Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

TNReady

Election 2018

Tennessee
12 hours ago

It’s not just the governor’s race. Here’s what Tennessee’s big legislative turnover could mean for education.

This year's large number of legislative departures, especially by House education leaders, leaves a void waiting to be filled.

action steps

Tennessee
October 3, 2018

‘We do not need to start over,’ educators advise Haslam on TNReady

The report summarizes feedback from educators who met with the governor during his recent statewide "listening tour" to troubleshoot testing problems.

Education debate

Tennessee
October 2, 2018

What the candidates for governor said about education during the debate

Education was front and center in the debate Tuesday night between Williamson County businessman Bill Lee and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean.

Priority schools

Tennessee
September 19, 2018

Struggling Tennessee schools find out Friday if they could face state intervention

The "priority school" list will be the first since 2014 and will chart state improvement strategies, investments, and interventions.

First Person

Tennessee
September 14, 2018

I spoke with our governor during his TNReady listening tour. Here’s what I hope he heard.

Tara Baker, an assistant principal at Nashville's McGavock High School, was among about 150 educators invited to participate.

survey says

Tennessee
September 10, 2018

Most Tennessee voters favor state tests and want TNReady fixed, says new poll

But whether the state should keep using student test results to evaluate teachers is less clear, according to a new statewide survey.

counting students

Tennessee
September 7, 2018

As Griffin battles low enrollment in Tennessee’s state district, she looks to a school with a waitlist

The Achievement School District is looking to Westwood Elementary to help her find answers to one of the state district’s longtime issues: lack of students.

Testing ESSA

Tennessee
September 5, 2018

One state, three lists of troubled schools — another consequence of Tennessee’s testing mess

After months of talks, federal and state officials come to terms on how to address Tennessee's lowest-performing schools in light of TNReady problems.

listening tour

Tennessee
Updated August 22, 2018

Haslam will hit the road to troubleshoot Tennessee’s testing problems

The outgoing governor responds to a barrage of criticism of the state’s testing program by announcing a “listening tour” aimed at fixing TNReady.
Tennessee
August 20, 2018

Memphis schools in most need of growth see gains, but vast majority of students still not on grade level

Only three schools in the iZone have more than 20 percent of students reading on grade level.

Trending up

Tennessee
August 16, 2018

Most schools in Tennessee’s largest district show growth on state test

About half of schools in the Memphis district saw a bump in English scores, earning the district the state's highest rating of growth.

test scores

Tennessee
August 16, 2018

How did your school perform on TNReady tests? Search here for results

Nearly 700 schools – more than 40 percent of schools in Tennessee – improved in student performance across most grades and subjects, according…

TN scores dump

Tennessee
August 16, 2018

School-level test scores are in for the Achievement School District. And they’re bleak.

In English and math exams, not a single Achievement School District elementary, middle or high school had more than 18 percent of students scoring on grade level.

more back-and-forth

Tennessee
August 14, 2018

Eighteen legislators show support for TNReady pause as 11 superintendents say press on

Nineteen state legislators are supporting the superintendents of Nashville and Memphis in their request for an indefinite pause of the state’s embattled test, TNReady.

pushing back

Tennessee
August 13, 2018

McQueen calls superintendents’ request to pause state testing ‘illegal and inconsistent with our values’

“Pausing a state assessment would be both illegal and inconsistent with our values as a state,” Education Commissioner Candice McQueen wrote to the Nashville and Memphis leaders.

More backlash

Tennessee
August 9, 2018

Citing ‘multiple years of failure,’ Knoxville school leaders vote ‘no confidence’ in state

Board Chairwoman Patti Bounds says the Tennessee Department of Education “still takes no ownership” of its mistakes.

Interesting moment

Tennessee
August 8, 2018

Tennessee civil rights leaders push back at superintendents’ call to pause state testing

The Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition, formed in 2016 to advocate for students of color, says a moratorium on state testing is not the answer.

