TN has been setting the students up for failure and making public educators look inadequate to the public. Furthermore, the state department of education fuels the fire by not accepting responsibility for their failures. I submitted a portfolio that wasn’t scored last year and received a 4 (if scored it would have been a 5). There is a lack of trust and respect between the education department and school systems. When the former governor met with teachers he was presented with “yes sir” teachers. I hope Mr. Lee appoints a public educator as Commissioner of Education and not one who is looking for status or money — one that cares about the school systems and the STUDENTS of Tennessee succeeding.

Choose an education commissioner ‘with extensive experience in our field.’

Shelly Misenheimer, Collierville Schools teacher

Newly Elected Gov. Lee — As an educator in the state of Tennessee, I have witnessed firsthand the woes of overtesting, the lack of leadership at the state level as well as the fiasco that has gone on the past three years with TNReady testing. As you select our new Secretary of Education, I implore you to choose someone with extensive experience in our field. Someone who was a seasoned teacher, supervisor, and administrator within an actual public school district, possibly even a current superintendent who has been in the trenches with us these past few years of never-ending evaluations, mounds of additional paperwork, and the constant accountability of tests that have proven to be completely unusable in determining a student’s progress.

Tennesseans reflect on Candice McQueen’s legacy leading the state’s schools

2018-11-15T20:56:32+00:00

As Candice McQueen prepares to leave her role as Tennessee education commissioner in January, education leaders, advocates, and parents are weighing in on her impact on the state’s schools.

McQueen, 44, will become the CEO of National Institute for Excellence in Teaching in mid-January after about four years under the outgoing Gov. Bill Haslam administration.

Her tenure has been highlighted by overhauling the state’s requirements for student learning, increasing transparency about how Tennessee students are doing, and launching a major initiative to improve reading skills in a state that struggles with literacy. But much of the good work has been overshadowed by repeated technical failures in Tennessee’s switch to a computerized standardized test — even forcing McQueen to cancel testing for most students in her second year at the helm. The assessment program continued to struggle this spring, marred by days of technical glitches.

Here are reactions from education leaders and thinkers across the state:

Gini Pupo-Walker, senior director of education policy and programs at Conexión Américas:

“It was her commitment to transparency, equity, and strong accountability that helped create a nationally recognized framework that places students at its center. Commissioner McQueen’s commitment to inclusion and engagement meant that our partners across the state had the opportunity to weigh in, share their experiences, and to ask hard questions and conduct real conversations with policymakers. Tennessee continues to lead the nation in innovation and improvement in K-12 education, and that is due in no small part to Commissioner McQueen’s leadership.”

Shawn Joseph, superintendent of Metro Nashville Public Schools, who in August co-penned a letter declaring “no confidence” in state testing:

“Since joining MNPS just over two years ago, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Commissioner McQueen and her team. She has been a strong advocate for Tennessee’s children, and I especially want to thank her for her support of the work that is taking place in Nashville. We send her our very best wishes — and our hearty congratulations for accepting her new role.”

JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee:

“Commissioner Candice McQueen is one of the most visible members of the Haslam Administration. She took over the department during a dark period in public education, and she made a significant difference within the department, particularly in the infrastructure. Those changes are not readily noticeable, as they include systems, processes and human capital. There are some exceptional people within the Department of Education working to make public education a success in our state. It is unfortunate that online testing continues to be a point of contention, but the state is moving in a positive direction. The next Commissioner of Education and the 111th Tennessee General Assembly will need to make adjustments in student assessment as we move forward. We will always be grateful to Commissioner McQueen for her unwavering support of increasing teacher salaries and commitment to student literacy.”

Sharon Griffin, leader of the state-run Achievement School District:

“I have truly appreciated Dr. McQueen’s leadership and vision for the Department of Education. From a distance and even closer in recent months, I have clearly seen the integrity and passion she brings to the work of improving student outcomes. We have absolutely connected around our shared belief in how what’s in the best interest of students should guide our work.”

Jamie Woodson, CEO of SCORE:

“Tennessee students have been served very well by the steady and strong leadership of Commissioner McQueen. Her priorities have been the right ones for our children: improving student achievement, with a specific focus on reading skills; advocating for great teaching and supporting teachers to deliver high-quality instruction; and emphasizing that students and schools with the greatest needs must receive targeted focus and support in order to improve.”

Sarah Carpenter, executive director of parent advocacy group Memphis Lift:

“Memphis parents want decision makers to be accessible, and we appreciate that Commissioner McQueen made a point to build relationships and hear concerns from the entire community. Hopefully, the next education commissioner will bring parents to the table for conversations about our kids’ education.”

Mendell Grinter, leader of Memphis student advocacy group Campaign for School Equity:

“In our collaborative work and position in the educational landscape, we have witnessed firsthand how Commissioner McQueen has served as a tireless advocate for students and families in Tennessee. Over the past two years her leadership has inspired school leaders, and teachers alike to recognize the sense of urgency for improving school equity and academic outcomes for more students.”

Andy Spears, author of Tennessee Education Report and vocal critic of state test, TNReady:

“After what can charitably be called a rocky tenure at the helm of the Tennessee Department of Education, Candice McQueen has miraculously landed another high-level job. This time, she’ll take over as CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, an organization apparently not at all concerned about the track record of new hires or accountability.”

Beth Brown, president of Tennessee Education Association:

“As candidates for the state’s next commissioner of education are considered, it is my hope that serious consideration is given to an individual’s experience in our own Tennessee public schools… Students and educators are struggling with two major issues that must be tackled by the next commissioner: high-stakes standardized tests and a lack of proper funding for all schools. Our schools need a leader who understands that the current test-and-punish system is not helping our students succeed. Governor Bill Haslam has made significant increases in state funding for public education, but there is still much work to be done to ensure every child has the resources needed for a well-rounded public education.”

Tennessee schools chief Candice McQueen leaving for job at national education nonprofit

2018-11-15T17:08:58+00:00

Tennessee’s education chief is leaving state government to lead a nonprofit organization focused on attracting, developing, and keeping high-quality educators.

Candice McQueen, 44, will step down in early January to become the CEO of National Institute for Excellence in Teaching.

Gov. Bill Haslam, whose administration will end on Jan. 19, announced the impending departure of his education commissioner on Thursday.

He plans to name an interim commissioner, according to an email from McQueen to her staff at the education department.

“While I am excited about this new opportunity, it is hard to leave this team,” she wrote. “You are laser-focused on doing the right thing for Tennessee’s students every single day – and I take heart in knowing you will continue this good work in the months and years to come. I look forward to continuing to support your work even as I move into this new role with NIET.”

