Data and Polling, News, State Education Brandon Paykamian Data and Polling, News, State Education Brandon Paykamian

SCORE TCAP analysis indicates need to address performance gaps

While recent results from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) exam indicate that students across the state achieved “record-high” proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and made some notable progress in math, analysts from the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) say more work is needed to address performance gaps affecting non-white and economically disadvantaged students.

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Commentary: Linking Mental Health and Education to Give Tennessee Kids a Healthier Future

In 2007 — the year I retired as Senate majority leader — Tennessee got a wakeup call when a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report awarded our state an “F” for low academic performance. After conversations with stakeholders statewide to develop a shared vision for improving student outcomes, one thing became clear: Tennessee had to begin making significant changes in education. 

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“Data bill” continues to advance in the House. Supporters say it will help better prepare students for Tennessee’s changing economy.

Members of the House Government Operations Committee unanimously advanced legislation Monday that’s designed to help the state do a better job connecting students with the jobs that are available in their communities.That so-called “data bill,” sponsored by Representative Chris Hurt, R-Halls, would require the state to create a publicly available dashboard that includes data employers and students could use to see how well various instructional programs are working in Tennessee.

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"Data bill" advancing in the House aims to better prepare students for Tennessee's evolving economy

Members of the House Education Administration Committee advanced legislation Wednesday that supporters say will help the state do a better job connecting students with the actual jobs available in their communities.That bill, sponsored by Representative Chris Hurt, R-Halls, would require the state to create a publicly available dashboard that includes data employers and students could use to see how well various instructional programs are working in Tennessee.

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Tennessee needs more students to finish higher education to meet job needs, report says

Tennessee’s education system must do more to help minority and economically disadvantaged students earn postsecondary degrees in order to meet the state’s workforce needs, a report by an education policy and advocacy organization warned.The State Collaborative on Reforming Education’s 2024 report, released at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, lauded Tennessee students’ overall progress on standardized tests since the pandemic, and a rebound in the number of students attending college during that time. But the group noted that fewer students were finishing college within six years of graduating high school.

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Tennessee needs more students to finish higher education to meet job needs, report says

Tennessee’s education system must do more to help minority and economically disadvantaged students earn postsecondary degrees in order to meet the state’s workforce needs, a report by an education policy and advocacy organization warned.The State Collaborative on Reforming Education’s 2024 report, released at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, lauded Tennessee students’ overall progress on standardized tests since the pandemic, and a rebound in the number of students attending college during that time. But the group noted that fewer students were finishing college within six years of graduating high school.

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Tennessee SCORE releases recommendations to support public charter schools and improve student pathways to employment

When the founders of Nashville Classical proposed the new public charter school in 2013, acquiring facilities was a huge challenge.School leaders had to meet with future parents in church basements and parks.Addressing that charter facility gap is among the priorities the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) announced it plans to advocate for in 2024. Tennessee SCORE unveiled its annual State of Education in Tennessee report Tuesday morning and made the case that charter facilities are one key area Tennessee needs to address to ensure school support meets student needs.

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Stanford researcher says Tennessee public charter schools are outperforming traditional schools

A Stanford University researcher says public charter schools in Tennessee aren’t just outperforming their traditional school counterparts, they’re doing so with students who come from significantly more challenging backgrounds.Stanford’s Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO) director Mache Raymond presented her research to Tennessee education leaders at a forum Thursday morning hosted by the Tennessee State Collaboration on Education (SCORE).

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Two Tennessee school districts may be paving the way for improved literacy

The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) released a report this month that found two school districts may offer important lessons for how leaders can strengthen efforts to improve literacy and make assistance more accessible to students that need it the most.SCORE says both have adopted an “instructionally coherent” approach to literacy.“Rather than offering students something different in an academic support setting, it adheres to a principle that students who are academically behind should receive additional time and support with the foundational literacy skills, texts, and tasks that align to core instruction,” wrote SCORE.

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More Tennessee students are moving straight from high school to college

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced Thursday that the state is seeing the largest increase in students going straight from high school to college since the Tennessee Promise launched in 2015.According to the THEC report, Tennessee’s statewide college-going rate for the class of 2022 is 54.3 percent, an increase of 1.5 percent from the year prior. 

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