Taking aim

Tennessee
August 6, 2018

Declaring ‘no confidence’ in TNReady, Memphis and Nashville superintendents call for pause in state testing

The superintendents of Tennessee’s two largest school districts are asking outgoing Gov. Bill Haslam to pause state testing indefinitely.

Emerging differences

Tennessee
August 3, 2018

Here’s how Lee, Dean compare on education in the race to be Tennessee’s next governor

The state's next leader will set the course for school funding and shape education policy on everything from student testing to teacher evaluations.

Reinforcements

Tennessee
July 31, 2018

Here are the 37 Tennessee educators chosen to offer advice on TNReady testing

The first-ever advisers will help troubleshoot TNReady as Tennessee seeks to reestablish the credibility of its testing program.

exclusive

Tennessee
July 25, 2018

In his final months as Tennessee governor, Haslam reflects on his education legacy

In a wide-ranging interview, the outgoing Republican governor talks about achievement gains, TNReady disappointments, pre-K challenges, and what's next.

exclusive

Tennessee
July 24, 2018

Haslam worries TNReady testing troubles could unravel Tennessee education policy

Now in the homestretch of his administration, Gov. Bill Haslam makes his case for staying the course with the state's blueprint for student improvement.

Silver Lining Playbook

Tennessee
July 19, 2018

Memphis’ youngest students show reading gains on 2018 state tests — and that’s a big deal

Those working to improve early literacy rates in Shelby County Schools got a small morale boost from newly released TNReady scores.

Scores in

Tennessee
Updated July 19, 2018

After a wild testing year, Tennessee student scores mostly dip — but there are a few bright spots

Student test scores mostly decreased this year in Tennessee, especially in middle school where performance dipped in every subject, according to new statewide data.

Surprising report

Tennessee
July 18, 2018

EXCLUSIVE: Did online snafus skew Tennessee test scores? Analysts say not much

The independent analysis challenges popular opinion that scores were significantly tainted as a result of widespread technical problems this spring.

heads up

Tennessee
July 18, 2018

Tennessee will release TNReady test scores on Thursday. Here are five things to know.

This will be the biggest single-day release of state scores since the TNReady era began three years ago.

Tennessee Votes 2018

Tennessee
July 9, 2018

Here’s how Tennessee’s Republican candidates for governor answer the big questions on education

Chalkbeat asked Republican candidates about their own educational experiences, the future of TNReady testing, whether to offer private school vouchers, and more.

Tennessee Votes 2018

Tennessee
July 9, 2018

Here’s where Tennessee’s Democratic candidates for governor stand on education

Chalkbeat asked the candidates about their own educational experiences, how they'd address TNReady testing challenges, pre-K expansion, and more.

Q&A

Tennessee
June 27, 2018

Tennessee teachers have a new voice. Meet the next leader of the state’s largest teacher group

When Beth Brown takes office July 1 as the new president of the Tennessee Education Association, she’ll become the youngest elected leader of…

What went down

Tennessee
June 20, 2018

‘There was no cyber attack,’ investigator says of Tennessee’s online testing shutdown

Early findings of an internal review and external probe trace the bulk of this year's TNReady miscues to decisions by Questar, the state's testing company.

help wanted

Tennessee
June 14, 2018

Will third time be a charm? Tennessee searches again for online testing company

After another bumpy year, the state will seek proposals from one or more companies to take over TNReady testing in the 2019-20 school year.

change of plans

Tennessee
June 11, 2018

With A-F grades off the table, Tennessee gets creative about rating its schools under federal law

Days of online testing problems this spring forced officials to toss out a new A-F grading system to rate the state's 1,700-plus public schools.

Splitting duties

Tennessee
May 30, 2018

Tennessee lawmakers OK shifting $12.5 million in TNReady testing work from Questar to ETS

Tennessee is banking that two companies are better than one when it comes to fixing the state’s troubled standardized testing program.

