Tennessee Announces School, District Annual Progress Report

Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Education released its annual progress report today listing which Tennessee schools and school systems met performance standards for the 2006-07 school year. In accordance with No Child Left Behind, Tennessee reports which schools have made ‘adequate yearly progress’ (AYP) toward the goal of 100 percent of students being proficient in reading and math and a 90 percent graduation rate by 2014.

“We need to not lose sight of the fact that behind the test results are real students who rely on these schools for a quality education,” Education Commissioner Lana Seivers said. “The nature of Tennessee’s accountability system is to analyze the data to identify areas of need and provide customized resources to boost student achievement. The intent of everyone involved is to make the changes necessary to deliver Tennessee students the education they deserve.”

Twelve of the 20 schools in the latest stages of sanctions met the adequate yearly progress benchmarks this year in the areas that needed improvement. Three of those 12 schools – South Side High School, Westwood Middle/High School and Winchester Elementary – came off the high priority list entirely.

“Meaningful change can take years to realize, but the reward is in schools like Memphis City’s Winchester Elementary that have worked hard to make lasting improvements for the benefit of students,” Director of Accountability Connie Smith said. “Their success is evidence that the resources and interventions we use in Tennessee work thanks to the dedication of educators who want their students to achieve.”

Among Tennessee’s newest school improvement efforts is the Tennessee Diploma Project, launched in January in affiliation with the America Diploma Project, to strengthen the high school curriculum. This initiative encourages all high school students to complete a common curriculum designed to prepare students for the demands of the workplace and higher education. The state is also realigning all K-12 standards to improve achievement and better prepare students for postsecondary opportunities.

Schools and districts must meet performance standards in 37 categories at each grade span to be deemed in good standing. Schools or districts that fall below the same standard for two or more consecutive years are identified as high priority, and must meet that performance standard for two years in order to return to good standing.

For more information visit the Adequate Yearly Progress web page or, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.