A former teacher and university dean, McQueen has been one of Haslam’s highest-profile cabinet members since joining the administration in 2015 to replace Kevin Huffman, a lawyer who was an executive at Teach For America.

But much of the good work has been overshadowed by repeated technical failures in Tennessee’s switch to a computerized standardized test — even forcing McQueen to cancel testing for most students in her second year at the helm. The assessment program continued to struggle this spring, marred by days of technical glitches.

Haslam, who has consistently praised McQueen’s leadership throughout the rocky testing ride, said Tennessee’s education system has improved under her watch.

“Candice has worked relentlessly since day one for Tennessee’s students and teachers, and under her leadership, Tennessee earned its first ‘A’ rating for the standards and the rigor of the state’s assessment after receiving an ‘F’ rating a decade ago,” Haslam said in a statement. “Candice has raised the bar for both teachers and students across the state, enabling them to rise to their greatest potential. I am grateful for her service.”

McQueen said being education commissioner has been “the honor of a lifetime” and that her new job will allow her to “continue to be an advocate for Tennessee’s teachers and work to make sure every child is in a class led by an excellent teacher every day.”

At the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, she’ll work with states, districts, and schools to improve the effectiveness of teachers and will operate out of the organization’s new office in Nashville. The institute’s work impacts more than 250,000 educators and 2.5 million students.

“Candice McQueen understands that highly effective teachers can truly transform the lives of our children, our classrooms, our communities and our futures,” said Lowell Milken, chairman of the institute, which has existing offices in Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Santa Monica, Calif.

In an interview with Chalkbeat, McQueen said numerous organizations had approached her about jobs this year as Tennessee prepared to transition to a new administration under Gov.-elect Bill Lee. She called leading the institute “an extraordinary opportunity that I felt was a great fit” because of its focus on supporting, leading, and compensating teachers.

“It’s work that I believe is the heart and soul of student improvement,” she said.

McQueen’s entire career has focused on strengthening teacher effectiveness and support systems for teachers. Before joining Haslam’s administration, the Tennessee native was an award-winning teacher; then faculty member, department chair, and dean of Lipscomb University’s College of Education in Nashville. As dean from 2008 to 2015, Lipscomb became one of the highest-rated teacher preparation programs in Tennessee and the nation. There, McQueen also doubled the size and reach of the college’s graduate programs with new master’s degrees and certificates, the university’s first doctoral program, and additional online and off-campus offerings.

As Haslam’s education commissioner the last four years, McQueen stayed the course on Tennessee’s 2010 overhaul of K-12 education, which was highlighted by raising academic standards; measuring student improvement through testing; and holding students, teachers, schools, and districts accountable for the results.

Candice McQueen has been commissioner of education for Republican Gov. Bill Haslam since 2015.

One of the plan’s most controversial components was teacher evaluations that are tied to student growth on state tests — a strategy that McQueen has stood by and credited in part for Tennessee’s gains on national tests.

Since 2011, Tennessee has seen record-high graduation rates, college-going rates, and ACT scores and steadily moved up in state rankings on the Nation’s Report Card.

Several new studies say Tennessee teachers are getting better under the evaluation system, although other research paints a less encouraging picture.

Her choice to lead the national teaching institute quickly garnered praise from education leaders across the country.

“The students of Tennessee have benefited from Candice McQueen’s leadership, including bold efforts to ensure students have access to advanced career pathways to lead to success in college and careers, and a solid foundation in reading,” said Carissa Moffat Miller, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Louisiana Education Superintendent John White said McQueen brings ideal skills to her new job.

“She is not just a veteran educator who has worked in higher education and K-12 education alike, but she is also a visionary leader with a unique understanding of both quality classroom teaching and the systems necessary to make quality teaching possible for millions of students,” White said.

Here’s what Tennessee’s next governor says about K-12 education

2018-11-07T01:49:52+00:00

Republican businessman Bill Lee promised to bring “fresh ideas” on public education to Tennessee, and he’ll now get the chance as the state’s 50th governor.

In handily defeating Democrat and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean on Tuesday, the Williamson County millionaire and first-time candidate is poised to replace fellow Republican Bill Haslam, who is completing his eighth year in office.

As governor, Lee can significantly shape public education in a state that has pioneered reforms since 2010 as part of a $500 million federal award. It’s uncertain, though, whether he’ll deviate from the state’s blueprint. On the campaign trail, Lee promised to look more closely at Tennessee’s rocky testing program and controversial teacher evaluation system.

Earlier this year, Chalkbeat asked Lee for his positions on big education issues facing the state. Here are his answers, which have been lightly edited for grammar, style, and length.

A Memphis principal was fired over flawed test scores. Should state law protect him too?

2018-11-06T01:02:17+00:00

Reginald Williams was set to retire as principal of a Memphis charter school at the end of the school year. Instead, he was fired just days into the new school year, shortly after state test results showed the school’s scores had plummeted.

Memphis Academy of Health Sciences High School, one of the city’s first charters, had within a single year dropped from the second-highest rating on student growth to a level 1, the lowest.

School leaders who do not move the needle for academics are frequently fired, especially as a growing body of research confirms principals play a key role in student achievement. But after major technical glitches interrupted computerized testing for tens of thousands of students this spring, state lawmakers sprung into action. They passed two wide-ranging laws designed to protect teachers, students, and schools from test results that might not be reliable.

Corey Johnson, seated right, is the executive director of Memphis Academy of Health Sciences.

Until now, no public challenge has emerged to see how far the legislation extends — and whether or not principals are covered under it.

“You would think, though, if it’s a flawed test, that would be given consideration,” said Antonio Parkinson, a state representative whose district includes the school. “I think I would stop short of telling schools if they can move their folks around. But I would hope they would give the same consideration we gave them.”

Corey Johnson, the charter network’s executive director, told Chalkbeat he and Williams, who had served for four years as the school’s principal, had come to a “mutual agreement” about moving up the timeline for Williams’ retirement. However, emails between Johnson and the board’s president, Michael Dexter, explicitly tie Williams’ departure to poor 2018 results on the state test known as TNReady. (Chalkbeat obtained the emails through a public records request.)

“Instead of waiting until the year end, I believe it is critical to make this move now in order to show the community good faith that MAHS will moving to improve itself educational [sic],” Johnson said in the email. “It is difficult to promote high-quality education with a health science focus with the scores suggesting our school is a Level One.”

ACT prep teacher Patricia Ange spoke at a board meeting for Memphis Academy of Health Sciences after principal Reginald Williams was fired.