Payment dispute

Tennessee
May 23, 2018

Disputes with Tennessee testmakers aren’t new. Here’s an update on the state’s lawsuit with Measurement Inc.

The testing company fired by Tennessee’s education department two years ago will likely wait until 2019 to settle the case, according to documents recently obtained by Chalkbeat.

New research

Tennessee
May 22, 2018

From an ‘F’ to an ‘A’, Tennessee now sets high expectations for students, says Harvard study

Tennessee stands out in a new national report examining how the exodus from Common Core has changed states' expectations for their students.

COUNTING TNREADY

Tennessee
May 21, 2018

School boards across Tennessee scrap TNReady scores from students’ grades

One by one, a growing number of Tennessee districts are opting not to count TNReady scores against students whenever the results are released.

Regrouping

Tennessee
May 17, 2018

After another bumpy testing year, Tennessee likely will slow its switch to online exams

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen is looking at three options as the state seeks to regroup on TNReady.

All in the family

Tennessee
May 15, 2018

TNReady’s new testing company also owns the old one

Tennessee is turning to the new owner of current vendor Questar to work through headaches with the state's problem-plagued TNReady assessment.

Another pause

Tennessee
Updated May 15, 2018

It’s official! Results from Tennessee’s ugly testing year won’t count for much of anything

Tennessee teachers and school districts can decide how to use this year’s standardized test results and won’t suffer consequences if the scores aren't good.

Taking a hit

Tennessee
May 14, 2018

By getting testing wrong again, Tennessee could undo what it may be getting right

Many stakeholders worry that public outcry over this year’s sloppy TNReady testing will unravel years of carefully crafted accountability systems.

It's done

Tennessee
May 9, 2018

Tennessee’s messy testing season is finished, but how much the scores will matter is up in the air

Students turned in their last standardized exams on Wednesday, capping more than three weeks of on-again, off-again computerized testing for TNReady.

MIA

Tennessee
May 9, 2018

Some Tennessee students lost their TNReady test answers despite state’s reassurance they wouldn’t

When tests didn’t submit properly, most students were able to later. But in an unknown number of cases statewide, students lost test answers.

survey says

Tennessee
May 7, 2018

How did Tennessee testing go this year? An investigator is about to ask 64,000 educators

The state comptroller will email surveys this week asking for information on the administration of this year's TNReady exam.

In talks

Tennessee
May 4, 2018

Does Tennessee’s emergency response to testing problems conflict with federal ed law? Stay tuned.

While legislation to address TNReady woes has eased concerns in school communities, it's raised a flurry of new questions about Tennessee’s plan under ESSA.

conflicting reports

Tennessee
May 3, 2018

Did Tennessee offload too much blame for TNReady testing woes onto a dump truck?

The troubles that at least two school districts had connecting to Tennessee’s online testing system were not related to a slashed cable, the internet provider says.

Rounding a corner

Tennessee
May 2, 2018

After two rocky weeks, Tennessee testing settles down for the homestretch

Students tackling online state exams relish a stretch of normalcy this week after days of technical problems with TNReady.

testing testing

Tennessee
May 2, 2018

Inside a Memphis school dealing with the fallout of TNReady problems

Student anxiety, last-minute schedule changes, and hour-long holds with customer service hotline were common.

new plan

Tennessee
May 1, 2018

All Memphis teachers could get a raise now that TNReady scores won’t affect their pay

Shelby County Schools had originally planned to give raises to teachers with high evaluation scores, but TNReady issues sent district leaders back to the drawing board.

TNReady timeline

Tennessee
May 1, 2018

Here’s a list of everything that’s gone wrong with Tennessee’s 2018 testing

Tennessee was optimistic that this year would be different when students began taking the state’s standardized test known as TNReady. But it quickly…

comic relief

Tennessee
May 1, 2018

Tennessee’s TNReady testing troubles, as told in your gifs and memes

How teachers, students, and parents were able to laugh to keep from crying about TNReady.
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