Tennessee Announces 2008-09 School, District Annual Progress Report

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Education released today the list of schools and school districts that met performance standards under the federal No Child Left Behind guidelines for the 2007-08 school year. This year, Tennessee reduced the number of schools on the high priority list to 134 from 139.

This forward momentum was achieved despite proficiency benchmarks being raised this year. Raising these benchmarks typically makes achieving AYP more difficult. The state is also celebrating 28 schools that came off the high priority list entirely, an almost 200 percent increase over the number of schools that came off last year.

“Tennessee schools are showing excellent progress in meeting the demands of No Child Left Behind,” Education Commissioner Tim Webb said. “However, Tennessee’s primary focus remains our state’s work to raise the academic standards to which we hold students in order to prepare them for a better future after high school. The education Tennessee students receive, not testing, is our mission.”

Tennessee measures whether schools and districts are making “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. Schools not meeting benchmarks in the same subject area for two years are considered “high priority” and receive additional support and interventions from the state. Systems must fail benchmarks in the same subject for both elementary and high school students. However, systems may advance by failing a different subject area the next year- as long as both grade spans miss the same subject area benchmarks.

Four schools districts statewide were on the high priority list last year. Today half of those districts showed dramatic improvement – Maury County Schools came off the list completely and Robertson County Schools went into improving status from corrective action. Schools and systems must make AYP for two years to return to good standing.

Six of the 20 schools that have spent seven or more years on the high priority list are now in good standing. This is a notable achievement for these schools who have reported chronically poor test scores for their students.

Performance benchmarks increased for the second time this year, making it more difficult for schools to attain AYP across the board. The percentage of students that must test proficient in Math and Reading/Language increased on average 5 to 6 percentage points at the Elementary and High School levels.

“Progress in school districts like Memphis City, Metro-Davidson, Maury and Robertson Counties is evidence that, despite increasing challenges, the changes we’re implementing statewide are beginning to show results,” said Connie Smith, Director of Accountability. “In the years to come, we can only look forward to more challenges and again proving as a state that we are an education leader nationwide.”

Schools and districts must meet performance standards in 37 categories at each grade span to be deemed in good standing under federally mandated No Child Left Behind. For more information, visit the Adequate Yearly Progress web page at www.tennessee.gov/education/nclb/ayp/ or, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.