Davidson County parents ask school board for tutoring accountability

Darrell Grady says his child was at risk of retention in the second grade. That experience, combined with his own time as a former Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) student who got caught up in the criminal justice system, convinced him to pull his child out of MNPS.Grady told members of the Metro Nashville School Board that even though he’s lost faith in the school system, he hopes the updated GoSchoolBox, Inc. tutoring vendor contract will actively engage with parents when children like his needs help.“I want to know if this contract would include letting parents know when their child needs urgent help and provide a plan to lift their achievements before it’s too late,” said Grady. “Caught up in this contract in the future of our children who might need extra help. We want to make sure that they are not rubber stamp contracts. Our children’s lives depend on these decisions.”MNPS works with GoSchoolBox, Inc, to manage its Accelerating Scholars’ online platform and operation.The district has recently updated its tutoring contract with GoSchoolBox to access the vendor's customized platform to streamline the process of gathering, cleaning, and reporting student data to build comprehensive impact reports of the effects high-dosage tutoring is having for students.Grady is one of multiple parents who spoke at Tuesday’s board meeting to ask for accountability for student improvement.Nashville PROPEL Executive Director Sonia Thomas was among them, arguing the contract means something different to parents whose students are struggling.“I can’t tell you how many parents and how many stories we’ve heard about how disorganized and ineffective tutoring is in our schools. So, we just want to be sure, with this particular contract, that we are not getting more of the same,” said Thomas. “This is about real accountability.”The 2022/2023 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) results saw just under 30 percent of MNPS students meeting or exceeding expectation. While more than 20 percent improved their scores on the retake, only 11 percent achieved proficiency.