When school parents learned of Williams’ departure, many of them, together with community supporters of the former principal, overwhelmed a board meeting last month to demand answers that were not given.

When Chalkbeat asked how the state law on 2018 scores influenced his decision to fire Williams, Johnson declined to talk about the network’s former employee. He also declined to say why his reasoning was not made public to parents at the board meeting.

“MAHS, since its inception in 2003, maintains that it is our mission to cement a high-quality educational experience by providing a continuous, health science-focused curriculum,” Johnson wrote in an email to Chalkbeat. “Any changes in course in respect to that work, our faculty or administration are all made with that mission in mind.”

Reginald Williams

Williams attributed the large drop in scores to late delivery of laptops for students to practice on and a lack of motivation from students once they learned the scores would not count — a common observation among educators. When test scores came out this summer, Williams said he tried to work with Johnson on a plan to bounce back, but did not hear from him until he was fired on Aug. 10.

“I felt very strongly that’s the reason he was releasing me, but I couldn’t prove it,” he said. “I have a history of turning around programs.”

A spokeswoman for the state education department deferred questions about the legislation’s reach to local school board attorneys, though at least one state resource on interpreting the law said principals could void their evaluations based on the state law.

Shelby County Schools’ board’s attorney, Herman Morris, did not respond to several requests for comment. A district spokeswoman, meanwhile, told Chalkbeat to “speak with an attorney who is not affiliated with the charter school or the school district to answer your legal questions.”

The first year Williams was at the high school in North Memphis, the school earned the state’s highest score on student improvement. The following year it dipped, but mostly recovered before this year’s second drop.

Source: Tennessee Department of Education. Note: The state does not publish school scores below 5 percent or above 95 percent to protect student data.

Parkinson, the state lawmaker, said Williams’ situation is a gray area in the law. For school staff, only teachers were specifically mentioned:

For the 2017-2018 school year, [local education agencies] shall not base employment termination and compensation decisions for teachers on data generated by statewide assessments administered in the 2017-2018 school year

G.A. Hardaway, a state representative who helped establish Memphis Academy in 2003 as part of the 100 Black Men of Memphis, said he hadn’t given much thought to how the scores would impact principals.

“The goal was to make sure that everyone was held harmless from those corrupt scores and corrupt process,” he said.

At least one group is insisting that principals should be protected under the law. The legal experts at Tennessee Education Association, the state’s largest teacher group, said principals are included in the definition of “teacher” in the state law.

Back at Memphis Academy, the fallout has many parents on edge. Several of them said they are actively looking for another school for their children in light of Williams’ departure and the board’s refusal to answer questions about it.

School leaders also fired ACT prep teacher Patricia Ange, an outspoken supporter of Williams, who spoke during the board meeting. Ange said she still does not have paperwork detailing why she was fired.

De’Licia Jones, a parent who has sent her children to Memphis Academy since 2013, said the whole atmosphere has changed at the school since Williams left. Several other teachers have quit, she and other members of the school community said, and it’s impacting the students.

“Before, they would be sick and still want to go to school. They were excited,” Jones said of her children. “Now he gets to a point where he doesn’t want to go to school.”

Questar hires tech guru amid TNReady testing cleanup

2018-10-30T00:18:57+00:00

Tennessee’s embattled testing company has hired a new technology chief to modernize its digital infrastructure, including shoring up problems that emerged during this year’s painful season of state testing under TNReady.

Questar announced Monday that Brendan Kealey, a former vice president with testing giant Pearson, will become its chief information officer as the Minneapolis-based company splits duties previously held by one chief technology officer.

Kealey will be tasked with improving and managing Questar’s information technology systems as testing programs continue to migrate from paper-and-pencil materials to computerized exams under multimillion-dollar contracts with states, districts, and campuses.

In Tennessee, he’ll work to sharpen the online platform that high school students will test on again this school year after navigating a bevy of computer glitches last spring with TNReady, the state assessment entering its fourth year.

Just last week, about 50,000 Tennessee students logged on for a 40-minute simulation to ensure that the bugs are out before the first round of TNReady tests start after Thanksgiving.

Questar officials are trumpeting the 46-year-old Kealey as key to positioning their company as a leader in computerized testing. Since 1997, he’s spent his career at Pearson and was responsible for leading the design, engineering, and administration of its large-scale testing platforms and products. Since 2011, he has been its vice president of software product development.

Kealey declined to comment on Tennessee’s testing challenges but told Chalkbeat that he brings “an online testing perspective and 20-plus years of experience in the field.”

“Job One is going to be to assess Questar’s platforms and environments and infrastructures to see that we’re doing best practices and have a solid foundation for innovation,” he said.

Questar also has testing contracts in Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah. But its work in Tennessee has garnered the most notoriety the last two school years because of missteps with online scoring and test delivery. For the most recent problems, outside reviewers blamed platform changes made by Questar without approval from Tennessee officials.

“As the result of this spring’s issues, we hired an external firm to do a review, and we’ve already made many of the changes that were recommended. Brendan will oversee the rest,” said Brad Baumgartner, the company’s chief operating officer.

Questar will complete its contract with Tennessee this school year, and Baumgartner expects the company will bid on the next one when the state invites proposals from other vendors before the year ends.

“We are ready as a company for fall and spring testing in Tennessee, and Brendan’s joining us will only strengthen our position,” Baumgartner said. “We’ve learned a lot and we are confident.”

More teachers are running for state office this year. Meet two from Tennessee.

2018-10-26T21:49:53+00:00

A teacher for 20 years and the mother of a child with autism, DeAnna Osborne has long advocated for policies to help students with disabilities. But until a Democratic Party leader urged her to pursue a legislative seat now up for grabs, she had never planned to run for political office.

“Initially my response was, ‘Why are you asking me? I’m just a teacher; I’m just a mom,’” recalled Osborne, who teaches English language learners at Smyrna Middle School and is now vying to represent Rutherford County in the Tennessee General Assembly.

“But having interacted with people at the state level, I’ve become very aware that legislators are just people too. We need more teachers and women representing the realities going on inside of schools,” said Osborne, who is running against Republican Charlie Baum, an economics professor at Middle Tennessee State University.

Osborne is one of at least two working teachers in Tennessee and more than 150 nationwide seeking state offices. She is campaigning for the seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Dawn White, herself a former teacher, now running for the state Senate.

Dickson County educator Larry Proffitt is also running to represent his district in Robertson County, north of Nashville. An eighth-grade history teacher and Democratic nominee, he is trying for a second time to defeat Republican Rep. Sabi “Doc” Kumar, a surgeon who has held the legislative seat since 2014.

