Public charter schools in Shelby, Davidson, and Hamilton County recognized for being changemakers
The Tennessee Charter School Center recognized 5 middle schools and 8 high schools for having the greatest positive impact on student academic growth and achievement.
Nashville’s fourth-graders slightly outpace state average for improvements in reading
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is reporting similar reading gains as the state averages announced yesterday, for both third and fourth-graders.District fourth-graders posted a 38 percent proficiency rate on state assessments for English language arts (ELA). That’s 3.3 percent higher than last year and the growth exceeds the state’s 2.9 percent ELA improvement average.
PROPEL Center and Apple host career accelerator for HBCU students
Apple and the PROPEL Center have partnered to host a career accelerator for 50 HBCU students, helping them develop creative and professional skills in the arts and entertainment industry.
Metro Nashville Public Schools director optimistic about the performance of third and fourth-graders on state reading tests
Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Dr. Adrienne Battle says based on the district’s preliminary “quick scores,” she's optimistic about how third and fourth-graders performed on state reading assessments.
Report finds Tennessee’s public charter school students showing more academic growth than traditional school peers
A new report from the Tennessee Charter School Center found public charter schools are outperforming traditional public schools on state measurements for student growth.
Vanderbilt and Oak Ridge partner on AI research and development for national security
Vanderbilt University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have announced a new partnership focusing on artificial intelligence research to develop technologies for national security, as U.S. universities continue to invest more in machine learning research and education programming.
John Overton junior selected to serve on Metro Nashville school board
Members of the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education chose John Overton High School rising junior Hannah Nguyen to serve as one of two student board members.The board’s selection committee reviewed applications from students across the district and interviewed five finalists before determining Nguyen was the best fit to represent all MNPS students.
Parent poll reveals 'Nashville's hidden literacy crisis'
The education and parent advocacy organization Nashville PROPEL has released a white paper detailing what local parents think about “Nashville’s hidden literary crisis,” as well as how that crisis affects students of color.According to a news release emailed to Tennessee Firefly, less than 30 percent of students in the Metro Nashville Public Schools district are reading on grade level despite nearly 80 percent of parents believing their children are at or above grade level, a finding consistent with national trends.
Student Profile: Choice Champions Scholarship winner inspired by mother to pursue a career in healthcare
Liannet Bergantino says her mother’s work helping people has been an inspiration ever since she was a child.Next fall the Intrepid College Prep Independence Academy High School graduating senior will follow that inspiration to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Bergantino plans to pursue a career in healthcare and continue down the path she started in high school of serving her community.
Metro Nashville Public Schools outlines alternative learning redesign plans
Metro Nashville Public Schools' alternative learning centers, or ALCs, will provide students with support "every step of the way" under redesign plans unveiled by district leaders at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
Nashville State Community College prepares for new healthcare and information technology programs with Clarksville campus expansion
Nashville State Community College broke ground this week on a Clarksville campus expansion that’s designed to serve students with new academic programs in healthcare, information technology, secondary education, and industrial process control.The expanded facility on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard will include a complete renovation of the existing building in addition to a second building and expanded parking.
Scholarship opening doors for KIPP students who worry they can’t attend the University of Tennessee
Daniela Castro Pu says the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) felt like home almost immediately.Castro Pu is now weeks away from finishing her sophomore year at UT and she says the experience has been everything she’d hoped for but the ideal university match wasn’t always in the cards.Castro Pu says she might never have even considered the University of Tennessee if KIPP hadn’t offered a specific scholarship created for students like her.
Parents lead $5 million fundraising drive to improve three elementary schools
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) announced a $5 million investment in three elementary schools made possible through a fundraising drive led by parents.Former Percy Priest Elementary School PTO President Katie Agnew and Percy Priest parent Sharon Martin led the fundraising effort that will help improve construction projects already in place to build larger gymnasiums at Percy Priest and Lakeview Elementary along with an expanded cafeteria and playtorium at Paragon Mills Elementary.
Board of Education turns down expansion of Nashville charter network that's outperforming comparable schools
Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education turns down expansion of a Nashville charter network that's outperforming comparable schools.
Metro Nashville Public Schools and Vanderbilt University create new educational program at John Early Middle School
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) announced a partnership with Vanderbilt Peabody College to create a new education program at John Early Middle School. The collaboration will create a lab school that provides students with education pathways that help bridging the gap between K-12 and higher education.The lab school will focus on STEAM programming and preparing students for success beyond John Early Middle School.
LEAD Public Schools proposes creating K-12 school pipelines with two new elementary schools
LEAD runs six public charter schools in Nashville, including four in the Metro-Nashville Public School district serving families in South Nashville and Antioch. What the charter operator believes it’s lacking though, are elementary schools to feed students into those existing middle and high schools.
Representative Bo Mitchell suggests Metro Schools bulldoze buildings before allowing organizations serving high numbers of students of color use them
West Nashville Representative Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, provided Metro Nashville Public Schools with some eyebrow raising advice on the House floor Thursday.Mitchell suggested the district bulldoze buildings, like the former Hillwood High School campus, before letting public charter schools use them. The district stopped utilizing the Hillwood property as a school when the new James Lawson High School opened last August.
Encompass Community School proposes serving North Nashville students with a mastery-based approach
The mastery-based approach Encompass Community School program wants to bring to Nashville is designed to ensure students receive the instruction they need when they need it and for as long as they need it, instead of a traditional approach that uses a predetermined schedule.
Independent charter review recommends denial for the Nashville School of Excellence
More than 15 hundred elementary, middle, and high school students attend one of four Memphis Schools of Excellence in Shelby County. The organization that runs the public charter schools is now hoping to expand the school model to students in south Nashville.
Half of Nashville’s public charter schools outperform every comparable district school on state testing
Firefly staff compared each MNPS public charter school’s performance on the Report Card to traditional and magnet schools serving the same age students in the same school cluster. Half of those charters outperformed every comparable district run school in a majority of subjects.