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Parents of Memphis third-graders should learn the results of the TCAP retest today

Administrators with Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) say parents should learn today if their third-graders need to attend summer school and/or tutoring in the fall.The district announced that it plans to send an email to parents of children who took the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) English language arts retest last week that explains whether the child scored proficient and what options are available if they didn’t meet that threshold.

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Legislator Profile: Senator Bill Powers strives to bring common sense principles to education

State Senator Bill Powers (R-Clarksville) took an unconventional path to politics and the Tennessee General Assembly where he's the Vice-Chairperson of the Senate Education Committee.The sixth generation Montgomery County resident served as former U.S. Senator Howard Baker’s page as a teenager in the 70s but didn’t run for office himself until four decades later.  Baker served two terms as a Clarksville City Councilman before succeeding former State Senator and current Congressman Mark Greene in what is now Senate District 22.

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

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.

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

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.

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Local Education, Middle Tennessee Sky Arnold Local Education, Middle Tennessee Sky Arnold

Williamson County approves extra notification to parents when a school library book is challenged

Williamson County Schools Board of Education voted to give parents two notifications when there’s a request to remove a book from a school library.Last April, the board passed the first reading of a library materials policy that notifies parents after the board votes on  a challenged book.At last week’s meeting, board member Sheila Cleveland proposed updating the proposed policy to provide parents with an earlier notification.  Under Cleveland’s proposal, the district would provide parents an initial notification when the review committee makes its recommendation on challenged books.

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District level data shows challenges for third-grade students in rural counties and West Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Education says four of five third-grade students in the Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) failed to meet the testing threshold to advance to the fourth-grade. That’s the eighth lowest in the state and behind other large school districts including Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

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Memphis 3rd graders improved in reading from 2nd grade, but thousands could still be held back

Early state test results show Memphis third graders improved in reading this year, and more students in the cohort are mastering state reading goals.But about three-quarters of third graders in Memphis-Shelby County Schools are still not meeting expectations, which means they could face more tests, tutoring, and summer school this year. Unless they hit certain marks along the way, they could be held back.

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Parents could learn next week if their child is in jeopardy of being held back under Third-Grade Retention Law

School districts across the state should learn this week what students could be held back under the state’s new Third-Grade Retention Law.The Tennessee Department of Education expects to be able to send that information to districts by May 19. Districts will then check to see if any of those students meet exemptions to the new law and then inform parents.

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Local Education, Memphis Sky Arnold Local Education, Memphis Sky Arnold

Memphis district may drop ServiceMaster custodial contract as cleanliness concerns persist

Memphis-Shelby County Schools wants to clean up the way it cleans up its schools.Last year, the board approved a four-year, $34 million contract with ServiceMaster Clean to provide custodial services across the district. The cost was significantly higher than the previous year, when the work was split between two providers, but MSCS sought a wage increase to $15 an hour, which the district argued would help it hire and retain workers.

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