It’s not just the governor’s race. Here’s what Tennessee’s big legislative turnover could mean for education.

Elsewhere in the state, Democrat Mariah Phillips resigned earlier this year from her Rutherford County teaching job to campaign full time for the congressional seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais. And dozens of current and retired Tennessee teachers are running for local offices, including seats on school boards, city councils, and county commissions.

The wave of political activism doesn’t surprise Beth Brown, who this year began a two-year leave from her teaching job in Grundy County to preside over the Tennessee Education Association, the state’s largest teachers group.

“Teachers are the experts in their field,” said Brown. “Who better to shape public policy impacting public schools than our public school educators, whether it’s at the local, state, or federal levels?”

Seeing teachers run for office also stresses for students the importance of civic engagement, according to Brown, even as state law prohibits them from actively engaging in political activities during school hours.

“We have the power to show our students that you try to be part of the solution when you see there’s a problem,” she said.

That’s certainly the case for Proffitt, who already uses his snow days and school breaks to attend legislative sessions at the state Capitol in Nashville. Last February after a young man shot and killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida, Proffitt testified before a legislative committee against a bill that would have armed some Tennessee educators with handguns. That proposal eventually stalled.

Larry Proffitt is a teacher in Dickson County and political candidate in Robertson County.

“I teach my students every day about our country and our government and, if I don’t live what I teach, then I’m a phony,” said Proffitt, 54, a former restaurant manager and second-career educator who asked lawmakers “not to turn us into a security force.”

State testing is among the biggest issues that both Osborne and Proffitt highlight in their campaigns. Chronic problems with administering TNReady, as well as the high-stakes environment created under the assessment program, are big trouble spots, they say, even with the uptick in national test scores under the state’s tougher new accountability systems.

“It’s been excruciating,” said Osborne of the myriad of technical disruptions to computerized testing.

She recalls watching last spring when lawmakers passed emergency legislation to diminish the significance of the most recent scores because of TNReady glitches. Osborne was in the teachers lounge at the time and streaming the debate online.

“All of us teachers were talking about the need to have somebody on the floor of the legislature who can speak to the need for more than short-term Band-Aids. And then I thought, why not me?” she said.

Proffitt is frustrated by top-down policies that are significantly changing school communities without more input from educators.

“There’s a lot of money poured into our broken standardized testing system and also a lot of money behind voucher bills,” he said of proposals to use taxpayer money to fund private school tuition. “I’ve watched recess and other things that help our kids be normal being taken away. It’s less and less about social development and more and more about test scores.”

"It's time to speak up. "

DeAnna Osborne, candidate, House District 37

While Osborne hasn’t developed a formal platform on public education, she believes she can bring ground-level insights to the dialogue based on her years in the classroom.

“I’ve had my nose to the grindstone for more than two decades. It’s time to speak up,” said Osborne, a mother of four children. “Regular people like teachers and parents need to have a voice.”

Election Day is on Nov. 6.

Tennessee has big gaps in school technology access, but no extra money. Here’s Haslam’s plan.

2018-10-24T22:47:09+00:00

With only 70 computers in the building for 400 students at one Memphis high school, preparing for Tennessee’s online test last year was mostly limited to learning the material — not developing keyboarding and digital skills.

A shipment of 90 laptops arrived a week before TNReady testing began, but students were still at a disadvantage when they finally logged on to show what they had learned in math, English and other courses at Memphis Academy of Health Sciences.

“Our students were just not digitally savvy, and all of the state’s online problems didn’t help. It really affected our scores,” recalls Reginald Williams, former principal of the Memphis charter school, which serves students who are mostly from low-income families.

Expanding computer access for Tennessee students is at the heart of a new program announced Wednesday by Gov. Bill Haslam in the push to troubleshoot simmering problems under TNReady, the state assessment entering its fourth year.

Under TNSTEP — which stands for the Tennessee Student Technology Enrichment Program — the state will build a pool of companies to sell or lease high-quality computer devices to districts at competitive rates.

The model could reduce the cost of purchasing and maintaining devices by as much as 40 percent, according to the governor’s office.

Only about a third of the state’s 147 school districts now have enough technology to provide each student with a device for both instruction and testing, compared with about 40 percent nationally.

The disparities were cited frequently during Haslam’s recent statewide “listening tour” of educators to discuss problems with TNReady, including the challenge of rescheduling many of last year’s tests due to a myriad of technical problems.

“It’s no surprise that districts that had more technology had fewer problems,” Haslam said during a 40-minute discussion with reporters about TNReady. “So if you were one-to-one and had one piece of technology for every student, those districts tended to have a lot less issues and didn’t have as many scheduling issues.”

TNSTEP is designed to help school systems expand their inventories. “The upfront cost is what kills a lot of districts,” the governor said.

Switching to computer testing was a big part of the plan in 2016 when Tennessee rolled out TNReady, which also was designed to increase the rigor of the state’s assessment and align the questions with new academic standards.

But while Haslam invested $50 million to help expand internet access and beef up digital infrastructures, school systems have been mostly on their own to purchase computers, laptops, tablets, or other devices for testing and instructional purposes.

Gov. Bill Haslam visits in May with students in the computer lab at Union City Middle School in northwest Tennessee.

“It’s a true equity issue,” said Joan Gray, executive director of Tennessee Educational Technology Association, which represents school technology leaders and workers across the state.

“It really comes down to where you live and where you go to school. Some districts have more funding and are way ahead of the curve. Others, especially in bigger cities like Memphis and Nashville, have a lot more students and don’t have enough devices.”

“It tugs at my heart — and it should all of us,” Gray added.

She hopes the new program can help to address the gaps.

“I know the governor doesn’t have a billion dollars to put into buying new devices, but the state certainly has more buying power and should be able to get a better price,” she said. “At the same time, the details and specs for those devices should be looked at closely. I hope school system technology people are part of the discussion. They’re the ones who will have to work with these.”

Making sure that the devices are of high quality is one concern, according to Gray.

School districts also must get approval for lease agreements from both their local funding bodies and state auditors. “That’s a lot of hoops to jump through,” she added.

But no matter the challenges, spotlighting the need is a good first step, according to Dale Lynch, executive director of the state superintendents association.

“We’ve got to get better — and not just for testing,” Lynch said. “We need more technology to help students learn and improve all year long. If those devices also help with assessment and accountability, that’s great too.”

McQueen declares online practice test of TNReady a success

2018-10-23T20:20:14+00:00

Tennessee’s computer testing platform held steady Tuesday as thousands of students logged on to test the test that lumbered through fits and starts last spring.

Hours after completing the 40-minute simulation with the help of more than a third of the state’s school districts, Education Commissioner Candice McQueen declared the practice run a success.

“We saw what we expected to see: a high volume of students are able to be on the testing platform simultaneously, and they are able to log on and submit practice tests in an overlapping way across Tennessee’s two time zones,” McQueen wrote district superintendents in a celebratory email.

McQueen ordered the “verification test” as a precaution to ensure that Questar, the state’s testing company, had fixed the bugs that contributed to widespread technical snafus and disruptions in April.

The spot check also allowed students to gain experience with the online platform and TNReady content.

“Within the next week, the districts that participated will receive a score report for all students that took a practice test to provide some information about students’ performance that can help inform their teachers’ instruction,” McQueen wrote.

The mock test simulated real testing conditions that schools will face this school year, with students on Eastern Time submitting their exams while students on Central Time were logging on.

In all, about 50,000 students across 51 districts participated, far more than the 30,000 high schoolers who will take their exams online after Thanksgiving in this school year’s first round of TNReady testing. Another simulation is planned before April when the vast majority of testing begins both online and with paper materials.

McQueen said her department will gather feedback this week from districts that participated in the simulation.

Tennessee students to test the test under reworked computer platform

2018-10-22T23:48:31+00:00

About 45,000 students in a third of Tennessee districts will log on Tuesday for a 40-minute simulation to make sure the state’s testing company has worked the bugs out of its online platform.

That platform, called Nextera, was rife with glitches last spring, disrupting days of testing and mostly disqualifying the results from the state’s accountability systems for students, teachers, and schools.

This week’s simulation is designed to make sure those technical problems don’t happen again under Questar, which in June will finish out its contract to administer the state’s TNReady assessment.

Tuesday’s trial run will begin at 8:30 a.m. Central Time and 9 a.m. Eastern Time in participating schools statewide to simulate testing scheduled for Nov. 26-Dec. 14, when some high school students will take their TNReady exams. Another simulation is planned before spring testing begins in April on a much larger scale.

The simulation is expected to involve far more than the 30,000 students who will test in real life after Thanksgiving. It also will take into account that Tennessee is split into two time zones.

“We’re looking at a true simulation,” said Education Commissioner Candice McQueen, noting that students on Eastern Time will be submitting their trial test forms while students on Central Time are logging on to their computers and tablets.

The goal is to verify that Questar, which has struggled to deliver a clean TNReady administration the last two years, has fixed the online problems that caused headaches for students who tried unsuccessfully to log on or submit their end-of-course tests.

Here’s a list of everything that went wrong with TNReady testing in 2018

The two primary culprits were functions that Questar added after a successful administration of TNReady last fall but before spring testing began in April: 1) a text-to-speech tool that enabled students with special needs to receive audible instructions; and 2) coupling the test’s login system with a new system for teachers to build practice tests.

Because Questar made the changes without conferring with the state, the company breached its contract and was docked $2.5 million out of its $30 million agreement.

“At the end of the day, this is about vendor execution,” McQueen told members of the State Board of Education last week. “We feel like there was a readiness on the part of the department and the districts … but our vendor execution was poor.”

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen

She added: “That’s why we’re taking extra precautions to verify in real time, before the testing window, that things have actually been accomplished.”

By the year’s end, Tennessee plans to request proposals from other companies to take over its testing program beginning in the fall of 2019, with a contract likely to be awarded in April.

The administration of outgoing Gov. Bill Haslam has kept both of Tennessee’s top gubernatorial candidates — Democrat Karl Dean and Republican Bill Lee — in the loop about the process. Officials say they want to avoid the pitfalls that happened as the state raced to find a new vendor in 2014 after the legislature pulled the plug on participating in a multi-state testing consortium known as PARCC.

Why state lawmakers share the blame, too, for TNReady testing headaches

“We feel like, during the first RFP process, there was lots of content expertise, meaning people who understood math and English language arts,” McQueen said. “But the need to have folks that understand assessment deeply as well as the technical side of assessment was potentially missing.”

It’s not just the governor’s race. Here’s what Tennessee’s big legislative turnover could mean for education.

2018-10-18T20:52:01+00:00

The battle to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Haslam has consumed the spotlight for Tennessee’s education-minded voters, but more than a hundred legislative races will decide who the new governor will work with on school policy for the next few years.

In addition to either Democrat Karl Dean or Republican Bill Lee as the state’s new chief executive, at least a fourth of the General Assembly’s members will be new to Capitol Hill in January. That’s because of an unusually high number of legislative departures, due mostly to retirements or the pursuit of other government jobs.

Incumbents aren’t running to fill 25 out of 99 seats in the House of Representatives and six out of 33 seats in the Senate — setting the stage for the biggest turnover since at least 1995, according to legislative librarian Eddie Weeks.

Among those opting against re-election bids are the leaders of three of four House education panels — Harry Brooks, John Forgety, and Roger Kane — all East Tennessee Republicans who have wielded considerable power in controlling the flow of bills in their committees or subcommittee. The fourth chairman, Rep. Mark White of Memphis, has been in office since 2010 and faces Democrat Danielle Schonbaum on Election Day on Nov. 6.

“It’s like getting Jupiter, Mars, the Earth, and the sun all lined up at the same time. It’s a ton of change,” said Kane of getting a new governor, a new education commissioner, and a critical mass of freshman legislators, in addition to administrative staff turnover.

At stake is whether Tennessee will stay the course on a massive school improvement plan launched in 2010 under former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen and continued since 2011 by the current Republican governor. The overhaul, spurred by Tennessee’s $500 million federal Race to the Top award, is grounded in higher academic standards; a new test to measure student growth and proficiency based on those new standards; and policies that hold students, teachers, and schools accountable for results.

The years since the overhaul have coincided with student gains on national tests, but also major headaches in administering the state test known as TNReady, now entering its fourth year. Technical glitches disrupted two years of giving the new computerized assessment, while scoring and score delivery problems marred another year.

“I hope we don’t try to reinvent the wheel,” said Rep. John DeBerry, a Democrat and education committee member who is running unopposed in his Memphis district. “We’ve laid a very good foundation that’s been proven by a lot of measurable factors.”

Kane, who serves on the other side of the aisle, agrees.

“I worry that you could see a total change in philosophy and literally everything we have done the last 10 years could become unwound,” he said. “When you have people coming in who are totally against any kind of testing but the ACT, as well as people who want to test everything, that’s a wide disparity.”

Read why Haslam worries that TNReady problems could unravel Tennessee education policy

Both gubernatorial candidates want to take a closer look at testing, but the next General Assembly will have a lot to say about steps moving forward.

“We’re the ones who pass the laws,” said DeBerry. “The governor has tremendous influence, but he doesn’t cast votes either in committee or on the floor.”

Still, uncertainty about legislative turnover, especially in the House, was on the minds of members of the State Board of Education on Thursday as they discussed how to make TNReady work better this school year, as opposed to just gutting the test and starting over.

“That’s the big unknown at this point that quite honestly nobody has control over,” said Wayne Miller, the former state superintendents chief whom Haslam recruited to facilitate his recent statewide listening tour on testing.

“If we start to slide off track, it will be important for this group and others to speak loudly that this is not where we want to go,” Miller told the board.

A lot will depend on new legislative leadership, especially in the House which, like the Senate, has a lopsided majority of Republicans that likely won’t change significantly.

The speaker of the House decides committee appointments, both for membership and leadership, but that job is up for grabs too due to the exit of Nashville Republican Beth Harwell after her unsuccessful bid for governor. The Republican caucus is scheduled to elect a new speaker on Nov. 20, and candidates thus far are Reps. Glen Casada of Franklin, David Hawk of Greeneville, and Curtis Johnson of Clarksville.

The next speaker is expected to maintain Harwell’s two-committee system for education legislation because of the large number of bills on K-12 and higher education. Kane said the system has worked well.

Rep. Roger Kane of Knoxville is the retiring chairman of the House Education Instruction and Programs subcommittee.

“Last year there were 400 education bills alone,” Kane said. “That number would be grueling for one committee in the House. We have more members than the Senate committee and therefore more discussion.”

The Senate is less likely to see any kind of fruit basket turnover, and Dolores Gresham is expected to continue chairing her chamber’s education committee. The Somerville Republican has served in the legislature since 2002 and is not up for reelection this year.

But the huge turnover in the House will mean a significant loss of institutional knowledge on education policy. At the same time, the handoff presents an opportunity to gain fresh and innovative ideas, according to Brooks, the powerful committee chairman who is retiring after 16 years in office.

“I’m not worried,” Brooks said. “This legislature has been around for over a hundred years, and it’s managed to pick up and go after huge shifts in the past. There’s a lot of quality people returning, and there will be a lot of good folks who are going to be elected.”

‘We do not need to start over,’ educators advise Haslam on TNReady

2018-10-03T23:32:35+00:00

Tennessee’s 3-year-old standardized test is rife with problems big and small — but doesn’t need to be scrubbed and rebuilt from scratch, according to a new report summarizing what educators told Gov. Bill Haslam during his recent statewide “listening tour.”

The report instead recommends fixing the test, called TNReady, both online and on paper, and forging ahead with Tennessee’s transition to computerized testing.

The 14-page summary, which was delivered to Haslam on Tuesday, gleaned feedback from about 150 educators who met with the outgoing Republican governor during six roundtable meetings across the state in August and September, along with input submitted online.

Haslam said the responses will help inform TNReady’s administration this school year under Questar, the state’s testing company, as well as the selection of Tennessee’s next vendor to manage the assessment beginning with the 2019-20 school year.

“We must get this right and this report and recommendations will help us get there,” he said in a statement.

The governor launched his tour after technical glitches marred the online administration of TNReady last spring in hundreds of middle and high schools, while problems also emerged with paper tests given to younger students. It was the third straight year of testing headaches in the TNReady era, placing the assessment’s credibility at an all-time low after emergency legislation rendered the most recent results inconsequential.

But “we do not need to start over,” the report said. “We must never let the implementation challenges we’ve experienced cloud the real value TNReady provides: detailed, actionable feedback for educators and families about students’ strengths and weaknesses to help inform instruction.”

The report was submitted by an advisory team of four respected educators tasked with summarizing the feedback. The advisers encouraged the next governor, who will take office in January after Haslam’s second and final term, to “strongly consider the findings” in formulating state testing policies going forward. They also warned of the costs of making large-scale changes in testing under a new administration, and noted that many of their recommendations already are being followed for the current school year.

The problems with TNReady are numerous — from flimsy boxes of paper tests that make for difficult handling to unequal access to computer technology among districts, educators told Haslam.

Solutions to many of the smaller problems — such as sturdier boxes and releasing the state’s testing manual earlier so educators have adequate time for review — are already in the works. In addition, the state will conduct a large-scale “stress test” to its computer-based platform on Oct. 23 to troubleshoot problems before fall and spring testing.

But challenges such as a shortage of devices are more difficult to address and should be reviewed with an eye toward improving students’ digital skills and the logistics of online testing, the report advised.

“Access to a one-to-one technology environment varies considerably across the state and carries with it a large cost,” the report said.

First Person: “I spoke with the governor during his TNReady listening tour. Here’s what I hope he heard.”

Some teachers told Haslam that the state needs to invest more in technology before moving ahead with digital testing, while others recommended reverting to paper tests until the risk of online disruptions can be reduced. Still others suggested that each district should make that decision.

The report recommended sticking with the state’s current timeline for the digital transition, which Education Commissioner Candice McQueen rolled back after last spring’s problems so that only high school students will take TNReady online this school year.

“We live in an ever-increasing digital world,” the report said, noting that tests can be scored faster on computer than on paper — another big concern for educators who said they want to receive more timely results. The state plans to deliver this school year’s preliminary results by May 20, earlier than last year, assuming that all tests are completed and shipped on schedule.

Educators also had advice for picking the state’s next testing vendor, which they said should be a proven company with experience in online testing and large-scale student assessments.

“Given the considerable challenges that Tennessee has experienced during the last three testing cycles, we strongly recommend the state partner with a third-party technology expert to work alongside [the department] and the state’s chief procurement officer to set the highest standards for what is required in terms of technology capability and delivery going forward,” the report said.

You can read the full report below.

What the candidates for governor said about education during the debate

2018-10-03T03:44:13+00:00

Education was front and center in the debate Tuesday night between Williamson County businessman Bill Lee and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean.

“It’s critically important that every single Tennessee student, every kid in Tennessee has access to a quality education through their school system,” said Lee, a Republican. He added that Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson supports his campaign.

Lee, 58, praised the Innovation Zone schools in SCS, struggling schools being turned around with new leadership and more autonomy from the district. “When I’m governor, I want to go to every struggling school district and say, ‘What is your idea of your innovation zone to transform your education system?’”

Dean, a Democrat, said it was time for the state to address how schools are funded and to fund both rural and urban areas based on their needs. “You’ve got to offer more services, more support in the areas where kids need it…. I don’t think anyone can argue that Tennessee overfunds its schools,” said Dean, 62.

Tennessee’s two largest districts — Shelby County Schools and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools — are suing the state over whether it allocates enough money to provide an adequate education.

The hourlong debate was the first of three scheduled meetings between the Republican and Democratic nominees. The winner in the Nov. 6 general election will succeed Republican Gov. Bill Haslam.

Using public dollars for private schools

Differences in education policies quickly emerged between the candidates Tuesday, notably on the issue of school vouchers. Lee supports using taxpayer dollars to attend private schools; Dean does not, saying vouchers undermine public education.

“I think vouchers actually take money out of the public school system, moves it into a private system, and there’s no guarantee of the quality of those schools,” Dean said. “The states that have done that have real problems.”

Lee didn’t respond when Dean pointed out his opponent’s support of vouchers. But Lee has previously said he supports private school vouchers, charter schools and other education choices for parents.

Training future workers

Both said an educated workforce is critical to Tennessee’s economic success.

“For education we need to be a state that’s producing more college graduates, but also have to recognize that not everyone will go to college,” Dean said.

More vocational training is needed in high school, more technical colleges are needed for those degrees, and partnerships and apprenticeships with businesses need to be expanded, Dean added.

Lee said that most of the 200 employees at his heating, air-conditioning, electrical, and plumbing business are skilled tradespeople, and he can’t fill the job openings. “I know all too well how desperately we need to develop workforce and we need to do it through our educational system.”

The crowd cheers during the debate between Tennessee gubernatorial candidates Democrat Karl Dean and Republican Bill Lee at the University of Memphis’ Michael D. Rose Theater in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday.

He added that his company started a trade school 10 years ago and has trained more than 1,000 people. “We need to do that in high schools all across Tennessee.”

How to pay teachers more

The candidates agreed teachers in Tennessee should be paid more.

“How do you fund that?” Lee asked. “That’s why it’s important that you understand how to manage a budget from a corporation to a state government. You fund what you need and not what you want, and you find that by managing a budget.”

Dean agreed, saying “It’s exactly that — you manage a government budget the way I did as mayor.”

Better handling of TNReady

Both candidates said changes were needed to fix the widespread problems of overseeing student testing in Tennessee.

Dean said Tennessee has a testing culture that needs to be reigned in. Testing, he said, should help teachers evaluate how students are performing rather than punish teachers. “We need to have standards, but the [TNReady] tests don’t have credibility.”

Lee said that the state needs to do a “reset” on TNReady testing, not simply changing the vendor that administers the test, but rethinking how student performance is measured. He clarified later with reporters that he is not necessarily advocating halting testing.

Creating universal pre-K

Both said early childhood education is important, but they disagreed on how to improve it.

Lee said better teacher training programs in early childhood education are needed and nonprofits need to work with the school systems. “I’m always the guy who believes that government is not the answer.”

Talking to reporters later, Lee was hesitant about expanding prekindergarten unless it is high quality and effective.

Dean advocated for quality, universal pre-K. “If education is our No. 1 priority and if our challenge is to create a workforce and if our challenge is to make sure that our kids succeed whether in college or in a technical program, then this is important and we should put the dollars into it.”

The candidates face off again Oct. 9 in Kingsport and Oct. 12 in Nashville.

Struggling Tennessee schools find out Friday if they could face state intervention

2018-09-19T22:10:30+00:00

School communities hovering at the bottom on student achievement have been watching anxiously to see how they could fare under Tennessee’s new system for holding schools and districts accountable.
They’ll begin to find out on Friday when the Education Department releases its 2018 list of “priority schools” in Tennessee’s bottom 5 percent, the threshold for determining state investments such as extra money — and interventions as harsh as takeover and even closure.
The unveiling will come as the state Board of Education signs off on the list during a specially called meeting.
The 2018 priority list will be the state’s first in four years, as well as the first under a new accountability system developed in response to a 2015 federal education law. The roster will chart the state’s school improvement strategies, investments, and interventions for at least the next year.
Underperforming charter schools could face the toughest consequences. Those making the list will be shuttered next spring if they were authorized by local school districts. (Tennessee has state-authorized charters too, but those schools face closure only if they rank at the bottom in both 2018 and 2021.)
Calculating this year’s priority list — which initially was supposed to factor in the last three years of student test scores — has not been simple.
Because technical problems marred Tennessee’s return to online testing this spring, state lawmakers passed legislation ordering that the most recent scores can’t be used to place new schools on the priority list or move them into the state’s Achievement School District for assignment to charter networks. Instead, the newest priority schools are based mostly on student achievement from the two prior school years. However, a school on the 2014 list could potentially come off the new roster if its scores were good this year.
The legislation doesn’t mean that some repeat priority schools can’t be taken over by the state based on previous years’ test results. However, most of those are expected to continue under their current state-monitored school improvement plans. Schools that are new to the list will have to develop similar plans in collaboration with the Education Department.

READ: One state, three lists of troubled schools — another consequence of Tennessee’s testing mess

The newest priority lineup will be among a flurry of school accountability lists being released on Friday. The State Board also will sign off on “reward schools” that have achieved the highest performance or made extraordinary progress since last year, as well as a district roster that rates 145 Tennessee school systems based on a multitude of new measures under the state’s education plan as part of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA.
You can find the list of schools at risk of making the newest priority list here.

I spoke with our governor during his TNReady listening tour. Here’s what I hope he heard.

2018-09-14T19:21:38+00:00

As the testing coordinator for a large high school in Nashville, I was in the eye of the proverbial storm this spring as tens of thousands of Tennessee students slogged through technical snafus and breakdowns in the state’s return to online testing.

It was ugly.

The daily stops and starts sucked the joy of learning right out of our school community. And the testing platform was not the only thing that broke down. Students were frustrated to the point of tears after their hard work disappeared behind a spinning blue cursor.

Students and their teachers should never feel that level of exasperation and futility.

That’s why I was thrilled to be invited — along with about 150 other educators from across Tennessee — to troubleshoot testing problems with Gov. Bill Haslam this month during his six-stop “listening tour” on TNReady, the assessment that’s now entering its fourth year.

I wanted the governor and his education commissioner, Candice McQueen, to know just how bad testing went at my school, and to hear observations and ideas from ground zero for moving forward.

I talked about our school’s disappointment and tears as we persevered through a rocky start, with already overtested students exasperated by what felt like unending technical difficulties. “They were defeated,” I told the governor. “It crippled us before we really ever got started.”

I shared how only 36 out of 500 students in our English III classes were able to successfully submit their essays for one part of their online exam. Imagine working for over an hour to read and examine an article and construct an in-depth response, only to have your computer freeze or shut down before you could finish. Our sophomores had more success, but we still had almost 150 incomplete submissions in that class after multiple attempts. The stories were similar for students in Integrated Math, Chemistry, and U.S. History. While I can’t know for sure, I believe the intensity of the problems contributed significantly to our school being rated recently at the state’s lowest possible level for academic growth — a devastating blow to me and my colleagues.

The governor’s 90-minute roundtable discussion, held in a middle school media room in the town of Franklin, was cathartic for many of us present at the fourth listening tour stop. We realized that we were not alone in our frustrations and concerns.

Educators in Middle Tennessee participate in the governor’s fourth roundtable discussion at Freedom Middle School in Franklin.

Gov. Haslam and Commissioner McQueen listened intently, and I was grateful for the opportunity to share my school’s experience. But a lot of ideas and emotions were compressed into a relatively short amount of time. At the end of the day, here’s what I hope they heard:

We spend too much time on testing and not enough on educating students. Teachers talked about using class time to take practice tests in the fall, the long three-week testing window in the spring, and the sheer number of tests that students are required to take.

We should still test; we just have to do it better. Teachers want valid data. We want useful and meaningful feedback. But we need to know that the information provided is a true representation of what our students know. And we should be able to accomplish that with shorter, more thoughtful tests that cut down on subparts, testing times, and the number of questions. The current testing regimen isn’t working. It stresses out our students, teachers, and families.

We are not ready for online assessments in Tennessee. Computer-based testing generates faster results, but it introduces many factors that currently are beyond school or district control. Dead batteries, network updates, lack of internet connectivity and bandwidth — these are not things that schools can regulate with certainty, and they directly impact testing. Most importantly, until we have enough computers so that every student has one-to-one access to a device, we should have other options and school-level contingency plans in place. This could mean having paper backups on hand or quickly available.

Teachers and test administrators need to know the plan! As the link with our stakeholders, we need training to make sure the information that we provide students and parents is correct. It’s our job to promote the assessments to the community but, to do that, we should completely understand the process and be appropriately trained, including what to do when things go wrong.

Tests need to reflect the diversity of our students. Reading selections should be varied to address students’ abilities, experiences, and lifestyles. For example, Jane Eyre is not relatable to any of my urban high school students. Could we pull from some high-interest contemporary novels, such as Jason Reynolds’ “Long Way Down,” about a black teenager whose brother dies in a shooting?

Gov. Bill Haslam listens during his Sept. 4 roundtable discussion. An advisory team is using the feedback to develop principles and recommendations for consideration by his and the next administration.

This school year, the stakes are higher than ever to get testing right. No one has confidence in last year’s scores or results. How could they when we learned on the third day of testing that the scores wouldn’t count? And this wasn’t our first rodeo with TNReady problems, either. For the new school year, we must get it right to rebuild confidence in the assessment. To the state’s credit, the Department of Education already has made some good moves — for instance, bringing aboard ETS, a reputable testing company, and planning stress tests for online assessments in the fall and spring. I welcome the on-the-ground input of 37 educators serving as our state’s new TNReady ambassadors, as well as steps to improve customer service before and during the next round of testing.

But will it be enough? The above list of concerns represents what I heard at this month’s roundtable discussion and from other educators, too.

Thanks for listening, Gov. Haslam. I hope that yours and the next administration consider this a call to action.

A former English teacher, Tara Baker is an assistant principal at McGavock High School, a 2,400-student learning community in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

About our First Person series:

First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others trying to improve public education. Read our submission guidelines here.

Most Tennessee voters favor state tests and want TNReady fixed, says new poll

2018-09-10T21:02:30+00:00

Tennessee should continue to test its students to know if they’re meeting state academic standards and also should fix problems with administering its annual TNReady assessment, according to a statewide poll released Monday.

But whether the state should keep using test results to evaluate teachers is less clear.

Surveyors spoke with 600 Tennesseans likely to vote in this November’s race for governor in the latest poll commissioned by SCORE, a Nashville-based nonpartisan research and advocacy group seeking to improve student achievement across Tennessee.

Education has remained among the top three issues for Tennessee voters heading into the Nov. 6 election to replace outgoing Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and dozens of state lawmakers, according to all three of SCORE’s election surveys in the last year.

In the latest poll conducted Aug. 27-30, some 33 percent of participants identified education as their most important concern, compared to jobs and the economy (34 percent) and health care (32 percent).

Surveyors also asked about testing for the first time since last spring, when widespread technical problems disrupted students’ annual exams on digital devices. As a result, the Legislature yanked those scores from the state’s education accountability systems, and public trust in TNReady has fallen to an all-time low.

The future of TNReady — and how Tennessee will handle federally required testing — hangs in the balance of this year’s election.

READ: Here’s how candidates Karl Dean and Bill Lee compare on education

Since 2012, SCORE polls have consistently found strong support for an annual assessment to measure whether students are reaching their learning goals. But under TNReady, the state’s 3-year-old test aligned to new standards, giving the test and reporting the results have been rife with problems from the get-go.

Even so, 88 percent of voters surveyed agreed that testing is an important way to measure education effectiveness, with over half calling it very important.

On TNReady, 61 percent said the test should be fixed, while 27 percent dubbed it “a failure (that) will never be a good measure of student progress.”

“Once voters learn what TNReady is — a test designed to measure problem solving, critical thinking, and other skills needed for 21st century careers — a 2-to-1 majority favor its use to measure Tennessee students’ progress,” the pollsters wrote.

But respondents were split on whether Tennessee should continue its controversial policy of using students’ year‐to‐year academic growth — as measured by TNReady and end-of-course exams — in teachers’ annual performance reviews.

On other education matters, a majority of voters surveyed supported making improved literacy in grades K-3 the state’s top priority (64 percent), giving parents more choices for where to send their child to school (63 percent), and expanding quality pre-kindergarten opportunities (59 percent).

Voters also expressed doubt that Tennessee students are graduating ready for their next steps after high school. Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents said students are not properly prepared for the workforce, while just under half said students are going to college unprepared.

SCORE, which stands for the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, is planning a Future Readiness Summit with educators, policymakers, and business leaders on those matters on Oct. 18 in Nashville.

The phone survey was conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates and Benenson Strategy Group. You can read the questions and more results here.